How to save money on small everyday expenses

The key to saving money is spending less of it. When most of us decide that we would like to save some cash, we look first to the biggest expenditures on our budgets:  rent/mortgage, car payments, tuition, electric bills, 401K's, retirement savings and other big costs. However, you can only cut down so much on these necessary costs. Don't overlook small everyday purchases that can be eliminated altogether, purchased less often or purchased cheaper. Let the small changes add up to a big difference. Each idea that made this list is a small, subtle change that will make little, if any difference in your daily life. They are things that are easy to do, and things that you won't feel like you're "going without". Heres a few ideas...

1. Gym rewards- Because prevention is the best medicine, some employers insurance plans will reimburse you partially or fully for gym memberships to encourage a healthy lifestyle that will keep you out of the hospital racking up bills they would pay for. It never hurts to ask, and while you're at it, check up on any other discounts you may be eligible for You could save...: $200-300 dollars annually.
2. Go the speed limit- Driving 60 MPH instead of 70 MPH will save you up to 70 cents per gallon (and eliminate the cost and hassle of traffic violations) You could save: 70 cents per gallon and hundreds annually.
3. B.I.Y. (Brew it yourself) - America has a fascination with overpriced coffee drinks. Skip the chain coffee store or gas station in the morning and brew it yourself at home. A great investment for coffee addicts would be a deluxe coffee maker equipped with an alarm you can program to brew at a set time every morning, and some gourmet coffee, creamers and add-ins. Even a pricey machine and imported coffees will pay for themselves in a month or less! My personal favorite, as the only coffee drinker in the house, is the Senseo.  It comes in a number of models and sizes and uses individual "pods". The pods come in flavors from breakfast blend to extra caffeinated  for single cup brew. For additional savings, grind your own coffee at home. A 3 or 4 pound bag will last around a month and only put you back about twenty bucks.You could save: A person that buys spends $3.75 each workweek morning on coffee could save $500+ a year.
4. Inquire about generic medicine- Both over the counter and prescription. Next time you have an appointment with your doctor, ask if there is a generic alternative to any of the medications you are on. When buying over the counter medications from anything to topical anti-biotic creams to heartburn relief, look for the store's version of the drug (usually located right next to the name brand) You could save... Up to $10 on OTC drugs, and $35 or more per bottle on prescription meds.
5. Chop your own produce- Next time you find yourself picking out fruits and veggies in the produce department, be sure to steer clear of prepackaged and pre cut or sliced produce. Yes, it make take a little more time but the slicing and dicing will save you cash in the long run You could save... Up to $1.50 per selected item.
6. Brown bag it- Save big cash by bringing your own lunch to work. Even if you only do it a few times a week, you will save enough over the course of a year to buy a few designer handbags. You could save... $5 dollars per day, or $25 in a 5-day work week.
7. Buy cheaper toilet paper- Only in America are people so picky about such a silly thing. There is absolutely no reason to dole out extra money for "luxury" toilet paper, AND the super thick stuff can easily clog a sewer or septic system.
8. Dry pet food- Feed domestic animals dry pet food. It's cheaper, easier on their stomachs and healthier. A large package of pet food (3 lbs for cats, and 15 pounds for dogs) usually lasts around a month. Do buy quality dry food, to make sure your pet is getting a healty diet. You could save... At least $15 per month, depending on how many pets you own. You can find more ways to save money on caring for your domestic pet in our article 25 helpful tips for saving money on pet expenses.
9. Quit smoking- Seriously. There is no benefit whatsoever. Smoking is horrible for your health, drains you of money, and is no longer perceived as "sexy" or "cool" by pop culture standards. The taxes on cigarettes rise up to ten times per year, with each pack costing at least $5.00. If you can't quit, or decide that you are going to have to wait until another time you should consider switching to a discount or value brand.  You could save: Depends on how much you smoke. Smokers will spend over $40,000 in twenty to thirty years on cigarettes...
10. Find a new work commute- Reduce the amount of gas  you use daily by finding other ways to commute to work. If you live close, you could reap the benefits of a workout as well by walking or biking. If your city has a bus or public transit system, use it! You could save: Saying you spend $5 of gas per day going to work round trip, that would be around $1,200 of savings per year.
11. If you're gonna get cheap wine, get cheap wine- For whatever reason, diners that are looking to spend less cash on wine tend to choose the second cheapest bottle on the menu. The second cheapest is usually of no better quality than the house wine, so you are better off just going will the cheapest one on the list. You could save: $5-15 per bottle of equal quality wine.
12. Eliminate-A-line- In today's world of abundant, landlines are becoming less and less of a necessity every day. People that live by themselves, or with a roommate that uses their personal cell phone for most calls could save money by canceling their landline service and using your wireless phone as your primary number. You could save...$30-100 per month
13. Turn off that T.V.- So many Americans, and not just kids are guilty of turning on the T.V. and leaving it on when you leave the room. This wastes energy like it was going out of style, c'mon guys is the background noise really worth it? And those plasma screens, the light does burn out eventually and isn't exactly cheap to replace.You could save: Up to $175 in electricity bills annually on the T.V. alone, and prolong the life of your T.V.
14. Catch up with your group of friends at home- And brush up on those cooking skills while you are at it. Instead of everybody shelling out cash for drinks, food and a tip at the neighborhood bistro or swanky steakhouse, have your group of friends take turns hosting dinner parties. The ingredients for  a complete gourmet meal with prime cuts of meat, decadent ingredients, and decent bottle of wine will come out to be less than the tab for two entrees and a two rounds of  drinks at a restaurant. You could save...$10-100 dollars, depending on how pricey the restaurants you eat are, whether or not cocktails are ordered, what you usually order, and whether or not you are hosting for the night.
15. Eat in more- Even if you are ordering off the dollar menu, you end up spending more on food than you would by purchasing ingredients at the grocery store and cooking them at home. People head to restaurants or order takeout for a number of reasons including boredom, lack of cooking skills or being short on time. Combat boredom and improve your cooking skills by looking up new and fun recipes on the internet. Try cooking something you normally wouldn't whether it's your favorite dish from a gourmet restaurant or an interesting dish from an exotic destination. There is something for everybody from the frugal to health conscious available on the internet. Browse the over 40,000 recipes available at at All Recipes where categories include Christmas/Hanukkah, Healthy Eating, Dinner in an Instant and Ethnic. Great Recipies and Recipe Source use the same concept in their databases. You could save: $10+ dollars per meal
16. Recycle your own jewelry- If your necklace breaks, turn to your jewelry box instead of the department store to do your shopping. A earring that is missing it's mate can be transformed into a kitschy necklace charm. Find new life in an outdated necklace by lacing a cute ribbon into the chain. You could save...$10-100 per item.