11 Little, Tech-Savvy Ways to Save Money in Your Household Budget

By Chandni Jhunjhunwala

©2010 Jupiterimages Corporation
©2010 Jupiterimages Corporation

1. Cringe each time you shell out $13 for a movie ticket? A $19.99 membership at The Weekly Cinema Club website gets you 4 tickets each month -- redeemable at most movie theaters in the country (affiliated with Fandango.com and Movietickets.com.)

2. Shave a couple of dollars off your electric bill each month by buying a Belkin Energy Saving Power Strip ($29.99). This ultra-smart strip automatically shuts off power to your TV/DVD/Video games when your turn off your TV. The result? All the power that is sucked up when you leave your electronics plugged in is conserved. To make life easier, there are two separate outlets for the electronics you want to keep on.

3. Don't let your old electronics collect dust, when you can make money off them. Gazelle.com will make you a cash offer if you send your old cell phone, camera, laptop or other gadget you want to recycle. For instance, if you're considering buying a new digital camera, you could earn up to $150 for your old one on Gazelle.

4. If you're a parent, join Amazon Mom to start receiving e-mail deals for baby and toddler products at lower prices than you'll find at local stores. Perks include free 2-day shipping and 30 percent off diapers and wipes, among other exclusive discounts . Plus, you can unsubscribe any time you want.

5. Clipping coupons are so passé! Mobile coupons are fast becoming the popular option to find instant bargains and save big bucks while you're out shopping. Simply download an app like MobiQpons, Cellfire, or Coupon Sherpa and it will detect your location and display the best coupons around you. Most coupons are scannable straight off your phone at the register.

6. Cut back on your hefty cable package and invest in a Roku player, which costs $59.99. You can watch a huge selection of high-def Netflix and Hulu Plus movies and TV without a PC. (You will need an internet connection and a subscription to Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu Plus.)

7. Slash your food bill with My Grocery Deals, a free website that aggregates all the current sales and specials in your neighborhood grocery stores. You can search by either item or store. For instance, a quick search for 'cereal' found that CVS is having a 3 for $5 sale on Kellogg's brand. Also, get additional coupons and special alerts when your favorite foods go on sale.

8. Driving to the nearest high-priced gas station could cost you. Instead, download the Cheap Gas! app on your iPhone or iPod touch. It detects your location and tells you which station is offering the cheapest fuel prices in your radius. (Don't have an iPhone? Go to GasBuddy.com to compare gas prices in your area.)

9. Take advantage of freebie meals for your kids when you dine out. Kids Eat For and KidsMealDeals are two great websites to get comprehensive listings of free kids' meals in your area. Both offer downloadable apps for your phone.

10. If you find yourself wasting money on pricey beauty products that you don't end up using, here's a cost-cutting solution: try free samples. Sign up for TotalBeauty.com's Free Samples newsletter to get free trial-sized products sent to you.

11. Another great way to save is to become a follower of CheapTweet on Twitter and get instant deals tweeted to you. Cheaptweet aggregates the latest coupons that people are buzzing about on Twitter. We also like Organic Deals Mom, who curates the best daily savings on organic groceries.

PLUS:
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11 Secrets of Getting Better Doctor Care
13 Things Your Supermarket Isn't Telling You
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13 Things a Burglar Won't Tell You
13 Things Your Plumber Won't Tell You
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