I subscribe to a few email blogs and I used to share a lot of the articles from Dumb Little Man.

Here’s an abbreviated version of an article they shared recently:

There are no secrets to this strategy. It’s just common sense. Here are my 10 favorite ways to live beneath your means:

  1. Whenever possible, buy store brands.

  2. Avoid prepared foods.

  3. Shop at “you-bag-it” supermarkets.

  4. Brown bag your lunch.

  5. Don’t buy clothes or shoes with designer labels.

  6. Use coupons, but be smart about it.

  7. Buy used books instead of new.

  8. Keep your car as long as you can.

  9. Severely restrict your credit card spending.

  10. Reward yourself for your efforts.

Now some of those need a bit of explanation, so check out the original story.