Everyone is all about saving money these days. It’s all the rage – and absolutely necessary for most of us -but some people just don’t have a good grasp on how to do it. The first thing you need to do is set up a budget and stick to it like white on rice!

Here are some tips and suggestions to help you save some money and set up a solid budget:

1. Prioritize You Bills -We all have bills and some are more important than others are. If you have a mortgage, it is your number one bill to pay and you need to make sure it is paid every month. Now get all your bills together and make three piles: 1) Most Important, 2) Important, 3) The lowest priority

2. Grocery Store Shopping – Most of us have more than one grocery store near us. Choose the cheapest one of the bunch and do all your shopping there. If one is running a killer special one-week, go there instead. Don’t feel loyal to any store instead, be loyal to your budget and buy the least expensive of everything.

3. Lists – If you are going shopping, make a list of what you need and stick to it. Get in, get the list done, pay and get out. No impulse buying!

4. Weekly Expenses – Lay out what your weekly expenses are: gas, food, bills, entertainment, etc, etc. Once you hit your budget limit on something, you are done spending for the week.

5. Be Realistic – If you know you need to spend $50 at least on gas a week, allocate $75 for it. If you use it, no problem, you planned for it. If you don’t, you just saved $25! Allocate extra resources for those things you need such as food and gas.

6. Savings – In your budget, you should include a small amount to throw into savings each week. Even if it’s only $20 a week, it’s still important and may come in handy down the line.

7. Coupons – Cut them out and use them everywhere! Look for online deals at stores. Sign up for free club discounts at places. Look for double coupon specials as well.

8. Review Your Bills – If you can modify some of the services you pay for so they are less, do it. Most of the time, we end up not using all the features we pay for on our phones, internet and cable systems. Cancel and change providers if you can get the same for less.

9. Be Energy Smart – Turn off lights when no one is in a room. Unplug electronic gadgets especially if they have a clock on them. Buy energy saving light bulbs and turn down the heat on your water heater.

10. STICK TO YOUR BUDGET! – You made your budget for a reason. Don’t think that just because you saved $40 in one week, it’s ok to blow it the next week. Save every extra penny you can, because somewhere down the line, something will happen and you will need the money you saved to repair a flat tire, buy an emergency phone because your cell phone died or a last minute item for school or work. You will have a much easier time living within a budget if you save where you can for a backup system.