how I save money (at home, this is pre-trip saving - people seem to have covered the travelling saving stuff pretty well):
- i always use cash to pay for stuff - and always notes. example: i'm buying stuff at the supermarket and it costs $3.50. In my wallet i have a $5 note and probably more than $3.50 in coins.. but i pay using the fiver, because i have a loose change jar at home to save money. so if i pay with a $5 note, I get $1.50 change to put in my savings jar, as well as whatever coins I already had in my wallet. I then have no cash left, forcing me to think like a poor person. k so its not for everyone but it works for me.
- I only do one shopping trip a week... living close to a supermarket makes it very easy to just pop in whenever you need something but you save more money if you buy your groceries on say, monday, then as you run out of food, you just have to deal with it until you can buy more next monday. this also leads to some fun creative recipes on the weekends when you have to substitute everything.
- I buy as much as I can at the fruit & veggie market - its cheaper, the food is better and its a fun trip.
- I'm all about the home drinking - if i want to catch up with friends, its cheaper to invite them round for a few beers than to go out somewhere and pay way too much for a night at a bar or club.