When times are tight, how can you save your money? Let us count the ways! There are big ways to save your money, which often require fairly big sacrifices. There are also small ways, which don't ask much from you, but eventually add up to a worthwhile amount.

Major Ways to Save Your Money

Wait another year or two before you trade in your car. Better yet, run that baby right into the ground. If you have two cars, see whether you can make do with one. Think about moving into a smaller home or apartment. Send your kids to the best state university instead of a private college.

Make eating in a restaurant a very special event. Rent movies to watch at home, or borrow them from the library for free. Pack lunches for school and work. Haunt the thrift stores for second-hand clothes and furniture. Learn to cut your kids' hair, or each other's. Rethink holiday gift exchanges--maybe you could make it a rule that gifts have to be handmade.

The most important step in saving your money is actually spending your money, or rather, spending your money wisely and keeping track of your purchases. From the biggest sacrifice to the most trivial penny-pinching, there are myriad ways to save your money. Never forget that you're saving it for a purpose, and keep that goal in mind. Give yourself a little treat now and then, especially when you've reached a benchmark in your saving plan.