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You know you’re supposed to be saving money all the time… Maybe you have your eye on something that’s not in your regular budget or you want to save for retirement. Or maybe you just want to build a nest egg, but it’s just so hard to put money away, what with all of your regular expenses! It shouldn’t have to be that hard, and the secret is that there are many small ways to save that really do add up. Here are 20 smart ways to save money:

1. 401 k. If your employer matches only a little of your contribution, your earnings by the end of the year will still be pretty impressive. Plus, since you can defer taxes on your 401 k there will be more in your paycheck now.
2. Raise insurance deductibles. Yes, it’s a gamble, but you’ll lower your monthly or quarterly expenses by decreasing your premiums.
3. Get a library card. Don’t spend money on books and movies! Borrow them for free from the library. Another idea is to swap with friends.
4. Pay off credit card debt. Figure out what you can manage and don’t spend your money on interest.
5. Get a credit card with rewards. Let the money you spend work for you!
6. Program your thermostat. This will help you save a lot on energy costs. Sealing and insulating your home helps a lot, too.
7. Cook your  meals at home. Eating dinner at home and brown bagging for lunch will save you a lot! Plan your meals around supermarket specials to save even more. Click here to learn about the advantages of meal planning, and get some smart meal planning tips here.
8. Make shopping lists. And stick to them!
9. Enjoy free entertainment. Every town and city holds many free events all year- lots of them for kids, too.
10. Buy seasonal items at the end of the season. Get your Christmas decorations for next year after Christmas, buy your costumes after Halloween, and save a lot by buying clothing when it goes on sale at the end of the season.
11. Buy generic brands. Don’t pay for fancy packaging and advertising when many generic products are just as good as the expensive brands.
12. Stay away from the mall. We all know the temptation is too great!
13. Take up gardening. Gardening is a pleasurable and inexpensive hobby, plus you get all that free produce.
14. Carpool. You’ll save on gas and wear-and-tear on your car.
15. Cancel services you don’t use. Take a long hard look at the services and subscriptions you pay for; how may of them do you actually use? Don’t pay for things you’re not using.
16. Coupons. Use coupons to save money on food, clothing, appliances, and virtually everything. Clip them from your local paper or search for them online.
17. Exercise outside. Go for a long walk or run outside instead of paying for gym membership.
18. Make your own coffee. You can brew coffee at home for pennies instead of the hefty markup you pay in coffee shops. But make sure to treat yourself once in a while!
19. DIY. Make your own gifts, food, beauty products, and cleaning products for far less than what you’ll spend in the store. Get lots of good ideas from Pinterest.
20. Save change. What do you do with the change that collects in your car or your pockets? Put aside a special jar and deposit all the coins in there every night. Count it up every month and be surprised at how much you’ve put together!

See? You can save up without making major lifestyle changes! Try all or some of these ideas and see what a difference it makes to your wallet. What are your top money-saving tips? Share them with us on Facebook and Twitter!

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