Use salt instead of toothpaste.
LIne-dry your clothes. Eliminates all dryer expenses, and helps your clothes to last longer.
Hand-wash your dishes in a bleach/cold water mix (something like a tablespoon’s worth of bleach).
Buy a smaller refrigerator. They use less power and are easier to fill.
Maintain your lawn with a push mower.
Walk or ride a bicycle whenever possible, or else bum rides off of friends.
Avoid the credit card.
Visit junk stores and antique malls for old tools: they’re inexpensive, fairly durable, do not depend on batteries, and do not easily malfunction.
Make do.
Repair instead of replacing.
Buy used instead of new, look for quality where you can, and do not fear the dollar store.
Make instead of buying.
Save on haircuts by having the kids at the barber college practice on you.
Save on dental work by letting the kids at the dental school practice on you.
Become well-versed in the symptoms and treatments for common ailments and forgo the doctor.
Try to do without the Tylenol.
Read books.
Buy raw beans, rice, grain, etc. in bulk.
Look into small-game hunting. .22 ammunition is insanely cheap (less than $0.03/round in bulk), and squirrel is pretty good. As a bonus, you can skin them and use the skins for making slippers, doilies, coasters, hats, book jackets, upholstery, and so on. Oh, and you’ll be helping the environment.
Turn off all computers, appliances, lights, etc. when you’re done with them.
Use mirrors to illuminate dark spots of the house.
Collect rainwater.
Paint your house a light color.
Go as long as possible before turning on the heater/air conditioner. Your ancestors managed, so can you.
—If you have a basement, consider moving into it for the summer.
—Buy a duvet for the winter.
Find and buy a little book called “Urazawa!” which is full of simple, unlikely solutions to problems.