A Saver's Dozen

People can be quite ingenious. Share your own tips on how to save on everything, send us an e-mail telling us how you save and make ends meet. Here are a dozen tips from savers around the country.

Look at each $1 bill you get and note the letter of the alphabet in the circle on the left half. (These seals denote Federal Reserve regions and run from A to L.) Save bills with a letter of significance to you for specific purposes, such as C for a gift for Carol, or B for a new bicycle. You can easily save $500 or more a year without missing a dollar here and a dollar there. —Leita Spears, Waldron, Ark.

Freeze your credit cards—literally. Soak them in water and put them in the freezer to prevent you from using them. —Kip Kiebke, Hartford, Conn.

Round up in your checkbook. When I write a check for $13.63, I write it as $14.00 in my checkbook. I do the same thing with debits. At the end of the month, I calculate my savings and transfer that to an online savings account. The change really adds up, and since I don’t see the money, I don’t spend it. —Dawn Carrington, Charleston, S.C.

Wait 24 hours before you buy anything that costs more than $100. If you still want it the next day, buy it. Most of the time, you’ll forget what it was. —Marcia Brixey, Silverdale, Wash.

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