One of the things the recession makes you do is rethink about your spending patterns.  It forces you look at every opportunity to save money, or as it has been eloquently put by someone recently “look for every penny under the couch”.   With a bit of creativity and the courage to ask for what you want, you can actually save quite a bit of money.

If there is a silver lining in bad economic times it is the fact that people and companies are willing to provide their services and products for less.  As the economy falters and sales drop, everyone is willing to negotiate.  So try this:  Call your cell phone company and ask them for a discount.  If you really want to get them motivated tell them you are looking at their competitor.  Then call your internet provider and do the same thing.  And the cable company, and so on and so forth… You may be surprised by how much you will be able to save by simply asking the people you already do business with.

The average America is paying outrageous interest rates on $9,000 of credit card debt.  If you are on the same boat your highest priority ought to be reducing your credit card debt.  But how exactly do you do that?  John Tesh has listed a couple of interesting suggestions on his show that will help you reduce your debt and save money: 

1. Freeze you credit – literally place your credit cards in a bucket of water and put them in the freezer.  Don’t close your credit card accounts – simply make them inaccessible for a while.  This will help you reduce your credit card debt and increase your credit score, which reduces your cost of borrowing.
2. Wrap your credit card around a picture of one of your financial goals.  The next time you feel like spending impulsively the picture will remind you of what you are giving up for the short-lived pleasure of buying things you don’t truly need.

If these ideas are not sufficient for you, here is a video talking about other opportunities for saving money right in your own home:

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Changing you spending habits is not necessarily easy.  But if you are serious about finding ways to save, there are lots of opportunities out there just waiting to be picked up.