77The Daily Herald does not have $700 billion to bail you out -- although if we did have $700 billion, or even just $700 million, well, maybe we'd take you on a nice vacation. Or at least send you a postcard from Grand Cayman.

What we do have is a handful of bright ideas about saving money. Think of our friendly suggestions as being a metaphorical bucket. Use it to scoop up some of the leakage and pitch it overboard.

Of course, you should always pay close attention to your biggest bills. In an interview with the Daily Herald in September, Lyle Shamo, co-author (with his wife, Tracy) of the book "Debt-Free On Any Income," said that he likes to tell people that there's no such thing as a fixed expense.

"You can manipulate anything," Shamo said. "If you're living in a house that you can't afford, sell it and get another one. If your car is costing you too much money, get a bus pass."

You can also save a lot, however, by taking small steps -- ones that don't involve putting up a "For Sale" sign and renting a moving van.

If your individual or family finances are still shipshape, then count your blessings. And maybe there's something here that will benefit you as well. After all, you don't have to wait until the ship is sinking to start protecting your assets.

Take a bite out of spending

Food is a major expense for any household, no matter how many hungry mouths there are. Here are three things that might help to reduce the amount you spend keeping everyone fed.

1) Paper trail: Coupons and store ads aren't sexy, and the items you want aren't always on sale. With a little planning and stockpiling, however, you can pay less for almost everything that you buy over time.

There are lots of couponing Web sites -- like the Daily Herald's SavvyShopperDeals.com -- that compile sales information for you. You can use the Coupon Index at the SavvyShopperDeals.com to sort coupons by product, sales information, value -- even by coupon code or expiration date.

Also, remember that some stores (Wal-Mart is one) make it easy for you to do all your shopping in one location by matching competitors' offers.

2) Potential for growth: Even if you only have a few square feet of soil, you can make a dent in your food budget by growing some of your favorite vegetables or fruits. You don't even have to have your own garden. People who do garden often don't use everything they produce. Fruit trees, in particular, are often seen as being a nuisance over time. Sometimes friends or relatives, or friends of relatives (also relatives of friends), will let you keep whatever you're willing to pick.

3) Cold rush: The dollar that buys you a once-a-year value on chicken breasts or ground beef can stretch out over several months if you have a standalone freezer unit. It's also a great way to have fruits (and some vegetables -- zucchini, for example, can be shredded and stored in resealable sandwich bags) on hand even when they're out of season.

Less whining about dining

You'll save money much more consistently by cooking your own meals, but everyone eats out once in a while. Here are six things that may keep your wallet from slimming down while you fatten up.

1) Table for two: If there are at least two of you, consider sharing an entree -- and cutting your check in half. Lots of restaurant meals are indulgent for one diner, but still satisfying when shared by two.

2) By George (Washington): If you're getting fast food, then check out the Dollar Menu before ordering. Most restaurant chains now include a variety of low-cost options, so you aren't stuck choosing between just one or two items.

3) Let them eat kiddie meals: Instead of ordering regular entrees all around, look for cheaper meals specially prepared and priced for your youngest diners. Also, ask about freebies: Many larger restaurants (although not most fast food chains) provide a small, simple food item -- a cheese quesadilla, for example -- free of charge to toddlers or preschoolers.

4) Entree only: Skip the appetizers and desserts, and limit your beverage consumption to water -- it's a little boring, but always free.

5) Check's in the mail: Restaurants frequently offer excellent discounts via coupons. If you're undecided before going out to eat, search your junk mail and see who's got the best deal going. Many restaurants also offer coupons online, so it's at least worth a Google search to see if the place you'd like to eat is offering any sort of special.

6) Wait In the line, not at your table: There are a growing number of eateries -- Cafe Rio is a good local example -- that don't wait tables. Order your meal at the counter and pick it up yourself. Keep that 20 percent tip (or 15 percent if you're a real hardcase) for yourself.

Another man's treasure

Instead of clogging the landfill with your old possessions, consider selling them. Sales listings Web sites make it easy to find local buyers (no need to ship anything), and you might be surprised how often somebody else is looking for something that you just wanted to get rid of.

You can list anything at all free of charge at the Daily Herald Marketplace (provo.kaango.com) as long as you're selling for $999.99 or less. (Rates vary on items sold for $1,000 or more.)

There's also Craigslist, and Salt Lake City TV station KSL has a popular online listings service.

Some items, like used clothing, are more difficult to sell online, but you may be able to turn them into cash at local stores like Plato's Closet (in Orem) or Kid-to-Kid (in Provo, Lindon and Lehi).

Drive costs down

We'll assume that you've already figured whether walking, riding a bike or using public transportation could be more cost-efficient than your car at getting you from Point A to Point B. Here are four ways to spend less on getting behind the wheel.

1) Are you in good hands: Maybe you're in better hands than you need to be. When's the last time that you reviewed your auto insurance policy? Drivers are required by law to carry certain coverages. If your car is several years old, however, its value has almost certainly fallen so far that it may not be worth paying for any non-required coverages.

2) Three months or 3,000 miles: Do-it-yourself-ers have a big advantage in this department. Even if performing your own regular maintenance is out of the question, however, you should still have someone else do it. Getting regular lube, oil and filter checks can stave off the need for repairs.

3) Used car smell: New cars have lots of advantages -- a good warranty could potentially recover a lot of the value you lose just by taking a new car off the lot. A well-maintained used car, however -- one that gets a "thumbs up" from your mechanic before you buy it -- can often last you just as long with equivalent repair costs. And the difference could be thousands of dollars that never leave your bank account.

4) To sell or not to sell: If it's time to part ways, then your old car might be more valuable as a donation than if you try to get a couple of hundred bucks from someone who'd like to fix it up or strip it.

If your old car is a make or model that's not in demand in your area, then selling it for its fair market value -- easily determined using sites like Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com) or Edmunds True Market Value (tmv.edmunds.com) -- could be difficult. If you itemize your deductions when you file your taxes, however, then you can claim the full amount of your donated vehicle's fair market value as a deduction in most cases.

There are many organizations that handle car donations. A popular option in Utah is the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho (www.towkars.com).

"We've barely used it!"

You can save a lot of money by shopping at thrift stores, but you can save even more by shopping from the guy down the street (or a few miles up the road). Just as the Internet can help you sell your own unwanted possessions, it can help you find great deals on other people's castoffs. Prices are often highly negotiable, and sometimes there's no price at all, other than a willingness to quickly show up and take something -- an old sofa, a chest of drawers -- away.

The same places where you sell your own stuff -- Daily Herald Marketplace (provo.kaango.com), KSL and Craigslist -- are great places to look for deals on other people's used things.

And if you like to get stuff without paying for it, give freecycle.org a spin. Lots of people will give you an old sofa or dining room table if you're willing to come pick it up.

Shop without limits

There are lots of things you can do to save money while shopping other than just watching for sales.

1) Let it out: Stuff that doesn't get purchased in shopping malls and department stores is often sold at greatly discounted prices at outlet stores. Park City is a popular destination for outlet shoppers, and there are many options in Salt Lake County, as well.

Nordstrom Rack in Sugarhouse, for example, carries unsold merchandise from Nordstrom stores and Nordstrom.com at 50-60 percent off original prices.

2) Seasonal savvy: Especially when shopping for children's clothing, don't buy in season. You won't know exact sizes, but you can get great discounts by buying next year's summer clothing in late fall or early winter, and shopping for those winter coats and boots in late spring or early summer.

The same logic can save you money in other retail situations -- you see better prices on barbecue grills, for example, in late fall or early winter than in late spring and early summer.

3) Name brands: Instead of paying for 7 for All Mankind jeans at the department store, consider combing the racks at stores like Down East Outfitters, T.J. Maxx and Ross, where name-brand clothing is sold at discounted prices.

4) Call me when it's cheap: In the age of the Internet, it's easy to stay abreast of plummeting prices by signing up for store alerts. Many retailers are only too happy to let you know whenever there's a sale, in exchange for your e-mail address.

You can also provide the same information to sites like Shop It To Me (www.shopittome.com) that monitor multiple stores and brands of your choosing.

5) Your Jedi mind tricks won't work on me: Plan ahead. Don't buy something just because it's cheap. Make lists of the things you actually need to purchase and then watch for sales on those specific items.

Retailers want you to act on impulse. If you leave the house without knowing exactly what you want and where you're going to look for it, then you may end up buying things you never knew you needed ... and almost certainly could live without. Shop smarter, not harder!

Relax your mind and your wallet

Remember, that there are always things you can do for entertainment that don't cost anything at all. There are frequently free performances and exhibits at local entertainment and artistic venues. The Daily Herald lists many such events each week in UV. Many museums are free. Going to the park is free.

Even with pricey entertainment choices, there's often a low-cost alternative: Instead of shelling out $8.25 a person for your movies, for example, see them at Movies 8 in Provo. Or, if even $1.75 per ticket is too much to pay, rent a movie at any of the Redbox vending machines ($1) at supermarkets and restaurants, or the public library (typically about $1, and without the hassle of returning your DVD the next day).

And while it might be fun for everyone to see a football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium or watch the Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena, you can get a better view of the action from your living room (and instant replay, to boot), just by switching on the TV.

Home free (or at least less expensive)

You should always monitor the potential to refinance your home loan and get a lower interest rate, but don't just wait for market forces to drop a mortgage windfall in your lap. Here are four ideas to save around the house

1) Hot and cold: Almost everyone has a furnace. Instead of just firing it up in November and leaving that sucker on all winter, get a programmable thermostat so that it's not running when you're not around.

2) Dried up: Your clothes dryer is one of your home's most inefficient appliances, and using a basement or backyard clothesline to air-dry some laundry can help your dryer loads finish faster. And if you have to run a load more than once to dry it, then the duct that vents your dryer through the outside wall of your home may be clogged. Use a vacuum to blow it out and remove the outside vent cover to check for accumulations of lint.

3) Phony billing: There are lots of options for cutting your phone charges. You may be able to cut the cost of your phone service dramatically by bundling it with other services like Internet or cable or satellite TV. It may be cheaper to use cell phones (including pre-paid phones, if you rarely make calls and don't often receive them) than a land line. Internet calling, if you have a high-speed connection, might be cheaper than either option. And your bill might include charges -- such as call waiting -- for features that you never use.

4) All wet: Your green lawn may be driving up your water utility payment. Gravel, landscaping rock and bark don't need to be watered at all, and there are many native plants -- even some that don't look like weeds -- that don't need any more water to get by in a year than what falls out of the sky. Transforming your landscaping can be an arduous process, but may be worth it over time.

Snack attack

Instead of buying something on your lunch break, take food prepared at home (including leftovers) with you to the office. And if you stop at a convenience store or hit the vending machines a couple of times per day, consider halving your snack intake. Both your waistline and your wallet will thank you.