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[quote=Anonymous]Pay yourself first. I do a savings draw the day my paycheck hits, and then I budget from the remaining money.

Use tax-advantaged accounts. Obviously 401ks and 529s, but take the time to project out your medical and dependent care costs and put that money in an FSA. You need to spend it anyway, so why not get the tax savings? If your child is in daycare, you will undoubtedly spend $5000 in a year. At a 25% effective tax rate, you can save $1250 in taxes by running the money through your FSA.

What really helped me to curb spending was to make a cash flow/budget spreadsheet. I listed every day of the year, every paycheck, every savings withdraw, and every fixed/mandatory expense. Then I saw how much money I had left and budgeted variable/discretionary expenses and extra debt payments from there. I look at that spreadsheet every few days to make sure I am on track. Seeing how much money I could accrue by the end of the year, while still saving and paying off debt, really helped curb some impulse spending.

I also give myself a monthly cash allowance to spend on lunches out, shopping, beauty treatments, etc. Once that's gone, it's gone though, and I have to live by the aforementioned budget.

For little things: 
- I color my own hair at home, and use groupons for cuts (which means I can't be salon-loyal).
- I use mostly drugstore beauty products.
- I meal plan and cook at home. 
- I shop my closet. I don't wear trendy clothes-- a lot basics and classics. But when I do buy, I buy natural fibers, and neutral tones. I buy one or two "trendy" accessories a season at Target or Old Navy (when neon was trendy, I bought some neon gloves; this year I bought a plaid blanket scarf).
- I maintain my weight (and made dropping my pregnancy weight a priority), so that I didn't have to buy new clothes.
- I buy DS's clothes on ebay, list servs, or consignment (and sell the ones he has outgrown).
- In the summer, I grow a small vegetable garden, and we eat from that. I will also can, freeze, and dry things from my garden, so that I can use them over the winter.
- We do a lot of home improvement projects on our own.
- DH does a lot of the car maintenance on his own.
- I clean my own house, and do my own yard work.[/quote]

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