In the spirit of using the Internet to save money, we’ve scoured the Web for tips to help you be a professional penny-pincher. Here are tips to get you in the money-saving mood and keep your pocketbooks and patience intact.

ALL-PURPOSE SHOPPING TIPS

Shop around. Keep your eyes and ears open for new deals.
 
Schmooze. Be nice to people and bat some eyelashes. You never know what kinds of bargains you can score just from asking. If you’re not much of a schmoozer, haggle for the best deals.

Cut coupons. Coupons are essentially free money. Think about it: In the time it takes you to read this sentence and complain about how time-consuming searching for coupons in the paper is, you could have already found one and cut it out. If you are not much of a cutter, search for special offers on the Internet.

Be creative. Don’t just think outside the box, think of all the things you can do with the box. An example of creative thought: Apply makeup with craft store paintbrushes instead of expensive make-up brushes.

Look at the big picture. Evaluate what you really need and how much you spend on habits. Do you really watch every channel on your cable package? Is another pair of Pradas really going to improve your living situation? Does the light really need to be on when you are not in the room?

 
TRAVEL TIPS

Buy tickets far in advance for popular travel days like holidays and weekends. However, for most flights, score the best airfare deals by buying tickets two weeks to two months in advance.

Book flights for Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. Fewer people fly on these days.

Buy tickets early in the week. Fares are raised by the end of the week.

Leave one day earlier and stay one day longer to beat the crowds and raised holiday prices.

Find cheap airfare at kayak.com

Book flights and hotels together and save money at travelocity.com, expedia.com and orbitz.com
  
FINANCIAL TIPS

Don’t use ATMs. Most stores are glad to give cash back on purchases, free of charge.

Free checking. Find a bank that does not charge you to bank with them. Try any major bank’s Web site and don’t forget to check your local credit unions. 

Online bill pay. Avoid late fees and postage price increases.

Plan for the future and set up a retirement account. bankrate.com

Keep the money flowing. Plan for your children’s future and teach your kids the importance of a dollar. Have them open their own bank accounts when they are old enough.

EATING-OUT TIPS

Keep your eye out for restaurants with lunch specials or kids-eat-free nights. mysanantonio.com/entertainment/ dining/toppicks.html

Join AAA to get discounts on restaurants everywhere. aaa.com

Drink water. Avoid being charged $3.50 for a sip of soda and a glass of ice. You can drink your favorite beverage at home for a lot less.

Happy hour! If it’s $1 Miller night, don’t buy Budweiser. If booze isn’t your thing, Sonic’s half-price drinks and slushes happy hour is from 2-4 p.m. every day.

Go to your favorite restaurant’s Web site before heading out to see if they have a special or print coupons at sites that feature a lot of eateries. valpak.com

SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT TIPS

Plan ahead. Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Prepare a list of the things you need before you go shopping, but keep your eyes open for bargains. Substitute more expensive items on your list for sale or clearance items. For free grocery coupons and samples, visit couponmom.com.

Pay attention to the cost per ounce of items. Buying a larger amount of something can often save you money, but keep in mind how much of it you will actually use. It’s true that a 10-gallon vat of nacho cheese might cost less per ounce, but unless you and your buddies are having a cheese-chugging contest, it’s not going to save you money.

Buy gadgets that will save you money in the long run. From energy-smart appliances to products that are guaranteed to last a lifetime, a lot can be saved by spending a little more. For green products that can save you money in the long run, visit buyenergyefficient.org.

Go to the library. True, not everyone loves to read, but public libraries let people check out DVDs for free. Check out the selection before you go at sapl.sat.lib.tx.us.

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

Take your own lunch to work a few days a week. Not only will you save money by not eating out everyday, you are guaranteed to like your lunch because there is not a waiter or a chef to mess up your order. For lunch ideas, check out recipes.kaboose.com; vegfamily.com; cooks.com; epicurious.com, recipezaar.com and grouprecipes.com.

Make your own coffee. You can buy for your very own coffeemaker with the money it would cost for a week’s worth of venti lattes.

Cancel your gym membership. Face it, we’re seven months into the year and you didn’t keep your New Years resolution again. Exercise at home or pick up an aerobic hobby like swimming, biking or running. exercise.about.com

Don’t pay for things you can do yourself. Maid services and manicures are expensive. Why pay someone to do something that takes you a few minutes a day? Learn how to do just about anything at ehow.com.

Buy products you can reuse. From pyrene bottles to baby diapers made from bamboo; stores carry plenty of multi-use products.

COLLEGE TIPS

Be book smart. Scout out the best prices for books around town or buy and sell books online. If you buy books from a store, get them early and return the ones your professors tell you won’t be used. If you buy them online, wait until you know you will need the book. Never sell books back to a store that offers you less than half of the original price; instead, sell your books online at Craigslist or eBay.

Consider attending a community college for a year or two to get basic courses out of the way. People spend thousands more than they need to by going to a university to earn their general degree requirements. Visit accd.edu for more information about community colleges in San Antonio.

Apply for scholarships. Unclaimed scholarships go to waste. Spend a few minutes and apply for as many as you can. You may not get every one you apply for, but there is no harm in trying. Even the smallest scholarships help. fastweb.com; finaid.org/scholarships

Always keep an eye out for student discounts. Whether you are at the movies or buying a computer, ask if your collegiate status can get you extra penny-pinching perks.

Kids still in diapers? Consider a college savings plans for young kids. savingforcollege.com

BILLS

Go green. Buy energy-efficient appliances and look for opportunities to reduce electricity and water consumption with products like compact florescent light bulbs and low-flow showerheads. Look for energy-efficiency reviews. ConsumerReports.org; kitchen-appliance-advisor.com; bizrate.com

Turn the air down. Increasing the temperature on the thermostat by one or two degrees can help you save money in the summer. Always remember to turn a ceiling fan off when you are not in the room to save energy. Visit prpa.org/energytips or search we-energies.com for more energy saving tips.

Unplug things that are not in use. Even a cell phone charger left plugged in with no cell phone attached will draw electricity and cost you money. Plug your electronics into a Smart Strip power strip and prevent energy and money from going to waste. Calculate your energy consumption costs at mygreenelectronics.org.

DRIVING TIPS

Drive smart and maintain your car. Accelerate and brake carefully and turn off your car when you are not in motion for more than a minute. Keep the air filters clean, use synthetic oil to reduce friction, and make sure your tires are properly inflated. Empty your trunk to save gas. Edmunds.com

Don’t be scared to fill up. Driving when the tank is empty can cause sediment from the tank to get caught in the engine. Fill up when the car is down to a quarter tank. Avoid pumping gas in the heat of the day. Check out sanantoniogasprices.com for the best gas prices near you.

Ride the bus. Get to work via VIA. Visit viainfo.net to learn how to avoid paying for gas and parking.

Read more tips and take the drive-smarter challenge at drivesmarterchallenge.org to learn how much you can save.

WHERE TO GO ON THE WEB

TIP SITES: doughroller.net; thesimpledollar.com; savingsnut.com; zenhabits.net; ivillage.com; frugallawstudent.com bargainist.com; frugallawstudent.com; smartaboutmoney.org

DEALS: dealnews.com; dealmac.com; dealcam.com dealram.com; dealink.com; cnet.com; slickdeals.net; fatwallet.com morningdeals.com; dealhack.com; bargainist.com, wireddeals.com; buxr.com; overstock.com

COUPONS AND DISCOUNTS: dealnews.com/coupons; retailmenot.com; dealcatcher.com; mycoupons.com; couponsurfer.com; couponmom.com

TRAVEL: kayak.com; travelocity.com, expedia.com, orbitz.com

BUY AND SELL: Craigslist.org; eBay.com; Amazon.com

Samantha Hensley | 210SA