Ways to Cut Your Bills Down to Size

Usual belt-tightening suspects abound: Eat at home, cut out luxuries, get a second job

By Amelia Atlas, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 18, 2008 7:41 PM CST

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Ways to Cut Your Bills Down to Size — In this Aug. 11, 2008, file photo, shoppers walk down the aisle at the J.C. Penney Co. store in Berlin, Vt. (AP Photo)

Spendthrift Americans from all rungs of the income ladder are taking a page from Scrooge these days, adopting new, cash-lite strategies to get through hard times, USA Today notes. They're managing to save by:

Hocking whatever's collecting dust in their closets: The average household has $3,200 worth of saleable goods, according to one estimate.
Eating at home, not in restaurants: No big surprise here; look to bulk grocery shopping to cut costs further.

Clipping coupons: This old-fashioned activity is on the rise for the first time in 15 years.
Avoiding credit-card charges: Layaway is making a comeback as formerly plastic-happy consumers are opting to pay with cash.
Doubling up on jobs: The number of Americans working a part-time job on top on their regular job is up 11%.
Postponing that vacation: Personal travel is down 1% as more Americans opt to stay home.

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