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Here is a list of money saving ideas to help with your budget and the environment that I received in a Yahoo Group I belong to.

Get more life from those furnace filters by vacuuming them between
replacements. If you do a good job, a filter should last several months.
Replace when it starts to look fuzzy or if you shake it after vacuuming and still see dust falling.

Never heat up your oven for just one thing, unless it's so big that nothing else will fit! Make two roasts, bake potatoes, heat canned vegetables, bake a pie...

Mackeral, tuna, trout and salmon are all of the same family and can be
substituted one for the other (canned) when called for in salads, loafs or casseroles or whatever. Mackeral and tuna are usually the cheapest and work well in place of the salmon in patties, too.

Put leftovers in serving sized containers and freeze. Individual yogurt cups are great for this. Seal the lids with tape and mark the contents. When you're busy or tired, dinner is already cooked and everyone can mix and match to their heart's desire! Just run water over the containers to release the food, put on a plate and microwave. (Or put on an oven proof dish and warm in the oven.)

Stretch a meatloaf even more (and make it healthier) by adding oatmeal, cooked rice or other quick cooking or precooked grains or vegetables.

The microwave is a great timesaver, and cooks food with less energy and heat waste than a conventional oven, but don't put off thawing foods just because you can do it faster in the microwave. It's still cheaper to thaw meats in the refrigerator (or, in some instancees, in cold water).

Another comment on the long lasting argument as to whether to turn the computer off when it's not in use - a computer uses, on the average, about as much electricity as three 75 watt light bulbs. Calculate that cost to see if it's worth the wear and tear on parts... but remember that leaving it on wears on parts, too. Just ask anyone who has had a fan quit working on a computer.

Few of us drink enough water simply because there are too many other options which is not good for our health. Drinking water with meals instead of juices, tea or soda not only saves money spent on drinks, it can save on medical bills, too.

When you're in the market for a major purchase, don't go to the store until you know what you want. Research the product and decide what size, color and so on, will be the best for you. Going armed with your exact requirements is defense against a salesman trying to unload a 'great buy' that wouldn't suit your needs.

Instead of buying plastic wrap or bowl covers to keep food fresh in the
refrigerator, split a bread sack down one seam, leaving the bottom intact. This will slip over most bowls and pans, even glass cake pans. Twist the other end and slip it under the bowl or pan to keep it closed.

Car Tip: To prevent corrosion on your battery posts, apply some vaseline to them. Make sure that your car engine is cold before attempting this.

Why buy seed when you have it growing already? Tie a string around the most vigorous plants in your garden so you can save the best seed for next year.

Most things you bake don't really need a preheated oven. Save money and time by putting the food into a cold oven, then turning it on. Allow a little extra time, as the food cooks more slowly during the warming up period. (Not recommended for cookies or angel food cakes.)

Just a little bit of tea or juice left in the pitcher? Freeze it in an ice
cube tray, then use it in your drinks. No more watered down drinks and no more leftovers to pour out.

Just because you paid off that credit card doesn't mean you're through with it! Call the company and ask that your account be closed. You don't want any temptation, as in asking for a new card to be sent. If, in the future, you think you need a new card, start all over. And think about it first. While you're at it, cut up the card and use the pieces to scrape food from dishes or smooth soil around plants.

If you have a gas furnace, turn the pilot light off during hot weather. (Be sure you know how to light it again when it's needed.) The pilot light wastes gas as well as producing unwanted heat.

Leftover egg whites? Use them for a facial mask, or put them in a meatloaf. They break down the 'gum' in chewing gum so that it's easily removed from fabrics and hair, too.

If you're really frugal, you never eat out... but if you do stop at a fast
food place now and then, save the unused packets of ketchup, mustard, salt and so forth, for picnics or road trips when you take your own food.

Rubbing acohol is great for wiping down shower walls. It cleans, disinfects, and dries quickly, not to mention being cheap!

Save steel wool pads, including the presoaped kind (although they're not very frugal!) in a container in the freezer to prevent them from rusting. You can use them several times that way.

Frost free freezers use more energy than the kind you have to defrost, so if you're buying new, take that into account. They will also cost less as a general rule, and you probably will save money on food, too, because you'll need to clean it more often and food won't tend to get pushed to the back and forgotten about.

If you take the time you can find or create recipes to use up those strange bits in the refrigerator or freezer.

If you have a refrigerator or freezer that isn't frost free and you need to
defrost, pack your frozen food tightly in a box that's been lined with
newspaper and put a thick layer of newspaper over it. It will stay frozen solid for several hours.

Watch for old cookbooks at garage sales, thrift stores and second hand book stores. They have 'from scratch' recipes, usually with money saving tips included.

Best of both worlds: If you don't like to hang clothes on the line because they dry stiff, dry them for 10 to 15 minutes in the dryer, then hang them out. You'll save money and your clothes will be dryer soft.

Freeze orange, lemon and other citrus fruit leftover pieces and peelings. Use them just like simmering potpourri to freshen the air.

You can usually add a half can more of water (or even a whole one) when you make juice from frozen, without losing flavor. Even whole juice can be stretched with a little water - about a cup or more to a quart for most.

Use bleachable rags instead paper towels. Cut up old clothing, or buy
something from a second hand store for that purpose. Wash them with towels unless they're really grungy, then wash with rugs, etc., first.

Before you go to the store for spring gardening supplies, check out your kitchen utensil drawer. Old spoons, spatulas and more can be used to dig, smooth and weed plants in pots or small areas.

If you're looking for a new (used) car, go near the end of the month.
Salesmen try to fill a certain quota before the end of the month, and if
they haven't filled it, they'll make better deals.

Use margarine wrappers to butter casserole and cake pans. Two or three will have enough margarine left sticking to it for the largest cake pan.

Want to try a highlighter in your hair, but don't want to spring for the
expense? Try a highlight pen - the kind you use on paper. Yellow for
blondes, orange for brunettes or darker.

Never throw out a toothbrush. Use it to dust, clean and scrub small hard to get to places. Use it on dishes, the stove, woodwork. Rub stain remover into laundry with one.

Use of the last bit of a bar of soap by putting it into an old sock and
tying the end and using it to bathe. Instead of a sock, you could crochet or knit a bag from cotton yarn.

When you buy dish detergent or syrup or oil, etc, in a bottle, get the
bottle that's filled the highest. There can sometimes be as much as a half cup difference.

This tip is for households without children: To deodorize a bathroom or any small room, simply light a match or two and let it burn for a few seconds. The sulphur odor will absorb any other odors, and then will disappear itself quickly.

It may seem kind of silly, but gum wrappers - those plain white ones that wrap a stick of gum over the foil wrapper (from the large packages) - are just about the right size to jot a note or short list. Save them and staple them together (or just keep a stack of them). Paper is paper is paper, no matter where it comes from.

If you try to save and reuse wrapping paper, but find that it looks used,
try ironing it with a warm iron to remove wrinkles. Save wrapping paper, foil or wax paper tubes and roll the paper around it, secure with a rubber band or a bit of string or yarn to store. A few minutes invested can save several dollars worth of paper.