January is what I like to call Frugal Season. After the spend, spend, spending during the December holidays everyone is trying to save, save, save come January. Most people realize that you can save a significant amount of money if you use reusable products instead of disposables, turn down the heat a notch or two, and turn off the lights when you leave a room. However there are some easy and unusual ways to save money too.

1. Don’t cater to picky eaters. It’s tempting to make a separate meal to avoid a fight when your child decides that as of today, they are only going to eat orange food. Don’t do it. It’s expensive to cater to food whims which are a method your child is using to try to control you. In the case of a food allergy, it is usually less expensive and less time consuming if the whole family eats to accommodate the allergy suffer.
2. Read the fine print and avoid extra bank, ATM, and credit card fees. In this precarious economy, banks and credit card companies often change their fee structures. I find it’s in my best financial interest to read those boring notices in the extra fine print. Then I’m aware of any additional minimal bank balance, overdraft, withdrawal, or annual fees and can act accordingly.
3. Learn a new skill. It doesn’t have to be a big hobby or DIY project. Leaning something small such as how to make a latte or hem a pair of pants can save a significant amount of money over time. The Dollar Stretcher has some great ideas on how to learn a new skill frugally.
4. Disconnect Your Land Line. I found that my cell phone provider’s unlimited family plan is cheaper per month than paying for long distance charges on a land line. If that’s the case, why not save the extra money and drop the land line altogether?
5. Declutter and organize. How many times have you purchased something to replace something you lost only to find it again later? I have two extra bags of flour in my pantry because it was a mess. I didn’t realize I already bought flour – twice. It was a free fix to pull everything off the shelf and put it back neatly the way it belongs. Now I can easily see what I have, what I don’t, and will only buy what I need the next time I go grocery shopping.
6. Do a home energy audit. You can do a simple free home energy audit by gathering your utility bills for the year and using the free Home Energy Yardstick application on EnergyStar.gov.  The application will give you an idea how much energy you are using in your home and ways to lower your use – and bills. I used there suggestions and with new habits and a few cheap home improvements reduced my home’s utility use by 32%!
7. Open a Christmas Club Savings Account. A Christmas Club Savings account is a special type of saving account that can set up with your credit union or bank. If your financial institution does not offer Christmas club accounts then open a separate saving account for your holiday shopping. Automatically depositing $10 to $20 a paycheck into my Christmas Club account gives me from $500 – $1000 of my own money to spend on Christmas gifts, food, and travel.

What are you favorite money saving tips?