What’s the 422?

We are all feeling a little light in the wallet these days, even if we’re lucky enough not to have anyone in the family who is out of work.

Credit card interest rates and fees are increasing, the cost of many everyday items like groceries and oil changes are on the rise. Our monthly bills for cable and phone service are creeping up. It seems like everything is getting more expensive, in a time where everyone has less to spend.

We’re all learning to adjust and to cut back where we can. I’ve seen many blogs and articles lately offering ideas on stretching your budget or finding hidden savings, but the tips aren’t always feasible. Honestly, who has time to not only clip coupons and scour circulars but then travel to five different grocery stores in an effort to save a few dollars?

I do, however, enjoy the challenge of saving money or earning extras on things, so I thought I would share some of my own minimal-effort, “totally do-able” tips.

First and foremost, sign up for Ebates.com. When you start your online shopping at Ebates, you can earn rebates of up to 26 percent at more than 1,000 Web sites you’d shop at anyway, like Target.com, Expedia.com and 1-800-Petmeds.com. If that alone doesn’t sell you on the idea, Ebates also posts online coupons for some retailers, like 10 percent off your order or free shipping, adding to your savings. Ebates will also give you an additional $5 bonus after your first purchase! Using this site will even get you extra discounts and cash back on lots of the ideas I’ll give you here!

Pack your lunch and make your own coffee! If you spent $7 every day buying lunch and coffee (and let’s face it, you could easily spend the $7 on coffee alone), it would cost you about $1,820 a year. Instead, invest in a few travel coffee mugs and a lunch box and bring your own from home. Save even more and reduce waste by taking leftovers for lunch.

Purchase an Entertainment book. A two-inch thick plethora of coupons for fast food, shopping and entertainment, these books are issued once a year for areas like Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley and Reading/Pottsville. Many of the coupons will give you an extra discount or buy-one-get-one offer on many places you already go. Since we’re halfway through 2009 you can get this year’s at a steal. If you buy your book through Ebates.com, you’ll get this year’s book free when you reserve a copy of the 2010 book, plus earn $6 in rebates.

Pick up a Sunday paper every week. The $1.50 or $1.75 you’ll invest could yield $50 or more in grocery store coupons, many of which can be doubled or tripled depending on your store’s policy. For an additional savings, subscribe to the paper. Many newspapers offer Sunday-only delivery, and if you sign up for a year subscription you’ll likely get a small discount off the newsstand price.

You can sometimes find money-saving coupons by signing up for grocery store or manufacturer newsletters, or by visiting their Web sites. For example, I get a $5 off $50 coupon from Giant’s monthly e-newsletter, and I found a $1 off coupon on coffee creamer at InternationalDelight.com.

Don’t let your coupons expire. Organize your coupons and sort through them every time you go to the store. When you make a grocery list, make a note next to an item you have a coupon for, and make sure you remember which brand to buy. Don’t always assume the brand you have a coupon for will be the cheapest! Sometimes the store brand is still less expensive than the brand, even after coupon savings.

Need makeup? Instead of dropping a small fortune at a department or drug store, check out Elf.com. Most of their makeup products, from brushes to nail polish, eye shadow and bronzer, is $1, but don’t expect dollar-store quality. This stuff is nice! Shop through Ebates for an additional 4 percent back.

If you’re planning to visit an area amusement park, like Six Flags, Dorney Park or Hershey Park, check out your local grocery store’s customer service desk. They often offer discounted tickets.

Use Web sites like retailmenot.com or couponcabin.com to find promotional codes to use with online purchases. Be forewarned, though, that using an outside coupon code on a purchase made through Ebates will often void your Ebates savings. I typically search those sites when I’m buying from a merchant who doesn’t participate with Ebates, or when the coupon code savings would exceed the amount of my Ebates cash back.

Install a programmable thermostat at home, and adjust the temperature just a few degrees when you’re not at home or asleep. With most programmable thermostats, you can set the timer to adjust the temperature to a comfortable level when you get home. You can save up to 3 percent on your energy bill by just turning the thermostat up or down one degree.

Half-off Web sites are popping up left and right. Lots of local merchants are loving the idea of selling gift certificates at half of their face value in an effort to bring in business and new customers. Check out PhillyHalfOff.com for a $50 gift certificate to Spring Mount Adventures or Sly Fox Royersford, each for just $25. There is a service charge and some restrictions apply so make sure to read all the fine print.

Join your local Freecycle.org chapter. In most cases it’s an e-mail list, and you’ll be inundated by offers of free things in your area. The downfall of being a part of this group is getting dozens of e-mails a day for items you’re not interested in, but for the occasional free thing you’ve been waiting for, it’s worth it. I’ve been a member of Reading Freecycle for a little over a year and I’ve picked up an antique porch bench, a beautiful buffet table, a box of craft stuff and an enormous screened-in tent, just to name a few.

Unfortunately, these suggestions won’t make you rich, even if you follow all of them. But they will put a little extra cash in your hands for life’s little luxuries, like the occasional $7 coffee or a night out on the town.