Tribune file photo by Chuck Berman
For many families, a bulging budget is the result of excess spending at the supermarket. But until you track your purchases, you may not realize how much you shell out each month. To get a handle on your habits, use a free online budgeting site, such as
Mint.com or
Buxfer.com . Then ditch the gourmet grocers and shop at Trader Joe's or warehouse stores. While you're at it, use coupons, which you can find online (at
CouponMom.com ,
Coupons.com and
CouponCabin.com ). Or, for $5.95 a month, you can get customized coupons from Shopping Nanny (
www.shoppingnanny.com ). Shopping Nanny recently guaranteed that if you spend more than $90 a week at the grocery store, you'll save $40 a month -- or your next month's membership is free.
Tribune file photo by Charles Osgood
If you haven't shopped for a new cable or satellite package in a while, now is a good time. Competition among providers is running high, and they're offering some sweet deals. Visit the Web sites of the cable and satellite companies that serve your area to compare plans. Or use the TV tool at
BillShrink.com , where you enter key tidbits such as your address, your must-have shows and channels, and the TV equipment you own. If you have one TV, a satellite plan may be the winner. But if you have three or more TVs, your savings depend on the offers du jour. The good news is that those who switch to a lower-priced plan save an average of $425 a year.
No matter how much you earn, you can make your family income go further. Here are four ways to stretch the family budget. --Laura Cohn, Kiplinger Your Money/Tribune Media Services (Laura Cohn is an associate editor to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to
moneypower@kiplinger.com . And for more on this and similar money topics, visit
Kiplinger.com .)