Every January I evaluate my budget. I look through my bills and decide where can I trim the fat. I like to save the money for travel (of course). In the past couple of years I have saved quite a bit of money, by cutting my bills or habits. Here are some examples of where I have cut down on my monthly bills.

Eating out: Cut down on eating out. Pack your lunch. This can be healthier and save you money. My friend is making these salads in mason jars. She puts the salad dressing, carrots, cranberries and any other items on the bottom of the jar, then salad on top of the salad dressing mixture. When your ready to eat the salad, you just shake it up and eat it from the jar. This will keep for a week. You can prepare the salads for the week and save $4-5 each.

Cell phones: Check with your cell phone carrier to see if there are discounts on your cell phone bill. Sometimes the phone companies will offer a percentage off if you work for certain employers. Eliminate your home phone. This can save you at least $50 a month. Monitor your calling plans, minutes, data packages and text messaging for usage and the best plan for you. It’s nice to get an unlimited data usage package for a low price, but double-check how that company works in your area. Its one thing to save money, but if it doesn’t work in your area then you will just have frustration.

Cable Last year I switched from DSL and satellite to cable for a bundle rate. I was able to get faster internet and more channels for $145 savings a month. This worked in my area. I call every year to see if I have the economical plan. Even trimming off $5 a month is $60 a year.

Insurance: Evaluate your car, home owners and health insurance plans annually. There are simple things to do to lower these bills. One example for car insurance is turn in your mileage. You can get a discount if you do not drive your vehicle that many miles in one year. Sometimes you can take an online safety driving class and get a discount (certain car insurances). Check your deductibles to see if you can afford to raise them some.

Walking or riding your bike: If you are able to walk or ride your bike a few times a week this can save you a tank of gas a month. This will also help to trim the fat in other ways too.

Credit cards: in a perfect world we would pay the balances of our credit cards off every month. When this doesn’t happen, apply for a 0% offer and transfer your balances. There are a few being offered for 12-18 months. If you can break your payments down to pay it off during the promotional period, this will save a lot in finance charges.

Refinancing: Interest on mortgages are at an all time low. If You can refinance for a 15 or 20 year loan for 3.5% this can save you a lot of money. This does depend on your existing interest rate and equity in your home. There are some programs being offered. Call a reputable mortgage consultant and see if this could be smart for you.

Water: Watch your water usage. If you can cut down a few minutes on showers, run the dishwasher full, full loads of laundry, use left over drinking water to water plants, you can trim a few dollars off your water bill. Some water usage dictates sewage price too. If you cut one down you can save on the other.

Heating: Cut your heating by having a programmable thermostat. Put an extra blanket on your bed and turn you thermostat down to 62 at night. Program it to turn down to 60 during the day while you are gone.

Taxes: Talk with a tax expert. There may be ways to save more for retirement which will lower your tax bracket. This could save hundreds to thousands.

Sales and coupons: Shop sales and use in conjunction with coupons. Several stores are offering store coupons, you can use manufacture coupons in conjunction with store coupons. In these circumstances stock up (as long as it doesn’t go bad). Divide meats, vegetables and fruit into freezer bags to serving sizes that work for you. This will cut down on waste, and keep you from going to the store as offend.

I am always looking for ways to trim the fat. These are the ideas I look at every year. If there are ways of saving money that work for you, please share them with us. You can never save too much.

There is a certain preparation I do before I travel. A few months before I leave for a trip, I evaluate my wardrobe and then buy some new outfits. Always consider what the locals will be wearing in the places you are visiting.I have found personally that fitting in makes you feel a lot more comfortable, especially in a foreign country.Recently one of the blogs I follow oneika-the-traveller.com did a posting about this. She said dress conservatively and try to blend in. I find this advice a good excuse to buy new clothes.

Lets start with getting through security at the airport. Wear shoes which are easy to take on and off. Keep most of your jewelry and watches in your carry on until after you get through security, this goes for belts too. Take your jackets and cardigan sweaters off before you get in line.From my experience the baggier your clothes, the more likely you will get searched. Make sure if you have any liquids (4 oz or smaller) they go into a quart size plastic bag (for TSA regulations). I always drink my water before I go through and then fill it up on the other side at Starbucks or a restaurant (this can save you $4 not buying a new water bottle).

Always wear something comfortable when you travel. This does not mean your pajamas! All my life I flew standby and had to wear a dress, it was a strict dress code. I was thrilled when I could wear whatever I wanted, but I still try to look nice.I just read another blog the other day and it mentioned something about this. It was called “What your flight attendant really thinks of you”. Sometimes when the plane takes off, the flight attendants will upgrade people to business or first class. You have a better chance if you are dressed nice and neatly, well-groomed and are a pleasant person.There is more confidence and better attitude when you are presenting yourself nicely. Jeans are fine, just not ripped or ill fitted. Bring a jacket or sweater, sometimes it gets cold on the plane. Dress in layers because sometimes it gets hot.In the summer I wear sandals and in the colder weather I wear boots that I can pull on and off easy. I wear a watch too, it’s important to know the time while you are traveling.

I know when traveling to big cities (this is mainly addressed to women) the locals wear a lot of black. In the summer this is not so much the case, but the rest of the year it is. Certain churches you cannot go in unless your shoulders are covered and you cannot wear a skirt above your knee. Always check the dress code before you go.I like to pack with simple t-shirts (I add a scarf or necklace to dress it up), nice jeans, shorts (not too short, during warm weather), 1 or 2 skirts (obviously for the ladies), very comfortable boots and walking shoes, appropriate undergarments, something to sleep in and always bring your bathing suit.

There is a theory of packing older clothes that you do not want anymore and leaving them at the hotel. I kind of like this idea. Make sure you write a note on them letting the hotel staff know your intent to throw them away. You do not want them returned to you in the mail. I like to only check one bag when I am traveling overseas, because it is easier to handle one checked bag and one carry-on. In the states I will just take a carry-on, because there is usually a fee to check a bag. What I try to do is pack most of my clothes or the ones that are most important, in my carry-on. My checked bag is almost empty. On the way home I put all my souvenirs in my carry-on and my clothes in the checked bag. This way if my checked luggage gets lost on my outbound flight, I will not have to spend time shopping for something to wear when I arrive, and if it gets lost on my return flight I will still have all of the treasures I bought when I get home.

I hope this will be helpful to you in your travels. If you would like to share any of your own tips please leave comments below.