I need to spend less.

[cbayer]

6. I get a lot of ideas from the cooking & baking group.

I also use the epicurious weekly menu planner.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/everydaycooking/weeklydinnerplanners

By using this, I can make an accurate shopping list, go to the store and stick to my list. That, I think, saves me a lot of money. The meals are varied, generally very good and healthy to boot. FWIW, I rarely follow their dessert recommendations, preferring a little cheese after dinner. You usually have leftovers which are great for lunch the next day. Going out to eat is a treat and doesn't happen very often.

I buy some new clothes about once a year and never just go shopping to go shopping. Other than for groceries, I really don't like shopping.

We live very, very inexpensively - about $2000 a month (including cell service, netflix, hulu, NYT subscription, car storage and various insurances). We would spend less if we didn't enjoy wine so much!

And it helps a lot that we spend most of our time in a place where there is just nothing to spend money on! Starbucks alone can eat up a whole bunch of money a little bit at a time.

Good luck to you. It actually feels good to have less, go simple and feel that you need nothing.