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No More Mortgage Budgeting Tip on saving money at home.

We all try to find ways to save money and stay within our budget. The more money we save on the things we have to pay for, the more money we can put towards paying off our debt or building our retirement.

Here are a few more ways you can save money around the house.

• Beware of buying in bulk. If you have room to store items you buy in bulk, you can save a lot of money. But you need  to compare the bulk prices to the standard size you normally buy. Just because it's in bulk doesn't mean you will save money. Some items are no cheaper in bulk, and you can be fooled into spending more money today for things you won't need for a while. Whether it's a supermarket or a big box store you need to watch the prices to make sure you're really saving money on the bulk purchase.
• Find disposable items you can cut down on or eliminate. If it's disposable, you spend money on it regularly and may not need to. Instead of using sandwich bags to store foods in the refrigerator, use a plastic storage container instead that is washable. Try getting the paper towels that come off in 1/2 or 1/3 the normal size or use kitchen rags whenever possible. Disposable may mean convenience but it's also a lot more money for the store rather than in your budget or savings.
• How often have you bought water bottles and then thrown out the bottle when you're done only to pull another out next time? A water filter can pay for itself and a good quality water bottle you refill is convenient and helps keep you drinking as much as you should. Both will pay for themselves over time and then save you money on an ongoing basis.
• Try some of the supermarket brands of the foods you buy regularly including snacks and drinks. You may find some don't taste as well as the name brand so you pass on those. But when you find some that do taste as good you'll start saving more every month.

The little things add up over time and pennies turn into dollars. Those dollars in turn can save you any more dollars when put against your debt by reducing the time it takes to pay it off and the interest you will pay. Paying off your debt faster will save you years of payments as you work to get to the point where you have no more mortgage and no more debt. But it takes time and discipline to accomplish this. Budgeting is one of the tools you need to do well to get there faster.

Watch your spending. Your friends at No More Mortgage

Related articles on line.

• Tip of the Day: Living on a Budget (abcnews.go.com)