13 ways to save:

1. Costco membership. Buy in bulk and save. So you get enough hamburger in one package to feed an army, it’s pretty easy to divide it up into 1 lb portions and bag in freezer ziplocks. And then you have handy meal-sized units to work with, since most burger recipes call for 1 lb.

2. Switch from cold cereal to oatmeal. The stuff in boxes is a lot more pricey than the Costco-sized Quaker Oats, and usually not as good for you. Too boring? Add a handful of raisins and a tablespoon of maple syrup to the pot. Chopped apple with a dash of cinnamon and a lump of brown sugar. Variations are endless.

3. Ditch the brand-name cleaners and buy baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. That’s enough to tackle most cleaning jobs, and it’s better for the environment, too.

4. If you have space for a clothesline, dry your clothes outside when the weather’s nice.

5. Set your washing machine to wash in cold water.

6. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.

7. Plan meals before shopping to avoid impulse buys or repeated trips for forgotten ingredients.

8. Bake your own bread. A bread machine does it for you if the kneading is difficult on your hands. But don’t buy the pre-mixed boxes, it’ll cost as much as a loaf of packaged bread. Just get the big bag of flour and jar of yeast and DIY.

9. If your dishwasher has a water-saver cycle, use that. And skip the heat drying cycle.

10. Lower the night-time thermostat in winter and toss on another blanket.

11. Shop around for the best values. (Best value is not always lowest initial price; if something costs a little more but will last twice as long, it’s the better value.)

12. Coordinate errands to save gas.

13. Hyper-mile when driving. You will not believe the mileage difference.