Nowadays people are tightening their belts even further than they did before.
As a result, they are trying to come up with more creative ways to save money.
Classified sites are becoming busier, and garage sales more popular.
You are starting to see things you may not have seen before such as half used items, items that normally would have been tossed.
There are some things you can do at your own home to help save a few pennies: Organize a swap with Friends - Do you have extra clothing you don't need? Craft supplies you'll never use? Have a trade night with friends.
Everyone brings what they have and you trade.
There are a variety of ways to do this to make it fair for everyone, you decide as a group.
Barter - This is becoming more popular.
Do you have something available that is unique and that others are looking for? Could they babysit your children for a few hours in return for that item? What about trading something they sell for something you sell? Classifieds - Put your items up on the local free classifieds.
Some people also believe in using Ebay, but you need to make sure that the cost of listing and payments aren't going to eat up all your proceeds.
Use this option with caution.
Flea Market - Get a booth at a flea market.
You'd be amazed at some of the things that people are selling at these events.
This is a better option if you have a lot of items to sell, as most flea markets do have a table fee.
If you don't have a lot of items, maybe you could share the table with a friend or two, and split the costs.
Some ideas will work better than others, and some will require some upfront cost.
But if done well, you can make a few extra dollars to help with those expenses.
Don't forget, you can always save those pennies you get in your change!