Check impulse buys. "Shopping with a list saves us $40 a week," says Marissa Beaston of Lakewood, Colorado. This Sunday, choose your next seven dinners (okay, six -- pizza night is nonnegotiable). Jot down the ingredients, add basics for breakfast, lunch, and snacks, and stick to the list once you get to the supermarket.
lose brand loyalty. You can save 40 percent with generic over-the-counter drugs. Active ingredients are usually the same (check to be sure).
Take tap. Fill a reusable bottle with tap water. "Money doesn't grow on trees, but water does fall from the sky for free," says Gregory Karp, author of Living Rich by Spending Smart. We like the filter on the LivPure bottle (Fit-fresh.com).
Become a joiner. Notice you're shelling out more for, well, almost everything? To get something in return, check stores for "Baby Rewards"–type programs. Giant Eagle and Waldbaum's offer such deals, which pay back a percentage of baby-related buys as store credit. Parenting magazine subscribers can earn up to 20 percent in cash back rewards at online retailers like babiesrus.com and target.com (visit parenting.com for details).