The opportunities for spending money nowadays are unlimited. Too many people find themselves too strapped to pay their bills on time and complain when their bi-weekly salary is paid a couple of days late. Living on the edge is frustrating, stressful and completely unnecessary. No matter how much or how little money you make, good spending and saving habits can solve your problem.

"A penny saved is a penny earned" is a saying that can be applied toward many situations. With diligent research and patience, second hand furniture can be found at one third the price of new. The trick is to keep looking until you find almost exactly what you want. Prudence dictates that the higher the quality, the better the furniture will look and the longer it will last. Classic styles will never go out of fashion and you can sell your old furniture to defray the cost of the replacement. Make sure your old furniture is polished, empty, and shown to good advantage.

Make your meals at home interesting and romantic. Eating out should be a treat saved for a special occasion or enjoyed once in a while when far away from home. Car trips, excursions to the country, or times when you know you will be away from home for a long period of time are situations that require some forethought in the food department. Bring an apple or a bag of fruit to assuage your hunger until you get home. Remember that the cost of dinner for four at a nice restaurant can feed the family for a week.

Some large department stores welcome returns. Their generous return policy has proven a boon to their bottom line, bringing more people more often into their stores. You may return any item you bought at their store for a full refund, even though that refund may be in the form of a store credit. This credit can now be applied toward clothing, appliances, or any needed item that they sell. A garage sale would price these returns at ten cents on the dollar instead of at full retail value. Clothing department stores often double up on coupons and discount sales. That is the time to buy your annual clothing needs, not at the last minute when you need something new to wear. Holiday presents can be bought at any time during the year and put away until needed.

Another quicksand trap is the purchase of excessive insurance. Insurance agents can reel off numerous reasons why you need more insurance just to line their pockets with more money. Statistics can be bent to say almost anything so don't fall for their pitch. Insurance for catastrophic events is necessary but to cover the replacement cost of one hundred percent of a loss is wasteful. Term life insurance is the biggest culprit. Plan your insurance needs carefully and sparingly for complete peace of mind.

Everyone has a hobby or an expertise in some area. Put your hobby to work with an ad in the paper and network your talents to acquaintances. If you are renting, consider buying a small home and use your rent money to pay off your mortgage. In time, your equity in your house will bring great rewards.

Vacations can cost a lot of money, all out of proportion to the enjoyment received. Cruises, time shares, fancy hotels and first class accommodations can triple the cost of your vacation. A hotel off the beaten track, an exchange of houses with a friend living in another part of the world, a car trip, or just a couple of weeks at a mountain resort can supply you with a great, fun-filled vacation for a reasonable amount of money.

Finally, always pay the minimum or more on your charge accounts to avoid interest charges. With all this money you are saving, be sure to place some of it into a saving account. Regular savings should be treated as a living expense, not a special event from a windfall lucky break. You'll thank yourself later.