91 ways to save on almost anything

Shop around for gas: Gas prices can vary dramatically within only a few blocks, according to GasBuddy.com, a price-monitoring site. So hop online to find the best deal in your neighborhood or along your commute route.

A 20-cent difference on 60 gallons of gas per month adds up to $12 per month, or $144 per year.

(MSN Autos also offers price-comparison data.)

Use a gas-rebate credit card: If you frequent the pump, soften the financial sting with a credit card that'll give you cash back for filling up.

For example, the Discover Open Road card gives you 5% cash back on gas and auto maintenance charges up to $100 per month. That saves you about $60 per year. Plus you get a rebate of up to 1% on all other purchases.

(See "6 top-rated gas-rebate cards.")

Hop on the bus, Gus: Public transportation can save you a bundle on commuting costs because you will save on the cost of a parking space, gas and auto maintenance. Plus, you can probably get a lower insurance rate for driving less.

Ask if your employer will pick up part of the tab for your public transportation costs. If not, suggest the company look into the matter -- it could qualify for a tax break.

Car pool: Two heads are better than one when it comes to commuting. Sharing the ride -- and expense -- with another person heading your way can cut your gas costs in half.

(Check out car-pooling opportunities at eRideShare.com and Carpool Connect.)

Save money on travel

Go in the off-season: Timing your travel can save you serious money -- plus you'll avoid the crowds.

For example, if a destination sees its highest tourist traffic in summer -- such as national parks, Europe and Canada -- plan your visit for winter, spring or fall. And in summer, head for popular winter destinations, such as ski resorts and Caribbean cruises.

(See "Timed travel" for more ideas.)

Don't surf; Kayak instead: You can waste time and money wandering the Web to find the cheapest airfare. Instead, head for Kayak.com, which fetches fares (plus hotel rates and other travel products) from more than 140 sources. Click on the best deal, and Kayak.com will send you to a site where you can buy the ticket.

If your itinerary is not set in stone, you can boost your chances of finding a deal by using the flexible-dates option, which searches for flights over a range of dates.

(See more of our favorite travel-booking Web sites by clicking here.)

Book a package: Give yourself the gift of saving money. Bundling your airfare with a hotel or car rental is a great strategy, especially if you're making last-minute travel plans.

Airlines discount open seats at the last minute by rolling them into packages, which don't list the fare reduction separately. You can find these bundled bargains at LastMinute.com, which specializes in last-minute getaways.

Vacation close to home: The steep cost of airfare is enough to eat up any vacation budget. Instead, consider destinations to which you can drive. For a treasure-trove of ideas and itineraries in dozens of cities, check out the Day Trips series and Quick Escapes series from Globe Pequot Press.

Or try being a tourist in your hometown. Check out a tour guide book for your city, grab your camera and go explore.

Ring up a better deal: If a hotel is run independently or is part of a regional chain, call the front desk and ask the clerk for an extra night's stay free, a discounted rate or free upgrade -- even if the hotel isn't currently advertising one. Independent and regional-chain hotels, which lack the marketing power of national chains, may be more willing to bend to fill an unexpected vacancy.

When you call, say something like, "I already have a reservation at another hotel at a cheaper rate, but I'll book with you if I can get a third night free."

Be a happy camper: It may not be the Ritz, but if you're up for an adventure, staying at a campsite can save you oodles of money.

Recreation.gov handles reservations for the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and others. You'll find plenty of campsites for less than $20 a night at locations ranging from mountain settings to beachfront sites.

Consider hostelling: For $15 to $35 a night, you can stay in a dorm-style room. (Make reservations online through Hostels.com.) Or for a little more money, many hostels offer private rooms for couples and families.

Most hostels come with communal kitchens and laundries, and some even offer perks such as high-speed Internet access, game rooms, TV rooms, hot tubs and organized activities for kids. Plus, many are in the center of town -– or in unique locales, such as California's Pigeon Point Lighthouse hostel.

Take a leap of faith: Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. Book your travel through blind-booking sites such as Hotwire.com and Priceline.com and you can save a bundle.

For example, on rental cars, you specify the dates, car type and pickup location, but you don't find out which company is offering you your nonrefundable rate until after you buy. The same goes for airfare and hotels on the sites.

Get in touch with nature: For budget-friendly activities, you can count on Mother Nature. For starters, consider national parks, forests and state parks. Miles of hiking and biking trails, beautiful vistas, fishing holes, beach retreats and rafting runs await.

Park entrance fees are typically less than $10 or are free. And if you plan to visit several national parks this season, spring for the National Parks Pass ($80), which gives you and your party access to all the parks for a year.

Opt for mom-and-pop: Try a small inn or a bed-and-breakfast instead of a big hotel. These mom-and-pop operations are often more flexible about discounting to fill vacancies than are national hotel chains.

A great place to find deals on a bed and breakfast getaway: Sign up for free weekly e-mails from Bedandbreakfast.com. Every Wednesday, you'll receive a list of places offering deals of 20% or more off regular rates for the upcoming weekend in the city, state or region you prefer to visit. We recently spotted offers as high as 70% off on the site.

Continued: Vacations

(Save on investing; food; transportation; travel; utilities; phone service, Internet and TV; credit, debt and banking; entertainment.)

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