Like everyone on a fixed retirement income, I've looked for ways to cut back on basic expenses. Here's what I've done so far that seems to be working for me:

1. Satellite TV

Since I don't watch TV that much, I cut down to the most basic package available. If you're not a big TV watcher, you'd be surprised to find how much you're paying for what you don't watch.

2. Telephone

Right now, I'm paying more than $150 a month for my landline and cell phone. After cutting back to the minimum on my cell phone bill, I still pay $49.99 for 200 minutes out of which less than 30 are daytime minutes. I'm thinking it would probably make sense to get rid of my landline and get a good prepaid cell phone plan that includes long distance. I saw recently that Straight Talk, a new prepaid plan on the market, offers unlimited calls and texting for just $45 a month. It's tempting to give up my landline because for less than a third of what I'm paying now, I’d have a phone on which I can make long distance calls anywhere in the U.S. and I can take it anywhere with me. If anybody has gone this route and found a reasonably priced prepaid cell plan, please share.

3. Water Heater

Turn your water heater off or put it on a timer! You don't need that much hot water in summer. Turning my water heater on for only three hours every other day, I find my electricity bill has gone down by about $30 a month compared to this time last year, despite the record-breaking heat in Florida.

4. Planned Meals

The last time I threw out almost an entire bag of lettuce along with some carrots that had had it, I decided that was it. I find when I plan meals instead of food shopping randomly, I only buy what I need. My refrigerator looks a bit empty in comparison to what it used to look like, but I have meals for every day of the week, and I'm saving. As food prices continue to soar, we're going to have to find every way we can to save on food. Not wasting is a good start.

5. Planned Driving

I plan my weeks so I don't have to run out every time I need something. I have to do this unless I plan to burn more gas than I can afford. I live eight miles from the nearest food store and 25 miles from the nearest good supermarket. Say I need to go to the post office, I make sure I run at least two other errands at the same time.

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