With recent Census Bureau figures showing that more Americans are living at the poverty level, I figured we could all use some hints and tips for saving money and stretching what we already have. So here, from around the Internet, are a few suggestions for making sure you hang onto more of the cash that you pull down.

Don’t Pay Too Much for Electronics!

Even the most frugal person sometimes needs to splurge – and, if you’re like me, when it’s time to make a major purchase, you always consider buying used first. Now, thanks to the web site WorthMonkey.com, you can take the guesswork out of bargain hunting.

Here’s how it works:

• You enter in the product you’d like to buy or sell.
• WorthMonkey.com collects data from around the Internet to see what similar products are being sold for. In addition, the search function brings up a current sale list for products that match the gadget you entered.
• You can use the information to price what you want to sell or to guide your buying process so you don’t overspend.

This site can work as an excellent time-saver for people who want to bargain-hunt but don’t have the time to spend browsing lots of online outlets.

Spend Less on Groceries by Wasting Less Food

This article from FiscalGeek.com provides an important reminder that wasted food accounts for $600 of the average American family’s annual budget. Not interested in tossing that much money in the garbage? Consider these tips:

• Buy in bulk only if you can store properly. Setting the fridge too warm may save money on electricity, but if you have to keep tossing perishables, the savings is probably cancelling itself out.
• Eat leftovers. In fact, plan for leftovers. Freezing single servings of a meal is a great way to save money (it’s cheaper than buying single-serve dinners), and cooking stuff that can be “re-purposed” on the second night can keep this from seeming like a chore.
• Go by your nose, not the date. Expiration dates on foods are generally play-it-safe guidelines. If something is unopened and only slightly past the expiration date printed on the package, you’re probably okay to eat it. A better guide to a food’s edibility is the way it smells.
• Preserve. Now is the season of excellent bulk buys of delicious fresh produce at farmers’ markets, but it’s easy for so much food to spoil before you can eat it. Home canning and dehydrating (which is super-easy and takes very little skill) are great ways to stretch the harvest and make sure you don’t end up tossing what you buy.

Freebies: What Not to Pay For

Finally, this frugality post from PTMoney.com offers a list of 15 items you can get for free. While some of these are familiar, some may lead to unexpected savings. Here are some highlights:

• Music: Web sites like Pandora and 8tracks.com offer free music online, and your library lets you check out CDs – why pay?
• TV: Again, even if you don’t own a television, you can watch many TV shows for free on web sites like Hulu.com or check out entire seasons on DVD from the library.
• Books and DVDs: Again, the library comes into play. And it has so much to offer!
• Newspapers: There’s a reason the industry is dying: most content is available free online.

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