Whether the Great Recession has hit you like a bus or a tap on the shoulder, you’re probably feeling some ramifications from the nation’s largest economic downturn in decades, with foreclosure, bankruptcy and unemployment everywhere you turn. The good news is that people are getting creative about saving money and you can benefit from some of these excellent tips to cut expenses around the house.

1. Extend your printer’s ink. It’s no secret that ink is expensive (it costs more than human blood, according to this chart). Luckily, you can make it last longer: first download Ecofont (available at ecofont.com) to cut down on your ink usage by 25 percent. Then, when you “run out” of ink, take out the cartridge and loosen the drops in there with a hairdryer. This could add up to three months to your cartridge’s life.
2. Stretch your sponges. At a certain point, kitchen sponges get gross, but you can keep them chugging by wetting them and zapping them in the microwave for a minute or two to sterilize them. When they’ve really had it, shift them to bathroom or car-wash duty.
3. Take care of your vacuum cleaner. Save money by treating it like a vehicle (that is, maintaining it well). Check to make sure hair hasn’t clogged it (and remove any that has), replace the belt if necessary (check your manual) and clean the filter when you remove dirt buildup. Just soak it in soapy water, rinse it and let it air dry.
4. Cut your water usage. Lots of sites offer tips for how to seriously reduce your water usage (and thus lower your bills and your environmental impact). Search for tips on showerheads, leaky faucets, thirsty lawns and more.
5. Keep your mattress young. Vacuum your mattress regularly to eliminate bacteria and mites, and flip it if you start to feel it sagging. If it’s getting really loose, consider putting some wooden planks on the frame to offer extra support.
6. Save on your shave. Be sure to dry your razor blades after using them, which prevents rusting and keeps your blades sharp longer.
7. Prolong your laptop battery’s life. Besides turning off and unplugging your computer at night (and other times you aren’t using it), you can save on electricity and keep your computer battery happy by running only programs you need, dimming the screen light, muting sounds when you’re not using them, and choosing sleep mode when you’ll be away for any significant period of time.

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