Cut Back Without Crimping Your Lifestyle

Pinching pennies is all the rage.

With the economy in a tailspin, consumers are looking everywhere for ways to save money. The trick is to cut back without putting a significant crimp in your lifestyle. So before downsizing into a smaller house, selling your car or cutting up your last credit card, consider these five money-saving do-it-yourself projects.

Install a programmable thermostat: The average household can save about 10% a year on heating bills by switching to a programmable thermostat, according to the federal Energy Star program. Here's why: You set the thermostat to turn up the heat when it's needed and drop it when it's not, saving heating dollars from being spent when no one's home or everyone's asleep. A typical installation is simple and requires only a few tools and a couple of minutes. For step-by-step instructions, check out this video from ThisOldHouse.com. ...