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* FIVE WAYS TO REDUCE DAILY EXPENSES. *

Choose to celebrate zero spending days! Today's economy makes avoiding mindless consumerism an important strategy. When you need to shrink your budget, look at everyday habits that cost more than they ought to. By weighing the financial impact of your daily activities, you can make a dent in your spending.

Here are five ways you can reduce daily expenses:

*1* - SAY NO TO RECREATIONAL SHOPPING. Want to have fun? Stay out of the mall! Unless you're power walking in the wee hours when the gates are closed and the stores are locked up, avoid strolling the mall as a way to get out of the house. Marketing people are smart they knew how to display merchandise to tempt the unwary.

They know: If you see it, you'll want to buy it! Even when you intend only to window-shop, a well-marketed doodad may catch your eye and you'll break your resolve and come home with a purchase. The best protection against impulse shopping is to stay far away from temptation.

Likewise, don't read the big-box store ads in the Sunday paper. Toss those enticements directly into the recycle bin! Paging through attractively glossy pictures of the latest shopping offerings is a good way to develop a desire for consumer items you can actually live without.

*2* - PACK A LUNCH. The cardinal rule for living within your budget is to spend less than you earn. You'd think you'd be immune to reckless spending when you're at work, but you're not! The number one money-burning temptation that working people face occurs during the lunch hour.

If you're in the habit of lunching at a nearby restaurant, your budget may feel the pinch. Face it, a mere $7 per lunch adds up to $35 per 5-day workweek, or $140 per month that you might have saved by bringing lunch from home. That's a significant chunk of money.

If lunchtime networking with your coworkers is important to you, why not skip a few days a week? For instance, make it a Friday-only treat. If you need a midday breather, take a walk outdoors. Your employer may have a picnic area outside the building what a perfect place to enjoy a sandwich. Which leads to the next money saving suggestion.

*3* - EAT AT HOME MORE OFTEN. Why pay someone else to cook for you when you could make the same thing at home for less than half the cost? True, not every grocery store offering is a cost-efficient purchase (they use enticing marketing tricks, too), but if you shop frugally, you can cook your own delicious and nutritious meals for far less than

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