For consumers who enjoy a night out drinking, it’s often the discounts that put the “happy” in “happy hour.”

After all, in the age of celebrity bartenders and artisanal and organic cocktails, it’s easy for a few drinks to result in a substantial tab. The average Mint user in New York spent $1,474 on alcohol last year, according to our infographic, while those from Littleton, Colo., spent a wild $3,027.

Enjoying cocktails at home is one easy way to cut the bill, but it’s not as fun as going out with friends. (It’s not even necessarily as cheap, either, if you’re the one hosting and providing all the drinks and snacks.)

Here’s how to cut the bill on your next night out:

Look for deal vouchers. Deal sites like Groupon and Living Social regularly have bar and restaurant deals for half price, says Sarah Schneider, co-founder of daily deal management site Couptivate. Bodega Wine Bar in Los Angeles recently offered $22 worth of drinks for $10 on Groupon, and Tippr had $30 at Seattle’s Village Wine Bar and Bistro for $15. Liquor.com and Lot18.com have deals solely on cocktails and wine experiences. If you miss a deal, check secondhand sites like CoupRecoup.com and DealsGoRound.com, where people can sell unwanted deals.

Learn the code. Bars often post exclusive deals on Facebook and Twitter. To claim them, you need only say the code word. During October, saying “twitter” at Havana Sol in Vallejo, Calif., would have saved you $1 on a draft beer. “Rich and rare” triggered $3 Heineken bottles at RnR Restaurant and Bar in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Check in. Use social media to announce that you’re in the house. Bars may offer specials to visitors checking in on Foursquare, and sweeten the deal further for the mayor. If you live in San Francisco, new startup JoynIn lets you unlock drink specials when you head out with Facebook friends, and earn rewards for future happy hours. (Spokesman Brenton Geiser says versions for New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are in the works.)

Calculate BYOB. It’s usually cheap, but not always — Frugal Foodie was at a restaurant recently that charged a $30 corkage fee. That was enough that her party could have bought four glasses of the house red. Use BYOB resource GoBYOB.com to see what a restaurant will charge.

Buy a round. Free iPhone and Android app Bartab lets you buy drinks at participating bars for $1 and send them as a virtual gift to friends, says Schneider.  You can also send them to yourself. For example, Taverna Aventine in San Francisco offers $1 Guiness, Stella and Black Star beers, and $1 well drinks. You and your friends have 90 days to redeem purchased or received drinks.

Befriend a bartender. Mint reader Nathan Richardson suggests heading out for the local industry night, when bars offer half-priced drinks or other specials for people who work in the restaurant industry, as well as their friends. Being friendly to the bartender at your favorite watering hole can earn you the occasional free drink, as well as more generous pours.

Hunt for happy hour

These days, it’s more likely to be several hours, or an entire night. Some bars are even offering a.m. happy hours for brunch-goers and those who work odd hours. Sites like Unthirsty and apps like Happy Houred  help you find drink specials near you. Users can also post unadvertised deals they spot.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie http://www.twitter.com/mintfoodie

Does it pay to be Internet savvy? Yes. In more ways than many people imagine. Sure, the Internet is a great way to research just about anything you could ever want to know about; and it’s an outstanding communication, marketing, and entertainment tool. But the Internet can also save you a boatload of money. And we’re not just talking 10 cents off here and there. We’re talking free (and nearly free) stuff.

Want proof? Here are a few of the sites where a host of free goods are lurking, ripe for the taking

1. Craigslist’s Free Section: Looking for a computer desk? How about a sofa, kids toys, electronics, office supplies, landscaping materials or lumber? These are just a few of the hundreds of items listed in a single day in most any city’s Craigslist free section. People are generally honest about the condition of the stuff they’re listing, and many have pics, so you can see for yourself. If you’re a “Mr./Ms. Fix-It” type, you’ll be in heaven. But even if you aren’t, you’ll be surprised at the kinds of things people are giving away. Look for the FREE listings under the “For Sale” section of your local Craigslist board

2. Freecycle: Much like Craigslist, Freecycle is powered by the people and rooted in a belief that it is better to give items a second life, rather than filling up landfills and creating more stuff. Folks can list anything they have to give away, and others can browse the goods to find what they want. And, like Craigslist, you’ll find a ton of great free stuff through Freecycle. Unlike Craigslist, Freecycle is run through Yahoo! Groups, and you have to join your local group before you can give or get stuff. This makes it a little more of a process to find and list items, but advantage of this process is that it’s moderated, and people can communicate with the community at large. This reduces the likelihood of people listing garbage and describing it as treasure.

3. TotallyFreeStuff.com: Now we get into the realm of samples, coupons, and rewards. You might have to actually do something to get the free stuff listed at TotallyFreeStuff.com, but most of it is pretty simple. From just supplying an email address (have you set one up just for this kind of stuff?), to taking a survey, or visiting a website, the requirements are laid out for each offer and are all simple for the most part. They have some good stuff too – like a free sample of the latest Doritos flavor, a free 1-year subscription to SPIN magazine, or a Uniball smearless pen. Offers are submitted and rated by users, so you have a pretty good idea of what’s worth looking at before wasting a lot of time.

4. Yes All 4 Free: This site is similar to TotallyFreeStuff.com, but laid out in a very easy to browse format and with more detailed descriptions of all the offers. Check them out for free samples, coupons, and rewards.

Does it pay to be a bit of a geek? You bet it does. So, get your geek on, and fire up the laptop and get some free stuff. If you have other examples of sites you use to get free or nearly free stuff, we’d love for you to share them in the comments section.

Matthew Toren is a serial entrepreneur (Co-founded YoungEntrepreneur.com), mentor, investor and award winning Co-Author of Kidpreneurs (Basic Principles of Entrepreneurship for Kids). He owns Blogtrepreneur.com and writes for Contently.com.

Summer is the time to shed the winter blahs and enjoy the simpler things in life. It also presents a great opportunity to develop healthy new habits when it comes to your finances. Challenge yourself to save $1,000 by the end of this summer using some of the tips below. (HINT: Mint.com’s free Goals tool is an easy way to motivate yourself and track your progress and the Trends tab makes it easy to see where your money goes, while the Ways to Save feature automatically searches for other areas where you can economize).

Upgrade Your Home’s Efficiency

As temperatures rise, it’s easy to start dialing up the air conditioners and fans. But, it doesn’t take much to make those monthly energy bills increase. According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) about half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling.

Run fans in place of an air conditioner, which requires a lot of energy (and money). Give your dryer the summer off. Invest $5 in a clothesline and dry your laundry for free in the summer rays.

If you must use an air conditioner, Environmental Protection Agency recommends you make sure the coils and blower components are clean as airflow problems can diminish your unit’s efficiency by up to 15 percent.

You can help diminish the need for A/C by cutting down on “waste heat” your home is generating, advises Stan Cox, author of Losing Our Cool. Unplug all non-essential lights, appliances and electronics, which will not only cut down on their passive output, but will make you think twice whether you really need to use them. Make use of the BBQ so you can avoid running the oven or stove, which will overheat your home.

InterNACHI also says that toilets consume 30% to 40% of the total water used in home. Place an empty milk jug weighted with some marbles, cap on, in the toilet’s tank, to create a low-flow, energy-efficient toilet that will save thousands of gallons of water per year.

Beware of  Summer Fashion Trends

If your savings strategy involves splurging on one key summer trend, think strategically before you buy. ScienceDaily reports that a study by marketing professors Vanessa Patrick of the University of Houston and Henrik Hagtvedt of Boston College indicates that buying one item with a trendy pattern or bold color that doesn’t “fit” your traditional style can lead to a spending binge of more items, as as you attempt to create a balanced environment. If you can’t immediately think of three things you own that the item matches, skip it.

Take Advantage of Technology

If you pay for premium cable channels, summer is the perfect time to slash unnecessary TV bills, when the programming gets stale. Cut back to basic cable only, and you could save as much as $40 a month.  Better yet, do away with cable altogether and take advantage of free technologies like Boxee and Hulu that allow you to download and watch your favorite shows at no cost. You could save as much as $100 each month, depending on your current provider.

If you still have a landline, consider whether you really need it. According to the December 2010 CDC report on Wireless Phone Usage, nearly one of every six American homes (15.9%) with a landline received all or almost all calls on wireless telephones.

Cook at Home

Dining out can wreak havoc on a budget. Summer is a great time to experiment with healthy home-cooked recipes, and to buy fresh produce sold at local farmers’ markets. If you’re feeling really motivated, try planting a low-cost garden. Many herbs, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers are easy to grow, and will shave that much more off your grocery bill.

Think Like a Visitor

When you’re trapped indoors all winter, it’s easy to spend your weekend (and cash) on dining out, movies, and indoor entertainment. Free activities abound in the summer! Check your local paper or chamber of commerce website for weekend events. Vow to eliminate one night out each month with some form of free, or very cheap, outdoor entertainment. Replacing just one Saturday night dinner and movie date with a free outdoor concert and light picnic could save you more than $100 a month.

Rethink Your Ride

If you live close to work, consider biking or walking once or twice a week. You’ll not only save on gas and mileage, you’ll get a workout, which means you can cut back on the expensive yoga classes and the personal trainer sessions. If that’s not possible, consider ride-sharing in summer months with other people in your office, or neighborhood, that work nearby. According to the Sustainable Cities Institute, “an individual commuting with one other person on a 30 miles roundtrip, in a 25 mpg vehicle, with gas at $2.50/gal, would save between  $1,140 (including one-half of variable costs) and $2,042 (including one-half of all costs) annually.”

Give Daily Discounts a Summer Break

While daily deals can offer great savings at restaurants or establishments you frequent, the “urgent” nature of the offers can lead to impulse buys. In turn, you waste money, regardless of the “value.” Ask yourself a simple question: “Would I buy this item if it were full price?” If the answer is “no,” take a pass.

If you had a daily deal buying frenzy and are now suffering buyers remorse, check out aftermarket sites like Lifesta or Coup Recoup, which resell previously purchased discount offers from sites like LivingSocial and Groupon. These sites are also a good place to potentially find even greater savings than the original deal posting site IF you stick only to purchases you need.

Vow to Lose “10” (Percent)

For the summer months, vow to cut your monthly spending by just ten percent. (If you use a free budgeting tool like Mint, you can easily see where you spend, and where you can cut back).  Ten percent may sound like a lot, but Dave Ramsey, personal finance expert, explains that “personal finance is 80% behavior. You need to cut out habits that make you spend more.” By pretending that you don’t have the money, just for the summer, you’ll form new and improved saving habits that will last well beyond Labor Day. Use the money to pay down debts you have, or place it in an interest-bearing savings account to establish an emergency fund. If you’ve already covered both those bases, open up an investment account with your new-found $1,000 and get on the path to wealth-building.

Stephanie Taylor Christensen is a former financial services marketer based in Columbus, OH. The founder of Wellness On Less, she also writes on small business, consumer interest, wellness, career and personal finance topics.

As food prices skyrocket, cutting grocery bills by growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs can seem like an appealing way to save cash.

The National Gardening Association estimates you’ll get a half-pound of vegetables for each square foot in your garden, or roughly $600 in produce over the course of a season for the average 600-square-foot plot. Estimated outlay to grow all that produce: $70.

Problem is, if you’re not careful, a garden can be a real sinkhole. It’s easy to spend a small fortune on young plants, store-bought fertilizers and other supplies, only to find a perfect storm of pests, bad weather and improper care have depleted your harvest. (The $12 worth of strawberry plants Frugal Foodie put on her balcony last year didn’t produce many berries, and the local squirrels got to all but a few first. A far cry from the quarts of fresh berries she’d hoped for.)

Still, there are plenty of ways to garden on the cheap that, if not improving your odds of a bountiful harvest, at least limit the costs of your experiment:

Save scraps

Not everyone has the space or inclination to compost, but adding a few key leftovers can do wonders for soil in lieu of buying expensive fertilizers. “I take my spent coffee grinds to the garden and broadcast over the soil,” says Dimitri Gatanas of Urban Garden Center in New York City. “This is what I call quick and easy composting.” Tea leaves and grass clippings help, too, as do crushed eggshells.

Pick the right plants

Some garden staples, including peppers, basil and salad greens, take very little effort and offer big harvests. Just two romaine plants kept the Foodies in salads from April through October last year.

Consider location

“Purchase the appropriate plantings for your climate and location of the garden,” says Kevin Mulcahy, owner of Mulcahy’s Landscape and Design in Rochester, N.Y. You’ll have less success, if any, buying plants that prefer higher or lower temps, or more or less sun, then you’re able to offer.

Repurpose household goods

Instead of buying mulch, recycle newspaper for that purpose, suggests Cara White of Elevations Urban Landscapes in New York City. Coffee cans, empty soda bottles and other containers can make useful planters or seed starters. Save those flimsier plastic planters seedlings arrive in to use as scoops, says Gatanas.

Buy seeds

It’s significantly cheaper, says Michael Podelsny, the owner of Mike the Gardener Enterprises, which offers a seeds-of-the-month club. You’ll just need to start growing them indoors. A pack of tomato seeds that might yield dozens of plants sells for $1; one seedling, $4 or more at the farmer’s market.

Share

Split seed packets with another gardener, Podelsny says. Ditto with plant flats bought at the garden center. Experienced gardeners may also be able to give you a cutting from their own plant, such as tomatoes or blackberries, with which to grow your own.

Use household pest deterrents

Crushed eggshells also serve as slug deterrent, Gatanas says. So does beer. Cayenne pepper, Epsom salts and Dial soap are other remedies that have some effectiveness in repelling insects, rabbits and deer.

Add a few perennials

By definition, they’ll come back every year, negating your need to buy new seeds or plants. Frugal Foodie has another shot for success with her strawberries this year. Others to consider: kale, collard greens, garlic, sage, mint, thyme and blueberries.

Shop at the end of the season

End-of-season sales can easily top 50%. Mint reader Max Dufour gets his seeds on sale late in the season, and keeps them in the fridge until it’s time to plant them the following year. Perennials bought on sale get planted right away.

Use a rain barrel

Keeping a big container outdoors to collect rain for watering your garden can help reduce your summer water bill, says Annette Pelliccio, the founder of The Happy Gardener. Just be sure to add a screen to the top to avoid mosquitoes.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie.

Photo credit: Michelle Kroll

photo: dmdonahoo

Extreme Couponing premiers on TLC April 6, handing the stage over to individuals and families who are obsessed with collecting coupons and never paying full price for anything.  With more than 367 billion coupons printed each year, these coupons addicts take to the extreme what many of us do as part of our daily lives: collect and us as many coupons as possible.

The shoppers featured on Extreme Couponing may not be your typical shoppers, but they can teach all of us a little about being resourceful. Here are four lessons to take away from their habits.

Lesson 1: Make room for bargains

Nathan Engels of Kentucky, one of the featured couponoholics, started clipping coupons in 2006 after realizing that he and his wife were overspending. Now debt-free, Engels has more than 10,000 items stockpiled in his garage–including 1,100 boxes of cereal, 300 toothbrushes and 60 bottles of hand soap.  Engel frequently checks out with coupons that afford him 95% savings.

Lesson: When you have the available coupons, don’t be afraid to stockpile non-perishable items.

Lesson 2: Be a coupon hunter and gatherer

Joanie Demer of California is known to friends and family as “The Krazy Coupon Lady.”  The stay-at-home mom clips and prints more than 500 coupons each week, yielding 98% savings at the checkout.  How does Demer do it?  She dumpster-dives for coupons, often bringing along her best friend and young son.

Lesson: Coupons are everywhere today and if you truly want to get the best deals, you sometimes need to go out of your way to find them.  While you may not want to strip off your Sunday best and rake over your neighbor’s discarded newspapers and circulars, you can extend your coupon reach by searching for deals online and off.

Lesson 3: Plan carefully

Joyce House of Philadelphia is a retired nurse who uses smart shopping techniques to stretch her dollar. The single mother has not paid for a toothbrush, toothpaste or deodorant in 34 years. House always shops with coupons and takes couponing as seriously as did her job.

Lesson: Read circulars and online websites that will let you in on “buy one, get one free” specials and always combine coupons and specials to maximize your savings.

Lesson 4:  Invest your time

Amanda Ostrowski of Ohio spends up to 70 hours a week researching in-store promotions, clipping coupons and surfing the internet for the best buys. Ostrowski’s time has paid off. She currently has more than 3,000 rolls of toilet paper stocked away–enough to last the average family about 40 years.

Lesson: The time you invest clipping coupons will pay off at the register — and in your budget over the long term.

“Lessons in extreme couponing” was provided by SaveBrite.com.

Photo: cindy47452

Heading to the farmer’s market is one way to circumvent a lengthy field-to-table supply chain. Another increasingly popular option: buying a farm share that gets you weekly deliveries of fresh produce.

Farm shares, or community supported agriculture programs (CSAs), let consumers invest in a local farm by buying a stake in its harvest. The farmer gets cash up front to cover his operating budget, and usually, a little volunteer labor, too. You get regular shipments of what the farm produces — not just fruits and veggies, but potentially meat, milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, honey and even wine.

Eating local is more sustainable for the environment, and shares can also be more sustainable for your finances. Depending on the farm, you’d pay from $200 to more than $1,000 for a weekly shipment of vegetables, but spread out into deliveries of 10 to 12 pounds over several months it can be fairly affordable. “It has reduced our food bill tremendously, by about $200 a month,” says Tampa, Fla. resident Jen Hancock of the seven-month share she’s been a member of for four years. “Given that the cost of the CSA was about $300, that is an excellent deal, and we just can’t buy produce as good as what we get at the farm.”

If you want in for the spring and summer growing season, now’s the time to do it. Many shares sell out by early April, or at least cut early bird discounts at that time. Here’s how to find the best deal, and make the most of your share:

Comparison shop

Cheaper doesn’t always mean a better deal. Although prices vary widely, so does quality. “Many ‘CSA’s’ in the area have expanded to become more a grocery delivery service,” says Jenn Wisbeck of Seattle, who researches participating farms before buying in to make sure the food comes from local small providers, instead of more commercial properties hours away. Check reviews on LocalHarvest.org and the Chowhound boards.

Rethink meal planning

With regular, substantial deliveries, it’s important to plan meals around what you have on hand, versus what you feel like eating that week, to avoid waste, says Wendy Hammond of “The Local Cook.” Use your share to replace supermarket shopping instead of supplement it — a tactic that will shorten your shopping list and cut your bill further.

Share your share

A full farm share may be more than you need, which is a waste of food as well as money, says Molly Borchers of “Local Grape and Gourmet.” “Many times, half shares are enough for a two or three people and are much cheaper,” she says. None available? Consider splitting the cost of a full share with someone else. “I alternate weeks with a friend of mine,” says North Wales, Penn.-based nutritionist Joanna Chodorowska. “It ends up being the perfect amount for each of us.”

Check delivery locations

“Some CSAs require a pick up every week, while others will deliver right to your home for the same price,” Borchers says. If home delivery isn’t an option, or adds to the cost, review pick-up locations and times to make sure participating isn’t a hassle. (Keep in mind that some shares require you to volunteer at the pick-up stand for an hour or two each month — extra incentive to make sure it’s in a convenient place.) Some also offer a u-pick component, Hammond says, which can add value if you’re able to visit the farm.

Customize

Bad weather, pests and other crop problems can lead to monotony in your basket, so look for a share that lets you have some flexibility. Most farm shares let you weed out items you’re allergic to, but some offer the added benefit of letting you pick what you do and don’t want. Many are also willing to deliver less frequently, or even on demand. “The local meats, cheeses and eggs [available in our share] are really quite expensive, so we only do that when we have a special need,” Hancock says.

Look for deals

Some farm shares offer a discount of up to 20% for being among the first to sign up, or paying in full early in the season. Others cut the price by a few dollars for each hour spent volunteering at the farm or pick-up site, Hammond says.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie

photo: Kelly Sims

Punsri Abeywickrema needed a wheelbarrow to redo his backyard but he didn’t want to buy one. The first weekend he worked on the yard, he borrowed a neighbor’s wheelbarrow. The second weekend, he felt bad asking to use it again, so he rented one from a local store.

“I thought this might be a problem across society,” he says. “There were many wheelbarrows in the vicinity just sitting idle, but that feel-bad factor prevents us from asking for favors.” Abeywickrema has software experience from working at PayPal, LinkedIn, and online gaming company Zynga, so he created Rentalic.com, a website that facilitates the renting of goods between neighbors.

As he explains it, “anything you have sitting idle in your house, you can list on the site and have the power to determine how much you want to charge for it. A security deposit protects the owner and ensures that it gets returned on time.” Rentalic also verifies that the borrower has sufficient funds and generates a secret code, which the owner uses to validate the transaction either online or by calling a 1-800 number.

The concept of sharing resources with friends or neighbors is nothing new, but now dozens of websites offer a scalable platform for renting or sharing goods across a community. For instance, if you need a wheelbarrow like Abeywickrema did or you wanted a kayak for the weekend, you could rent or borrow one from sites like Rentalic, ShareSomeSugar.com, Zilok.com, or NeighborGoods.net.

If you need a car, you might log onto a car sharing site and find a vehicle from down the street (or if you needed a parking spot for your own car, you could try ParkCirca.com). Want an inexpensive place to crash on vacation? Consider AirBnB.com or Roomarama.com. There are even niche sharing sites like StudioShare.org that cater to professionals looking to share equipment or studio space.

The recession and environmental concerns about waste have certainly helped fuel the growth of sharing and sharing platforms, but Lisa Gansky, a serial entrepreneur and author of The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing, says it’s also an outgrowth of technology. “We’ve built this magnificent infrastructure,” she says, “where we can access the people, the teams, the tools, pretty much wherever they are in the world and pay for just what we use.”

But how do we know we’re getting exactly what we paid for?

Gansky says it’s unusual for transactions to go sour. “In general, people are being generous and well-behaved,” she says.

As sharing communities grow beyond just “friends of friends,” rating and review systems can help maintain a transparent market and put users at ease. Still, sometimes those reviews are tainted by other factors. According to Andreas Randow, founder of StudioShare and owner of The Sharing Authority, “the biggest problems with sharing platforms at the moment is that people rate the actual item no matter what they did.” For instance, if someone borrows a camera that is exactly as described but isn’t right for the job they wanted to do, they might blame the camera, not mentioning that the transaction went smoothly and the camera might be perfectly good for other projects.

It costs money not just to buy things but also to store or maintain them, so sharing sites allow borrowers to avoid those costs altogether — and owners to recoup some of those costs by renting out their unused items.

Just how much money can you earn from that unused kayak or air conditioning unit sitting in your garage?

That depends. Abeywickrema says Rentaholic currently has the highest concentration of users around San Francisco and other urban areas. Owners set their own price, but if there’s no one in your area looking to borrow your item, the price doesn’t really matter. Seasonality is another factor. For instance, Rentaholic gets lots of requests for snow chains in the wintertime and camping gear in the summer.

But money isn’t the only reason people participate in these communities. According to Abeywickrema, “it gives you an excuse to meet your neighbors. It’s an ice-breaker with the guy down the street that you would never meet otherwise. I get a couple of emails every now and then saying ‘I ended up making a friend in the process.’”

Susan Johnston is a Boston-based freelance writer who covers business and lifestyle topics.

photo: dslrninja

If you’re not careful, grabbing a pizza on the way home from work or ordering Chinese delivery can wreak more havoc on your budget than even on your waistline. The average American spends 5% of his take-home pay, or $2,668 each year, on dining out.

Sure, the best restaurant deals can often be had for a sit-down meal — think Restaurant Week, happy hour, Foursquare freebies. But take-out and delivery don’t have to be a splurge, either.

Here are seven ways to cut your bill:

1. Pick up discount restaurant gift cards

You can save up to 30% on the face value of gift cards to chains like Applebee’s and California Pizza Kitchen by buying them via discounters such as PlasticJungle.com, says Andrea Woroch, a consumer savings expert with The Frugals. Another discount gift card website is GiftCardGranny.com, part of The Frugals network of sites and smart phone apps. The cards are good on curbside service.

2. Order online

Delivery.com awards 25 points per dollar spent on your takeout orders; Foodler.com, three points per dollar, plus extra for rating the foods you tried. Both reward programs let you redeem for discounts on future orders. If you’re not much on delayed gratification, look for specials. Foodler.com and CampusMenus.com both have exclusive deals with their partner restaurants, like 25% off your total bill at Margarita’s Cantina in Wichita, Kansas.

3. Split meals

Order strategically so that you have leftovers for another meal, be it tomorrow’s work lunch or another night’s dinner, suggests registered dietician Mary Hartley, a nutritionist for Calorie Count. Put that meal’s worth of food away as soon as the order arrives so that you don’t overindulge.

4. Supplement your order

Use takeout night as a way to clean a little extra out of your fridge. That will help avoid waste from food going bad and keep you from ordering unhealthy extras, Hartley says. In other words, skip the cheese-slathered breadsticks with that pizza and make a salad, or whip up a fruit-based dessert.

5. Look for coupons

“Since my family is on a budget, we do take-out based on the coupons available weekly,” says Lorneth Fahie-Peters of Clarksville, Tenn. “If we are interested in eating at a certain restaurant we can only do so if someone in the family can find a coupon for that particular restaurant.” Her go-to spots: the Sunday paper, local newsletters and mailed booklets like Valpak. Your local Entertainment Book can also be a good resource. Just remember to mention the coupon when you’re calling in your order.

6. Peruse coupon codes, too

If a restaurant lets you order online, it may offer its own codes, too. Boston Market, for example, currently has one — 37821 — good for $1 off a $10 purchase through April 20. Online ordering hubs also have codes. Use “EATNOW” at SeamlessWeb.com for $5 off.

7. Grab your phone

Apps like CouponSherpa and MobiQpons find coupons near you, which can be presented at the register for deals. Godfather’s Pizza locations, for example, are currently offering $1 off a small pie, and $3 off a large pie, via CouponSherpa. Scott Gamm, the founder of HelpSaveMyDollars.com, also likes time-saver app Snapfinger, which lets you peruse menus and order via phone where available.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie.

(photo: stuartpilbrow)

A $25 face mask may be cheap enough to make it onto a magazine’s “bargain” beauty buys list, but there are less expensive and more effective head-to-toe pampering products to be had in your fridge and pantry.

Even professional aestheticians and stylists turn to household staples like lemons, baking soda or yogurt when it’s time to clear skin of acne, soften rough patches or keep teeth sparkling. “What better way to achieve a natural glow, then from natural products?” asks Lily Morgan, the founder of Lily Organics Fresh Skin Care.

Post your own tips below, and try these beauty uses for common household goods:

Avocado

* Scott-Vincent Borba, the author of “Skintervention: The Personalized Solution for Healthier, Younger and Flawless Looking Skin,” suggests mashing an avocado with the oil from one vitamin E soft gel, a dash of cayenne pepper and a tablespoon of honey. Apply the anti-aging mask in a thick coat all over face and neck for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse with damp washcloth.

* Gently rub the inside of an avocado peel on your face, says Morgan. Leave the residue on for about 20 minutes for a moisturizing mask.

Baking soda

* Pour a quarter-cup of baking soda in a cold bath to relieve sunburn, Morgan says.

* Jan Patterson, a nurse in Cotati, Calif., makes homemade toothpaste with the contents of two Myrrh capsules, a quarter-cup baking soda, two lid-fuls of hydrogen peroxide and mint or another flavor extract to taste. Mix until fluffy, and then store in a covered container.

* Make a firming mask from a beaten egg and a tablespoon of baking soda, Borba says. Brush mixture onto face and let dry for eight minutes, and then gently wash off with warm water. “Egg yolks are high in skin-nourishing vitamins A, D, and E as well as firming protein,” he says. “Baking soda will tighten and kill bacteria.”

* Mix a tablespoon each of baking soda and raw sugar for a pore-opening scrub, Borba says. Rub gently onto your face, and leave until your skin begins to tingle, at least 30 seconds but no longer than five minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Coffee

Brunettes can give their hair color a lift with coffee, says Sheri D. of Sé Mō Hair. Make a strong pot of black coffee, then let cool. Shampoo your hair, and then pour the warm coffee on. Work it through and leave in for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water, condition and style as usual.

Cucumbers

A true DIY spa treatment: place slices on eyes to de-puff and lighten dark circles, says Sucheta Rawal of “Go, Eat, Give.”

Eggs

To remove hard-water deposits from hair and add shine, Sheri D. uses an egg-oil mix. Separate one egg, and pour an ounce of olive oil over the yolk. Mix. Shampoo your hair, and then pour the egg mixture into your hair, using a large-tooth comb to help distribute it. Leave on for five to 10 minutes. Shampoo your hair again, condition, rinse and style as usual.

Honey

Use a mix of honey and milk as a cleanser to ease acne-prone skin, Morgan says.

Lemons

* Applying diluted lemon juice to acne-prone skin can help. Morgan says it can act as an antiseptic.

* “Cut a lemon in half and rub the open part on your heels to remove stains,” says Judy Woodward Bates, The Bargainomics Lady.

* To add oomph to light-colored hair, Sheri D. suggests making a strong pitcher of lemonade – water and lemon only, no sugar or honey. Shampoo your hair, and then pour the lemonade on. Work it through and leave in for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water, condition and style as usual.

Oatmeal

* Fill a mesh bag full of dry oatmeal, Morgan says. Rub your face with the bag for a gentle exfoliation.

* For Borba’s clarifying mask, stir together a cup of lukewarm water, a tablespoon of honey, a tablespoon of chocolate syrup and a cup of oatmeal. Apply the mix to face for 15 minutes. “Lightly scrub the mask off is circular motion to ‘buff’ away dead surface skin cells,” he says.

* To ease sunburn, Morgan recommends applying a compress of cold skim milk mixed with oatmeal.

Olive oil

* Actress Vida Ghaffari says she uses olive oil as a conditioner. “I have to often get my hair styled and it’s the only thing that conditions my hair in the LA elements,” she says. “I put it in my hair a couple of hours before I wash my hair as sort of a pre-conditioner. It’s a bit oily, so I wear comfy clothes I don’t worry about.”

* Mix a quarter-cup with a cup of vanilla sugar for a body scrub, says Megan Moriarty of Savor: The Food Agency.

Shortening

“Many people don’t know that a very common baking ingredient, Crisco solid, can be used as a moisturizer on very dry heels, elbows, knees, as well as around dry, cuticles,” says Risi-Leanne Baranja of “Palacinka Beauty Blog.” In a thin layer, it can also work well as an overnight facial moisturizer.

Yogurt

* Mix a half cup of plain yogurt with a half-cup cornmeal and a quarter-cup grapefruit juice, says Joanna Vargas, the founder of Joanna Vargas Salon, Skin Care Sanctuary in Manhattan. Cool in the fridge to thicken, and then use as a face scrub.

* For a hydrating mask, Vargas mixes a half-cup of plain yogurt with half an avocado and a quarter-cup honey. Apply with a sea sponge.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie.

(photo: ZagatBuzz)

Cooking at home is the best way to save cash, but it’s nice to go out sometimes, too. Check out Frugal Foodie every Friday for a selection of the latest coupons for casual and fancy fare.

This week: free whoopee pies, appetizers, and even a glass of wine (with your movie ticket), among other deals.

1. White Castle

Get a free fish slider or free medium fish nibblers with the purchase of any sack meals and a print out coupon. Participating locations only. Ends April 30.

2. Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant

The Lancaster Penn., restaurant is offering a free whoopie pie to visitors who show a Maine drivers’ license. Offer good through the end of the year, as Lancaster County and Maine battle it out over the dessert’s origins.

3. Mimi’s Café

Buy an entrée and two beverages, and get a second entrée half-off with a print out coupon. Participating locations only. Good through March 11.

4. Restaurant.com

This week, coupon code “SAVE” at checkout gets you an extra 80% off already discounted gift certificates to local venues. The code expires Sept. 19. Restaurant.com usually prices $25 certificates at $10. (Spend $20 to get $50; $30 for $75, etc.) With the discount, you’ll pay just $2, $4, or $6. Each restaurant sets conditions regarding the number of diners, days and menu items a certificate can be used for, so check the fine print before you buy. Ends March 14.

5. Little Caesar’s

Get a Crazy combo of bread and sauce for $1.99 with a print out coupon. Participating locations only. Expires March 31.

6. New Leaf

Patrons who bring a ticket stub from “The Adjustment Bureau” to the Manhattan restaurant will get a free glass of wine with lunch or dinner. (A scene from the movie was filmed in a nearby park.)

7. Denny’s

Save 20% off your total check at participating locations when you use a print out coupon. Good through March 19.

8. Dine In Brooklyn

From March 21 to 31, participating Brooklyn, N.Y. restaurants are offering $20.11 lunches and $25 dinners, as well as two-for-one brunches.

9. Melting Pot

Make a phone reservation now to have dinner April 11-14, and get a free cheese fondue appetizer.

Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner. Chat with her on Twitter through @MintFoodie http://www.twitter.com/mintfoodie.