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There are a thousand ways to live on less. But you don’t want to make your life a misery. Here are some of the most painless ways you can economize, without losing out on quality of life.

Never spend a windfall. Take your income-tax refund, the RM16.35 overpayment cheque from the telephone company, cash rewards from bosses, extra money from part time jobs, profits on petrol claim any other extras and save ‘em all..

Haggle. You’d be amazed at who will drop their prices, fees and interest rates: airlines, hotels, credit card companies. Examples, Air Asia always advertised their extreme low fare in the web.. Imagine instead of holidaying at high cost, you can opt for cheaper holiday at Bali for just a couple of hundred RM.. Credit card is another option. Some of financial institution offered 9% per annum on outstanding balance instead of whopping 18%. The choice is yours.. Go and search them around.

Re-evaluate. Re-evaluate. Re-evaluate. That dinner out cost more than you spend on groceries in a week. That pair of shoes is worth half a commuter pass. Learn what your money is worth, and you won’t be so quick to dispose of it.

Get your mortgage costs down. First, look at whether the rate is too high. If it is, look at refinancing -- if you’ll save money.. Second, pay ahead on your mortgage. If you can swing an extra RM100 per month, you will save thousands in interest costs over the long haul.

Toss the catalogs. The most insidious form of spending temptation known to man or woman. Chuck them straight in the trash.. Sorry, guys.

Don’t pay unnecessary fees. Like the RM1 you pay just because the ATM is right there, right now as opposed to walking two blocks to your bank, where you don’t get charged every time you use your ATM card. Or the late fees for paying the bills late. Discipline discipline discipline…

Bank your raise. You may find that measly 3% to 5% boost in the paycheck irritatingly tiny. So add that to your direct savings basket and live on your previous salary.. 

Pay less for long-distance. Evaluate your phone bill and see how much you're paying per minute. Some dial-around codes or cheap calling cards (one without a surcharge per call) may give you a better rate. Else, go for tech.. msn messenger, yahoo messenger… is another option..

No pet pampering. Does your dog need those pricey snacks? Does your cat need acupuncture? We didn’t think so.

Never pay full price. If you must shop, discover the online world of discount Web sites. Ebay, murah.com, etc etc… you will find everything you want at cheap cheap cheap price..