Top 5 Money Saving Tips For The 40+ Woman

Lately I've taken to saving rubber bands.

I haven't a clue what to do with all of them but I'm trying to be a responsible saver. The dire economic news has gotten me spooked and all I can think of these days is "Save, save, save".

This is an entirely new concept for me. While I'd never describe myself as a spendthrift, I must confess that until recently, I didn't worry much about what things cost - much to my poor husband's dismay.

Ever since I stopped working to stay home with the kids, he makes the money and I spend it. It's a perfectly good symbiotic relationship. He likes working, I like shopping - every one's happy.

Then the sub-prime mortgage, credit crisis, what the heck were they thinking, recession thingy hit and even I know it's prudent to buckle down.

Apart from the rubber band hoarding, I began to think about other ways I could make a positive impact on our family finances.

My husband offered suggestions.

"Why don't you get your hair done less often or go somewhere cheaper?" he ventured.

I just rolled my eyes and didn't even respond to that one - that's just crazy talk.

He tried again. "How about shopping at a less expensive grocery store? Take milk for example. With two kids in the house, we go through a lot. How much are you paying for it now? "

I blinked at him like a deer in the headlights. I don't really know how much I pay for milk. We need it - I buy it. I mean, come on, if I read all the little shelf tickets when I load up the grocery cart, there wouldn't be any time left to read the tabloids at the check-out.

After an hour of his lame suggestions, I praised him for his insight and declared him to be so smart. That threw him off the trail and I got down to coming up with my own list of five ways a midlife woman can save money in these tough, recessionary times.

Top 5 Money-Saving Tips For The 40+ Woman

1. Buy domestic wine instead of the imported stuff. (Yes, it's a hardship but tough times call for tough measures.) 2. Avoid impulse buying. (Okay, don't panic - I'm just joking about this one.) 3. Skip unnecessary Botox treatments. (Only go when you really need it.) 4. Rely on less costly accessories to spice up your classic outfits. (Like the $350 leopard print Michael Kors bag I spotted recently. Think of how much you'll save!) 5. Save money on Spanx and other such shapewear. Have your significant other roll you snugly in duct tape every morning. (Kinky and fashionable!)

--Karen Hamilton lives in Toronto, Canada, where she publishes The Best Kept Secret, an e-newsletter and Web site for women over 40. Like the proverbial Seinfeld of the perimenopause set, Karen is fascinated with “the little things” of midlife. You can reach Karen via e-mail at karen@thebestkeptsecret.ca or visit her Web site at www.thebestkeptsecret.ca.