Offbeat Tricks To Stretch Your Budget

Ray Martin's Top Ten Simple Ways To Squeeze The Most Out Of Your Income

(CBS)  You've tightened your belt as much as you possibly can, and still, you're coming up short.

Well, money maven Ray Martin provided a few more notches to that belt on The Early Show Saturday Edition.

The show's financial adviser shared his Top Ten List of make those dollars go even further!

And probably haven't heard many of them before.

Be smart when buying in bulk: You can actually waste food if your family doesn't consume the entire package. The waste could mean you spent more money instead of actually saving.

Use the upside-down container trick!: If you just opened applesauce, sour cream or cottage cheese, remember to place the container upside-down in the refrigerator. It will form a vacuum and last twice as long.

Keep food Fresh: To help keep your vegetables fresher and longer, place a couple of paper towels on the bottom of the vegetable bin in the refrigerator. Also, if you buy ready-to-eat salads that come in plastic bags, place a paper towel in the bag. They keep fresher longer, because the paper towel absorbs the excess moisture. If you have stale chips, place the chips on a cookie sheet and heat them in your oven for a few minutes. For hardened cookies, place them in a plastic bag with a slice of white bread and you will have soft, moist cookies again!

Shop the snack aisle last: Snack foods tend to be pricey, and you may load up on them before buying the food you need for the week. Snack foods are often the most expensive items you will buy.

Polish silver, brass and copper with ketchup!: imply mix ketchup and water in equal parts, and apply with a soft cloth. It will make them gleam better than an expensive polish!

Toilet paper trick: If you have children, you know how much toilet paper they can waste because they tend to use far more than they should. Before placing a roll of toilet tissue on the holder, squish it flat. That controls the amount of toilet paper that comes off by stopping the roll each time it comes around to the bent part! That will save a lot of paper, as opposed to having it free-rolling off the roll!

Laundry Lessons: When clothes shopping, check the care instructions and try to avoid "dry clean only" items. If conditions permit, hang work clothes up at the end of the day and wear again before taking them to the dry cleaners. At home, wash your clothes in cold water and only do full loads. That extra attention can reduce your cleaning and laundry costs by $20 to $50 a month.

Defensive driving discount: Take a defensive driving course, provide proof of completion to your auto insurance company, and save up to 10 percent on your auto insurance premium! You can find out where to sign up for these courses, which are frequently free at your local division of motor vehicles department. This tip could save you money and save your life!

Increase insurance deductibles: Increase your deductibles for your auto insurance to at least $500 and at least $1000 on your homeowners insurance (more if you have the savings set aside in case you have to pay this in the event of a claim). Many folks have low deductibles, and even a modest increase can save enough money to offset the higher deductibles in two-to-three years.

Bundle insurance policies with one company: Purchase both your renters/homeowners insurance and auto insurance from the same company; when you do, insurance companies offer a "package policy discount" of up to 15 percent off your total annual premium.