Most financial experts and bloggers will say that the road to financial freedom begins with one simple formula:  make more money than you spend. And the way to do that is by either making more money or cut expenses.

But it’s not always that simple. Often times, people let money fall out of our pockets and never bend over to pick it up. And when that happens, the money blows away in the wind never to return. What do I mean? Well, while those people might skip the trip to Starbucks and save $5, there is often money sitting in front of them that they fail to see even though it is right in front of them. And money that “falls” out of their pockets due to laziness or disorganization. I’m no different in that respect. Letting that store coupon expire even though I’ve shopped there store 20 times before the coupon expired. Failing to return that library book before it was due and having to pay a fine. Not mailing the check on time, only to get hit with a late fee. Been there, done that.

That being said, here are several things I have done recently to “pick the money off the floor”:

1. Cancelled my Blockbuster Online membership. Funny thing about this one. I originally got this membership to save money. I figured if I rented a movie a week, it would pay for itself, especially since I didn’t have to use gas to drive to my local Blockbuster 4 miles away from my house. Just mail the movies back, get a new one sent. Easy, right? Too easy. Because lazy me didn’t mail back my movies for 2 months. I could have owned both movies for the same price that it cost me for the membership ($17.99/month).

2. Mailed in a rebate form. After about a year of being out of contract and replacing my phone twice with used phones, I finally broke down and got a new cell phone. Quite frankly, I could do without a cell phone but my employer that reimburses me $50/month towards my cell phone sees it differently. I refused to spend money on a phone; I was determined to wait until the price dropped. So my wife and I got 2 nice new LG VX 8550 phones for FREE, after my “new every two” discount and the $50 mail-in rebate. Why do these rebates exist anyway? Can’t companies just give you the rebate on the front end? Of course they can. So, why don’t they? Well, it’s simple. Just like coupons, rebates offer a good value and incentive for a customer to purchase a company’s product.

Of course, the company hopes you never mail in that rebate or use that coupon because that money then stays in their pockets. Companies know people lose the rebate forms, throw out the box with the required UPC code or just don’t mail them in. I wasn’t going to be one of those people, so I mailed in my form and in 6-8 weeks, I’ll get my $50 check.

3. Cancelled service on my DirecTv converter box. Saved $4.99/month on this one. The wiring outside got chewed by a rodent and I have no TV in my family room. I could get a tech out to fix it, but at $75 minimum for a service call, I’ll pass. Besides, we don’t really spend much time in the family room anyway.

4. 15 minutes saved me $12/month on my phone bill. I have the unlimited local/long distance package with Verizon and was paying $44.99/month. This is down from the $49.99/month I was originally paying before I called regarding a commercial advertising the exact plan I had for $5 less than what I was paying. Unfortunately, most of my friends and family live about an hour away so everything is a toll call and the unlimited plan is a necessity. But I figured I could use my cell phone and Skype to make these calls and just keep the basic phone line so I can connect to TiVo. So I called Verizon to downgrade my service and they lowered my rate to $32.99/month for the same exact plan. I think I might have lost 3-way calling, but I never use it anyway, so no big loss. Just like the coupons and rebates I mentioned earlier, these companies hope you don’t take advantage of these deals. But they do have them in place as a way of keeping you as a customer. Eventually, I’ll probably cut the wires and ditch my house phone. But for right now, I’m too close to my minutes and the cell phone reception is spotty in my house sometimes (although much improved with my new cell phone).     

With gasoline over $4.00/gallon in most places, ARI Fleet shares some great tips on how to get the most mileage out of that increasingly expensive tank of gas:

1. Avoid Long Idling. The worst mileage a vehicle can get is 0 mpg, which occurs when it idles. Idling for long periods of time consumes gas that could be saved by simply turning off the engine. Restarting an engine uses about the same amount of gas as idling for 30 seconds. When idling for longer periods of time, shut off the engine. However, turning off the engine may disable vehicle functions, including safety features like airbags. Drivers should be certain to only utilize this strategy in situations where there is no possibility of collision.

2. Eliminate Unnecessary Weight.  Vehicles get better mileage when they’re not loaded with unnecessary weight. Every 200 lbs. of additional weight trims one mile off fuel efficiency. Most drivers accumulate material in their vehicle trunks, some of it unnecessary. Remove all non-required items from the vehicle, such as unneeded tools, tires, or materials.

3. Keep Tires Inflated to the Correct Pressure.  One underinflated tire can cut fuel economy by 2% per pound of pressure below the proper inflation level. One out of four drivers, on average, drives vehicles with one or more underinflated tires. When a tire is underinflated by 4-5 psi vehicle fuel consumption increases by 10% and, over the long haul, causes a 15% reduction in tire tread life. Check the vehicle’s doorpost sticker for minimum tire inflation pressure.Remove snow tires during good weather seasons. Traveling on deep tire tred dramatically decreases fuel efficiency.

4. Don’t Buy Premium Fuel.  Resist the urge to buy higher-octane gas for “premium” performance. Octane has nothing to do with gasoline performance. Per Johnson & Johnson policy drivers are required to use the lowest cost 87-octane regular unleaded fuel available per vehicle manufacturer’s specifications and requirements.

5. Observe Posted Speed Limits.  This tip may save a life as well as fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy by driving 55 mph instead of 65 mph.

6. Fill Your Tank during the Coolest Time of Day.  During morning and evening hours gasoline is densest. Avoid filling the gas tank to the top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank. Never fill gas tank past the first “Click” of the fuel nozzle.

7. Use Alternate Roads when Safer, Shorter, or Straighter.  Compare traveling distance; remember that corners, curves, and lane jumping require extra gas. Avoid rough roads whenever possible because dirt and gravel rob you of up to 30% of gas mileage.

8. Use A/C SparinglyUse the air conditioner only when needed.  An air conditioner is one of the biggest drains on engine power and fuel economy. It can reduce gas consumption 5-20%, depending on the type of vehicle and the way it is driven. Don’t use it as a fan to simply circulate air. If it’s just too hot to bear without A/C, keep it set around 72 degrees. Use the vent setting as much as possible.9. Keep Windows Closed When Traveling at Highway SpeedsWind drag is a key source of reduced fuel mileage, causing an engine to work harder, thereby reducing fuel economy.Minimize wind drag by keeping the windows rolled up. This allows air to flow over the body, rather then drawing it inside the cabin and slowing down the vehicle. A wide-open window, especially at highway speeds, increases aerodynamic drag, which could result in a 10% decrease in fuel economy. If you want fresh air, run the climate system on “outside air” and “vent,” and crack the window for additional ventilation.

10. During Cold Weather Watch for Icicles Frozen to the Car Frame.  Up to 100 pounds can quickly accumulate. Unremoved snow and ice cause tremendous wind resistance.

11. Anticipate Traffic Flow.  Anticipate traffic conditions and accelerate and decelerate smoothly — it’s safer, uses less gas, and reduces brake wear.In stop-and-go commuter traffic, look two or more vehicles ahead as you keep an eye on the driver in front of you. This enables you to accelerate and decelerate more gradually.By anticipating a traffic light change, an upcoming stop sign, or the need to slow down for a curve, you can avoid or reduce brake use and save gasoline in the process.

12. Avoid Uphill Speed Increases.  When climbing a hill, the engine is already working hard to overcome gravity. Pushing it harder by stepping on the gas is simply a waste of fuel. If you accelerrate, do it before you reach the hill and not while you are on it.

13. Use Cruise Control during Highway Driving.  Unnecessary changes in speed are wasteful. The use of cruise control helps improve fuel economy.

14. Avoid Aggressive Driving.  Time studies show that fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic, and accelerating to and from a stop light don’t save much time and wear out components such as brakes and tires faster.Simply limiting quick acceleration and fast braking can increase fuel economy. When accelerating, pretend you have a fresh egg underneath your right foot. A light, steady pressure helps to minimize the amount of fuel consumed and maintain a more moderate and steady speed.By not driving aggressively, drivers can save up to 20 percent in fuel economy, advises the EPA.

15. Monitor Preventive Maintenance Schedules.  Proper maintenance increases a vehicle’s fuel economy. For example, unaligned wheels that fight each other waste fuel. Keep the air filter clean. A dirty filter clogs an engine’s air supply, causing a higher fuel-to-air ratio and thereby increasing gasoline consumption. Get regualr tune-ups to ensure best fuel economy. Check the owners manual for regular maintenance intervals.

In the past several months, the top 4 major carriers, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have either begun offering unlimited minute cell phone plans or reducing the price of their existing plan (Sprint). What does this mean for the customer? Well, it is the first sign that prices will come down and overage charges may be a thing of the past. While Sprint had unlimited service for $199/month and had been testing it in select markets for $119/month, it wasn’t until the top 2 carriers, Verizon and AT&T, announced plans to offer unlimited minutes plans that the war was on. Soon after, T-Mobile joined the fray and Sprint dropped the price on their unlimited plan. Another regional carrier, US Cellular, followed as well. The country’s fifth largest carrier, Alltel, does not yet offer unlimited calling, but with their MyCircle plans, most customers can get virtually unlimited minutes for less money.

For those of you living in cities like Tampa, Pittsburgh, San Francisco or Dallas, there are regional carriers such as Cricket and MetroPCS that have been offering unlimited minutes plans for some time. In the past, these companies main demographic was people in urban areas whose credit wasn't great and would have to put a $150-$200 deposit down with the other companies just to get a phone. However, both have been trying to expand their markets to draw customers away from the larger companies. Perhaps it was these companies expansions into new markets such as Las Vegas, Oklahoma City (Cricket), Detroit and Los Angeles (MetroPCS) that prompted Verizon and AT&T to react. Or maybe it was just a natural evolution of the business as companies try to retain customers that are demanding more from their carriers and are less likely to stay loyal if they are unhappy with their service.

So how did Cricket and MetroPCS react to the big 4 getting into the unlimited minutes game? They slashed their rates to $50/month and offered more. Of course, while MetroPCS and Cricket are far cheaper than any of the big 4, they are only available in select markets and you cannot roam out of those markets without an extra charge. But if you don’t travel often and you live in these areas, they are a great bargain, especially MetroPCS family plans, which you can get your service for as low as $25 per month for each phone.

With prices coming down on cell phone service and unlimited minutes, is it only a matter of time before the cell phone becomes the only phone for most people?