how to save money

i tried searching for some interesting ways to save money this morning. it turned up the usual suspects: quit smoking, pack your lunch, make your coffee at home, drive less, and blah, blah, blah. most of these don't apply to me, and i get tired of reading how to save 10s of thousands of dollars a year with methods that simply won't work for me.

i've found that the key to saving money is stashing it away before you get a chance to spend it. whether that's increasing your 401k contributions, set up a second direct deposit from your paycheck, or whatever other automated method you have before you to divert the money before it gets into your hands.