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With the number of TV money-advice programmes on the rise, I'm wondering whether thrifty is the new black. You can learn a lot from watching shows such as Bank of Mum and Dad or Spendaholics on the good old BBC. These programmes teach people a crucial skill that most parents and teachers forget to pass on: learning to budget. Of course, if you don't learn the basics of budgeting and spending, you're simply spending tomorrow's money today, which puts you firmly on the road to financial ruin. If you find it hard to make ends meet, you have two basic choices: increase your income, or reduce your expenses. Given that the first choice usually involves hard work, I prefer the second option! Here are five ways that I've saved money this year: 1. Service your car for less In October 2003, the 'block exemption agreement' was abolished. This prevented fair competition in car distribution and servicing and allowed dealers to bind customers to a single manufacturer and dealer group. So, thanks to this rule, getting your car serviced at an independent dealership could mean invalidating your warranty. What a swizz! Although this cosy little cartel was broken up almost two years ago, millions of motorists still pay through the nose for servicing from a branded dealer. My wife's car is having its first service today; the dealer from which we bought the car quoted £300. A reputable independent dealer does exactly the same work for £170, which means a saving of £130. So, the next time that you take your car to the garage, get a few quotes before driving off! 2. Cut your own hair Over the years, as my hairline has receded, I realised that I was spending more money on haircuts, even though I had less hair! I used to joke that three-quarters of the money was a finder's fee, but I did tire of paying about forty pounds a year for what amounted to about an hour's work. My solution was to buy some clippers for under £20 and do the job myself, which is probably only an option for men who like short hair. I scalp myself around four times a year, so my clippers have paid for themselves several times over. 3. Slash your phone bill I've known for years that I've been paying too much to BT for telephone calls, but I've been slow to do anything about it. However, I recently signed up to the excellent call18866 service, which charges 2p for any UK call of any duration at any time (higher tariffs apply for international calls and numbers beginning with 07, 08 or 09). I still have to pay BT's monthly line rental but, thanks to 18866, my monthly bill for calls has fallen from about £15 to around £1.50. That's a reduction of nine-tenths, or 90%. Wow! Save money on your household bills in our Dealing with Debt centre. 4. Use a 0% credit card I'm a huge fan of 0% credit cards, which charge no interest for an introductory period. In particularly, I love 0% balance-transfer cards, which allow you to switch expensive debts to a no-interest deal. So, if you are paying interest on your credit and store cards, switching to a 0% card could give you a valuable break from interest, which could last for up to a year. Even better, by becoming a 'rate tart' and surfing your debt from one deal to the next, you could effectively create a long-term interest-free loan. For the record, I have three 0% cards on the go at the moment. Marvellous things, they are! Check out the deck of 0% cards in our Credit Card centre. 5. Have a financial detox In January of this year, I decided to try extreme budgeting. By bringing packed lunches to work, cutting back on unnecessary luxuries (such as take-away meals), I attempted to slash my everyday expenses to zero. With the help of "Spend Nothing Days" and "No Cash Withdrawal Days", I managed to spend less than forty pounds in 31 days. Normally, I would get through about £400 a month on top of my regular bills, so this was some achievement! My financial detox also had another benefit because, by avoiding alcohol, tobacco, fast food and snacks, I was inadvertently undergoing a physical detox, too. By the end of the month, I'd lost half a stone, boosted my energy levels, and felt terrific. What a bonus! So, if you're looking for ways to pay for your summer holiday or those extra childcare costs, why not come up with a few individual money-saving tips of your own? Happy money saving! Save even more: Get cheaper credit cards, personal loans and insurance via the Fool.