Sometimes making more money isn't an option. If you're not in a position to get a second job, taking a look at your monthly expenses should be a priority. 

Even though you may not want to see what you spend your money on outside of regular bills, it can be a real eye-opener. Here a few subtle areas of spending to look at that can potentially save you hundreds of dollars per year. 

The cellphone bill.

Take a look at your cellphone plan and see how many minutes you have compared to how many you actually use. It's possible you'll see a large gap between the two.

Check with your cellphone carrier and see if they have another plan that's closer to the minutes you actually use.

If they claim to have nothing, ask what it would cost to get out of your contract early, as you would like to switch carriers for a more affordable plan.

This will either get them to look harder for something to meet your needs or you can to go to another provider with a better plan. Potential monthly savings:  $15-$25.

Groceries.

This is one of the bigger areas of overspending. But no one said you have to spend tons of money just to get food. Take stock of what you already have in your kitchen.

Chances are you probably have a few things you bought but never ate and now need to throw it away. Using this as a reminder, write out a list every week on what you'll need for that week.

When it's time to go shopping, do it when you don't have time. By having to rush through the store to get the items on your list, this won't allow time to gawk in the aisles and buy things you don't need.

Also, grab your Sunday paper and clip out coupons for items you buy on a regular basis or for things you know you'll need.

Don't scoff at generic brands. Sometimes these can be just as healthy as namebrands and for a lot less money. Easily saving a dollar or more compared to a namebrand counterpart.

By sticking to these simple ideas you can cut down your monthly grocery expenses by $30-$40, or more.

Auto/Homeowners Insurance.

This is something we absolutely must have, but no one said you have to pay a lot for it. If you think you may be paying too much for these insurance products, call your carrier and have them go over your plan to see where you can cut out anything unnecessary to save some money.

At the same time, get quotes from other companies to see if they can offer you anything lower than the lowest option your company can give you.

If your company can't meet your needs, thank them for their business and switch to another company. You would be surprised how much you can save per year, upwards of $100-$150 or more.

Hobbies. 

Let's just say your hobby is exercise and you have a gym membership. You might be paying $20-$50 per month on your membership.

That's anywhere from $240-$600 a year! Unless you're an avid weightlifter, you don't really need a gym membership.

Running outside is much better than a treadmill and many of the exercises you do with machines, you can easily replicate the experience with other means in your own home.

There are reputable exercise programs on video you can buy that can at least give you the coaching and training tips you won't get at a gym unless you pay for a trainer.

Ditch the gym membership. Unless you know what you're doing, it isn't worth it and you'll lose interest after a while because you may not  see any real results.

By taking a look at just these few examples given, you can save yourself anywhere from $375-$800 a year.

Managing your finances doesn't have to be difficult, but it does take some discipline.  

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