Here's how she's doing it:

Bring snacks to the office: including morning and afternoon coffee. That might mean bringing a single serve French press and her favorite coffee, along with the fixings to the office, but in the long run she saves big and doesn't feel deprived.

Stick to the list at the grocery store: that means waking right past the bakery section and forsaking the ice cream aisle. It's all the extras that can easily add $20 to her weekly bill.

Pack lunch every day: whether it's a spinach salad with goat cheese or leftovers from last night's pasta dinner, she's never disappointed. In fact, she's always out of sorts when she doesn't bring lunch.

Share mags: each month she and her friends buy their “assigned” magazine and as they see each other throughout the month they pass them along, Everyone gets to read them all, but they only pay for one. And there's even a bonus plan: with a subscription, most magazines are less than $2 an issue, far cheaper than the newsstand price.

Shopping is no longer a past time: Yes, it's fun to while away a Saturday or Sunday afternoon checking out what's new in the stores. But that can lead to unnecessary purchases. Girlawhirl now shops only when she needs something – and makes a list.

Girlawhirl and her Super Pals are far from able to take advantage of the senior discount at the movies, but they found out that Tuesday night tickets are discounted at their favorite theater. So now, instead of meeting for a spinning class on Tuesday – they've rescheduled that for Saturday afternoon instead of shopping – they pop into the theater. And since it's a week-work night, there's less temptation to go out for a drink afterwards.