Stretching your lira

The first step would be to take a hard look at all of the monthly services you pay for and cut out any that you aren't using or consider adjusting your user agreements. A couple of services that come to mind are:

Cable television. Many people pay high monthly rates for hundreds of channels -- channels which they don't always watch. Review the packages offered by your company and consider a less expensive package that still gives you the channels you watch. In my case, I found that I didn't watch TV enough to justify any package so I cancelled my cable service. Now when I want to watch a show, I usually go to www.yabancidiziizle.com and go from there.

Cell phone plan. Nowadays, there is stiff competition among cell phone companies and so to entice new customers, they all seem to offer multiple versions of calling and messaging plans. This approach to marketing can be confusing so it is important to review your current plan. Do you use all of the minutes or messages that are included? If not, check with your provider and try to negotiate a plan that fits your actual usage. Also, take a look at the competition; if they have a better deal, it's no longer a problem to switch over and keep the same number.

Some other ways you can save money without putting a crimp in your current lifestyle are:

Split a meal at a restaurant. When you go out to a restaurant with your partner or with some friends, try this fun idea. Order a couple of cold and hot appetizers for the table so that everybody gets a little bit to whet their appetites. Then order one or two entrees (depending on the number of people) and share them. You will find that you can still enjoy a nice restaurant dinner, you will save money, and you will most likely save food.

Consider public transportation. As the metro and the tramway continue to expand, one of the faster and more economical ways to get around town is with public transportation. If you live in İstanbul, consider buying an akbil. This is a little metal button that you can put on your key chain and on which you can pre-load to pay for your bus, ferry, metro, Metrobus and tramway fares. Although I understand they are starting to fade those out and replace them with a card that you can swipe at the turnstiles and on buses.

If you use public transportation to get around İstanbul for more than 73 journeys within a month, you may want to invest in a monthly pass. For TL 120 you can use the pass 200 times or for one month -- whichever comes first. If you are a teacher or a retired person, look into obtaining a “paso”-- a reduced-fare pass.

Stretch your laundry detergent. If you wash a load of clothes with ¼ cup laundry detergent and ¼ cup baking soda, your clothes will still come out squeaky clean and you will save yourself a bundle in detergent.

Stop buying fabric softener. Instead of fabric softener, put ½ cup of apple vinegar in the fabric softener's section of your machine. “Tip” brand is the cheapest at about TL 1 per liter. No, your clothes will not smell like vinegar. In fact, they will be just as soft as when you use fabric softener. Another added benefit will be that you don't have to clean out the detergent and softener drawer of the washing machine as vinegar doesn't congeal or block up the works.

Use shampoo as a body wash. If you compare the ingredients of shampoo and of a body wash, you will see many of the same things. I usually buy the 700 milliliter bottles of shampoo when they are on sale. Not only do I save money, but also that size bottle can last me three or four months of daily usage; shampoo tends to yield a lot more lather with just one or two pumps of the bottle.

Water down your dishwashing liquid. I find that a ¾ to ¼ ratio of dishwashing detergent and water still yields the right consistency that we expect in a dishwashing liquid while stretching it to last longer.

If you live in İstanbul, take a trip to Eminönü (or if you live elsewhere, try your local markets). I find that not only can you get inexpensive spices, cheeses, nuts, pastes, oils and other food-enhancing delicacies for a song, but you can also find a great deal of other discounted merchandise. You can find clothing, jewelry, cooking utensils, Turkish coffee, paper products -- the list goes on and on.

How good are the discounts? Here are a couple of examples:

Jewelry. I remember seeing a beautiful necklace/earring set for about TL 300 at Akmerkez mall once. Later that week I was just behind the spice bazaar in Eminönü and saw the same set for TL 20. Before my last winter trip to the States I loaded up on the jewelry and made some people very happy that Christmas season.

Walnuts. In Eminönü I can get quality walnuts for TL 20 per kilo; the same nuts can be found at the supermarket for double that price.

Baking soda (karbonat). I can get a kilo for TL 2.50 in Eminönü. In major supermarkets, you can get it for TL 16 per kilo. The local spice place in my neighborhood sells it for TL 10.

These are just some ideas that you can use to save money without depriving yourself.

Stretching your lira is not about becoming a cheapskate, but rather it is about taking charge of your spending and cutting corners in ways that make sense for your lifestyle. The idea is for you to be in control of your expenditure so that you can consciously make choices that enhance your lifestyle while making your hard-earned money go further.