This economy is a challenge for even the most avid savers.

But just when you think you've cut your expenses to the bone, new ways to save keep emerging.

It's a good thing!

Becoming frugal is a surefire way to save thousands of dollars -- a savings virtually everyone can use right now. You can use your savings to pay off debts, and save for an emergency, your retirement and/or your child's higher education.

Toward this goal, we've had some success refining our own habits. We've been eating out less, and entertaining friends at each other's home instead. We avoid more costly canned and boxed foods and, where possible, use reusable washcloths, avoiding more expensive paper products.

We've started buying produce at a local produce stand instead of the supermarket, saving, we figure, a whopping $20 to $30 weekly, while enjoying fresher fruits and vegetables. We're especially careful to buy in season -- avoiding the added shipping costs for produce shipped from faraway places. Usually out-of-season produce is less fresh anyway.

The few times we eat out, we have a glass of wine at home, saving, we figure, $12 to $24 for the two of us. Eliminating coffee at the end of a meal cuts another $3 or so off the restaurant tab.

We've just trimmed our cell phone bill by more than $30 a month, by tailoring it toward our actual usage. We've switched all our lights, including our outdoor street lamp, to new energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs. In case you haven't noticed, those energy-efficient bulbs are available in many more styles lately.

For night and weekend entertainment, we first search for freebies, which include nature trails, free museum days, local concerts, flea markets, craft shows and libraries.

"10,001 Ways to live large on a small budget," by "Wise Bread" a community of bloggers on the Killer Aces Blog Network (Skyhorse Publishing, New York), adds ideas. The authors suggest:

• Matching coupons you get at the store, online, in the mail or in print with items at the supermarket that already are discounted.

• If you enjoy a drink before dinner, stick with cheaper wine and beer and buy it by the case. Many stores provide at least 10 percent off when you buy by the case.

• When buying a flashlight, get one that doesn't use batteries.

• Consider buying classic paperback books published by Dover Books, a publisher with low-cost titles.

• Stick with low-cost gifts, such as oven mitts, kitchen towels, measuring cups and coffee cups.

• Have a child in school? You might suggest that he complete a four-year degree in three years by attending summer school

• Stick with community colleges, which cost half the price of public colleges.

• Try to obtain tuition reimbursement from your job.

• Many colleges let students avoid classes by taking a test instead.

• It may be possible to get a 50 percent discount on college classes taught at unpopular times, such as early morning, late evenings or on holidays.

Are you among those being hounded by allergies this spring? The authors suggest:

• Buying store brand decongestants in bulk. They can keep for a long time.

• Take lots of showers -- especially before bedtime, so, hopefully, you'll need fewer decongestants.

• Drink lots of water. Plus, walking up a flight of stairs can help drain the nasal passages.

• Use saline nasal sprays. We agree that using saline nose sprays often eliminates our own need for costly allergy medications!