One of the easiest ways to go broke is to become used to spending too much on stuff without putting any thought into your bills and purchases. A few phone calls and clicks and new habits can work some wriggle room into your budget.

Kiplinger checks in with 5 ways to embark on a financial diet with relatively simple tweaks. Here are five ideas from the post:

*Spend less on groceries — Collect coupons and comparison shop for lower prices.

*Trim the fat off your cell phone bill — Try to get by on fewer minutes and cut down on texting. Or consider switching to a pre-paid plan.

*Boost insurance deductibles — Cut monthly or biannual payments by ratcheting up your deductible to higher amounts.

*Switch your TV plan — Satellite and cable providers are more willing to cut your deals thanks to increased competition and the willingness of people to cut the cord and watch all their shows online and on DVD.

*Instead of accumulating stuff, reduce — Sell off some of your old stuff online or at garage sales.

Stretch Your Paycheck [Kiplinger]
(Thanks, Laura!)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.