It seems like everything is getting more expensive -- mortgage payments, utility bills, groceries and gas, you name it.

That's why we've pulled together dozens of cost-cutting ideas that will help you make ends meet.

Some will save only a few bucks a week. Others can lower your expenses by hundreds of dollars a month.

You can't possibly use them all. But finding a few that work for you can make it a lot easier, and less stressful, to keep up with your bills.

Brew at home. Skip that pricey morning latte. This is the most-often-repeated advice for saving money because it works. Save $2 a day, $14 a week, $56 a month.

Skip the vending machine at work. Buy snacks at the supermarket and stash them in your locker or desk drawer.

Use one phone. Got a cell phone and a land line? Ditch one. If you're sticking with the cell phone, take a closer look at your plan. Do you really need all those bells and whistles? You can save big by dropping the fancy plan for basic service, but before making the switch, make sure that a penalty for breaking your contract won't eat your savings. When shopping around for a new cell phone, use billshrink.com to compare plans.

Clip coupons. Those 50-cent and $1 coupons add up. Use sites such as Penny Pincher Gazette to find printable online coupons. But first, always check the price of name brands versus the store brand. Even with a coupon, the store brand could be cheaper (and usually comes from the same factory or plant).

Plan your grocery shopping more carefully. Figuring out what you're going to eat and what you need to buy before you go to the store can make a huge difference in what you spend. Combine that with coupon-clipping and you can save big.

Cut back on dining out. Pack a lunch for work. Don't eat dinner out quite as often and use the coupons you get in mailers and Sunday newspapers to hold down the bill when you do visit a restaurant.

Drop your cable. You can live without it -- really. Most shows come out on DVD, or you can watch them for free on hulu.com and fancast.com. Sound too radical? Cancel the premium movie channels you rarely watch and ask your cable company for a better deal. "If your rates are high, just call your current provider and ask them to match other providers' rates," says Fatima Mehdikarimi, who runs The Shopping Queen.com. "Most of the time, you will get a rate discount."

Cancel your gym membership. Working out is a wonderful way to maintain your health and lower medical expenses down the road. But most people who join a gym never go. If that's you, stop making the monthly payments.

Redo your commute. Never thought public transit was worth it? With rising gas prices (and, in many places, toll prices), it could be now. Look into carpooling with coworkers, or check for folks with similar routes at eRideShare.com. Working from home one or two days a week or switching to a four-day workweek are other ways to cut commuting costs.

Pull that lawnmower out of the shed. Having your yard manicured by a landscaping service is great, but it's getting more expensive. Indeed, your lawn care bills may be one of those rapidly rising bills that prompted you to read this story. Mowing it yourself is not only less costly, but good exercise. Ditto for spreading a little fertilizer and crabgrass killer.

Shop for cheaper car insurance. If you've been with the same car insurance company since you got your license, you could be paying too much. Just make sure to check comparable levels of coverage and beware of ridiculously low rates from insurers you never heard of -- they often refuse to pay when you have a claim.

Downsize your ride. For many of us, car payments are our second-largest monthly bill. Once gas and insurance are included, total transportation costs can rival rent or mortgage payments. See how switching to a smaller car or truck can reduce your monthly payments and save on gas and insurance, too.

Cut your heating and cooling costs. The Energy Star auditing program is now available in 22 states. Created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, it sends a contractor to your home to asses your furnace and air conditioner, doors and windows, appliances and insulation. The audits aren't free, but some utilities will cover the cost. New Jersey Natural Gas customers, for example, are eligible for a rebate that reimburses them for the $250 charge.

By Jen A. Miller

Interest.com Contributing Editor