You have a family budget in place. Now the hard part begins—sticking to your family budget. With the demands of all the wants and needs of kids, it can be challenging to keep a close eye on your money matters. Here are some simple tips to save money and help you stick to your family budget:

1. Cut out cable – On average, the least expensive cable package can run anywhere from $35-$40 per month. Multiply that times twelve months and you end up with a whopping $420-$480 per year! Do away with this single bill and your family can save almost $500 every year. Now that’s an incentive!

2. Limit movie rentals – Many families choose to rent movies for a family night instead of going to the movies. While rentals are a huge money saver, it can still get expensive if you go overboard. Limit your rentals to once every couple of weeks, for example.

3. Return movies on time – Another cost that adds up quickly is overdue rental fees. For the cost of a few days past due on one movie, you could purchase that movie and watch it forever if you wanted to. Write yourself a note so you won’t forget to return your movie rentals on time. Even better, try using an online video rental service like Netflix. You’ll pay the same each month, pay no late fees, and get new movies every time you return one.

4. Plan meals before shopping – Once you have shopped your pantry, and what you have on hand, create a grocery list from your menu plan. Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach either. This will help you avoid impulse shopping. You may think it’s silly, but you will be amazed at the results if you try it. A menu planning service, like Once A Week Cooking can help even further with both meal planning and preparation.

5. Buy off-brand products – Most off-brand products taste much the same as their counterparts. Be sure, if you do buy name-brand that you use coupons whenever you can. For the most part, if you are trying to stick to a budget, buying off-brand products can save you a lot of money. And don’t forget to clip and use coupons, too!

6. Bring your lunch to work – Once again, do the numbers. If you spend a minimum of $5.00 per day on lunch (that’s a cheap lunch!), at the end of the week, you’ve racked up $25.00. With gas prices on the rise every day, that extra $25.00 in the family budget could come in handy if you drive to work, too. Instead of eating out, fix your lunch to bring with you.

7. Drink water – Sodas are easy to grab and run with, but water is much healthier for you. Instead of spending money on canned soft drinks, buy a family-size pack of bottled water. Better yet, invest in a filtered water pitcher, and reusable water bottles. While it may cost you a bit more upfront, in the end you will save money and drink healthier.

When your budget is in place, it can sometimes be difficult to stick to it, but making small changes can help create a few pockets of savings along the way. These are just a few tricks you can use to help trim some expense off your family budget, and give you a little bit of financial breathing room.