Plan to put away a percentage

Cutting back on expenses like your triple macchiato coffee every morning can really cut spending, but that’s not always the best strategy. Instead of sweating all of the little stuff, worry about the big picture. Plan to put aside a certain percentage of your earnings every year – 10 percent is a good place to start. So if you’re making $100,000 – good for you – then you’re putting away $10,000 a year.

Use your resources

If you’re company has a 401(k), you should be contributing. That’s one easy way to make sure that your savings is building the way you want. Often, you can opt to have a percentage of your paycheck automatically put into your 401(k) plan – which will keep you from cashing it and going out to buy a TV with the money instead.

Build your emergency fund

The first rule of finance – have an emergency fund. If you don’t already have one, it’s time to start building it up. Ideally, it should be between three to six months of living expenses. Put it in a savings account, money market fund, money market account or another liquid investment. But whatever you do, save first. If you wait until the last minute, you’ll be scrounging to find that 10 percent.

Remember, savings should always come first. It doesn’t have to be 10 percent of your salary, but you should set a goal to put away a certain amount each month and an overall amount each year.

What are you strategies for saving money?

Be a coupon clipper

OK, you don’t necessarily have to clip coupons anymore – printing them is more likely. You can find more coupons on deal sites now than any retailer could ever snail mail to your front door. In addition to sites like Groupon and Livingsocial, check out Restaurant.com. But don’t forget to look for deals straight from your favorite establishment – many offer programs that give you freebies if you’re a frequent eater at their restaurant.

Split the meal

Serving sizes at dining establishments, especially in the U.S., are pretty generous. If you’re at all like me, you end up taking home leftovers and forgetting about them until a week later. Instead of wasting what could have been another meal, share with a friend. Order one meal and ask for two plates. Most places are more than happy to do this.

Don’t drink and eat

If you’re really looking for some savings, opt for water. Alcohol and other drinks are generally overpriced, tacking on a good amount to your bill. Ask for water only to keep the bill on the low side.

Hit up happy hour

You can also start saving money by visiting a restaurant during happy hour instead of during normal business hours. Happy hours usually occur from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the week. It’s a great way to meet up for a quick meal right after work – or before work depending on your profession. Most establishments will list their happy hour on their website.

Cook at home

Of course, the most obvious road to savings is to cook at home. But cooking at home doesn’t have to be a drag. I like to invite friends over and learn to cook new things. There are plenty of recipe – and instructional cooking – sites online. Foodnetwork.com, simplyrecipes.com and allrecipes.com are some of my personal favorites. Google also makes it easy to find recipes – just type in what you want to make and click on “Recipes” under the “Search” section on the left side of the screen.

How do you plan to save on dining out in 2012?