Bad economy got you spooked? We know you moms are Secretaries of the Family Treasury. That’s why we’ve put together 101 of our best money-saving ideas to help you cut back on spending without scrimping on living. From saving big at the supermarket to answering your kids’ tough money questions, we’re here to bail you out of financial troubles.

1. Leave your money at home.
You can’t spend it if you don’t bring it. Check out 21 other Why-didn’t-I-think-of-that easy money tips from moms.

2. Demolish your debt.
They’re living on an annual income of just $27,600, but if Keiko Kasai and Mike Hazekamp can make regular monthly payments of $350 on their $8,000 debt, they’ll be debt-free in less than two years.

3. Cancel your gym membership if you’re pregnant.
Because, let’s get real, you’re not going to have time to go to the gym for a while, and if you’re about to become a parent, now’s the perfect time to save. Even if you spend $50 per month and visit twice a week, that’s still more than $6 per workout. Go for a daily walk instead.

4. Pregnant or not, just work out at home.
Nobody has to see how you look in spandex, and you save major cash — it’s a win-win!

5. Go generic on diapers and wipes.
The quality of store-brand diapers has gotten way better over the years. They’re often made by the same manufacturers as the brand-name stuff!

6. Lease a car.
With a lease, you’ll pay less per month than you would repaying a car loan.

7. Buy white eggs instead of brown.
They’re equally nutritious, and they’ll save you about $.40 a dozen. While you’re at it, don’t bother with organic eggs. Egg-laying hens aren’t given growth hormones, nor are the eggs likely to be exposed to antibiotics. And the birds stop laying if they’re sick. Who knew?

8. Don’t worry if the neighbors pay your sitter more.
If she didn’t like working for you, she wouldn’t, right? Don’t feel guilty — you’ve got a budget to think about, too.

9. Use the web’s best free financial tools.
Use the internet to figure out how to pay down your debt and how much you’ll have to save for college.

10. Stock up on toys and save.
Buy toys on sale and store ‘em til you need ‘em. Bonus benefit: You’ve got instant birthday gifts and no pre-party panic.

11. Or rent toys instead of buying them.
You do it with movies and now you can do it with toys. Clear the clutter (and stave off your kid’s cool-toy envy) with this awesome new toy rental service.

12. Send a snail mail complaint when you get a faulty product.
Your letter is more likely to get a response (and maybe a refund).

13. Have a yard sale.
Talk about a two-fer — you can empty your cluttered garage AND get some cold, hard cash.

14. Get coupons for formula and baby food online.
Sign up on Gerber, Beech-Nut, Enfamil, Similac, and other manufacturer’s sites for free coupons that go straight to your inbox.

15. Track where each and every one of your dollars goes for 30 days.
It’s a pain at first, but it’s the best way to figure out what you can do without.

16. Set some financial goals.
After you’ve figured out exactly where every dollar is going, look at your budget and see if anything can be trimmed. Aim to cut back with tricks like brown-bagging your lunch, cutting out premium cable and reducing your cell phone service.

17. The early bird gets the deal.
Start buying your holiday presents before Thanksgiving. Everything’s in stock, and you’ll feel less pressure to empty your wallet for what’s left on the shelves.

18. Skip organic bread, cereal and pasta.
Grains tend to have lower pesticide residues than produce does, anyway.

19. Shift your credit card balance.
Moving your balance to a lower-rate credit card can slash your interest payments and reduce the amount of time it takes to get out of debt.

20. Teach your child charity
Not only do you counter the “gimme” impulse, you’ll also give them a boost in self-esteem when they realize they can help others.

21. Lead by example.
Show your kid how to manage money by explaining which factors go into your decision to purchase. You’ll be surprised at how much they can learn about value and worth.

22. Don’t just tell your kids, “We can’t afford that!”
You don’t want to send the message that you think your kid is greedy. Explain what’s realistic and what’s not. They’ll get it.

23. If your child asks, “Are we poor?” or “Are we rich?”, the answer is always no.
You don’t want your child to think you’ve got bottomless pockets, but you don’t want him to freak out about not having enough money for food.

24. Join the Parenting Privileges cash back rewards program.
CASHIER: That’ll be $226.37 for all the baby stuff you buy every week.
YOU: Hey, can I have some of that money back?
CASHIER: Sure.[CASHIER hands some of your money back to you.]

It’s kind of like that, only for real. Earn over $1,000 cash back rewards just for buying the stuff you actually need (diapers and burp cloths, anyone?) from tons of stores, like Target.com, Gap.com, BabiesRUs.com, BarnesandNoble.com. If you’re a Parenting magazine subscriber, you’re already eligible. If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can try the program for 90 days for free.

25. Help your child develop a simple plan for her allowance.
A good rule of thumb:
60% of her money goes into a savings jar
30% goes into a “quick cash” (spend freely) jar
10% goes into a giving to charity jar

26. Ask for a moratorium on fund-raising.
Instead of breaking your niece’s heart by refusing to buy peanut brittle from her, talk to the adults about keeping the solicitation to a minimum.

27. Open up the Bank of Mom.
Improve their allowance skills by teaching basic banking. If they have to write a check to Mom to pull money out, they’ll think twice about spending their savings.

28. If your hours at work have been cut, tell your kids the basic facts of your family’s finances — but spare them the details.
If you approach the changes in an upbeat manner, your kids will too.

29. Don’t give out monetary rewards for good grades.
You’ll fail to provide the right motivation for working hard in school: the self-satisfaction that comes from doing your best.

30. If you lose your job, get a grip on your emotions.
It’s frightening for a child to see a parent upset, so vent privately to other adults.

31. Empower your girls to be good with money.
Nine out of 10 women will be solely responsible for their own finances at some point in their lives, but by their early teens, they’re only half as likely as boys their age to feel confident about their financial skills. Build their financial confidence by getting them involved with their allowances early.

32. Take your kids to work.
Having a hard time explaining the extra hours you’re putting in at work? Show them your office — it’ll help them visualize.

33. Leave your kids at home when you shop.
They’ll avoid temptation; you’ll avoid the “But I WANT it!” tantrums.

Read the rest here