Do you ever feel like the money is leaving your fingers before you ever put it in your wallet? If so, you likely are concerned about where your future lies. After all, if you can't save money, you will find yourself working for years beyond your retirement age and who wants to spend their golden years toiling away at a dead end job?

If you take a look at your monthly budget, you will likely find numerous places where you can save money. For example, upon closer inspection, you might find that you could save a great deal of money by bringing your lunch to work a couple days per week rather than eating out every day. You don't have to deny yourself completely from the joys of eating out, but simply cutting back can save a lot more than you may realize.

If you have a family, you can easily save by buying bulk. There are several stores available that sell bulk items at great prices. But, even if you don't visit one of these stores, you can still purchase larger quantities of items at your local grocery store and save more per unit or per ounce. Look at the price tags located on the shelf at the grocery store in order to compare prices. These tags should tell you how much the item costs per unit or ounce. Purchase the one that costs the least per unit, even if it means spending a bit more upfront - it will save money in the long run.

Often, you spend an excessive amount of money by buying into the convenience of individually wrapped items. Rather than purchasing individually wrapped cookies, chips, and other items, purchase the larger package and use Tupperware or baggies in order to provide yourself with an individual serving.

Another way to save money in the long run is to pay bills ahead of time or to bypass the option to spread payments out throughout the year. With life insurance, for example, you will likely be given the option of paying the full year's premium all at once or making monthly payments. Most companies will reduce the overall cost if you choose to pay the entire premium at once. This may cost you a larger amount to begin with than if you paid smaller payments throughout the year, but you will actually keep more money in your pocket and you will have one less bill to worry about each month.

Credit cards are a common source of money loss - in the form of finance charges. Ideally, you should pay off the debt and then pay the credit card off at the end of each billing cycle in order to avoid having to pay finance charges. But, if you have to carry a balance, you can save money by using a credit card with a low interest rate. If you have a high interest rate and have been a responsible customer, call the card and request a reduction in the interest rate. Most companies will be happy to oblige because they want to keep you as a customer rather than lose you to the competition.

With these simple, surefire ways to save money, you will soon find that some money actually remains in your pocket where you can use it for something you truly enjoy.