Just about everyone who has a job with medical benefits knows about the federal regulation COBRA, which makes it possible to keep one's health insurance even after leaving a job. The employee must pick up the monthly premium, but it is an option. Who thought we might have the same option with employer-provided life insurance?

SAVE LIFE INSURANCE. When you leave a job, find out whether your group life insurance policy is portable. Can you make the premium payments yourself at the same low rate? The employer is obligated to inform the employee about policy portability at the time of severance, but few do. Keeping policies in force is the only way some people can afford life insurance. — Nora R., Virginia

AIR-DRY. I have turned off the energy-guzzling dry cycle of my dishwasher. I run the dishwasher in the evening, and when the rinse cycle finishes, I open the door and pull the racks out. The dishes are always dry in the morning. — Laura, Washington

MAID SERVICE. I recently went back to work full time. I considered getting a maid but wanted to teach the kids to help out. I came up with "Family Clean Night." Every other Thursday after work and school, our family of five spends an hour to an hour and a half cleaning the whole house. No one is allowed to sit as long as someone is working. Then we take the money we saved on housekeeping and go out to eat, which is usually still cheaper than what a maid would have cost. This has turned into enjoyable family time, and I don't end up feeling like the maid! — Suzy H., Mississippi

HOLIDAY SAVINGS. I came up with a wonderful way to amass Christmas money. I use manufacturers' coupons. When I get home from grocery shopping, I add up my savings and write it on the top of the receipt. Then I either take the cash from my wallet or write myself a check and deposit it in a special savings account. You'd be surprised how fast $2 here and $1 there adds up! On most of my grocery trips, I save a minimum of $20 with coupons and club cards. — Lynn E., e-mail

POLISHED PLATE. We instituted an "age rule" to prevent our kids from leaving their plates full at the end of meals and wasting food. Anyone leaving food on his or her plate is expected to eat one bite for every year of age. This usually begins when they are 2 years old. At that age, they are expected to eat two more bites when they say they are done. By the time they are 6 or 7, they realize they might as well finish the food on their plates because six or seven bites usually will finish the job. We rarely have plates of wasted food. — Jennifer, Kansas

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at [email protected], or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.