Smart Parkin'
One of Philly's best kept parking secrets is the availability of no-penalty spots around City Hall. Although they're reserved for government employees during the day, after 6:30 p.m. any space with a red and white "Authorized Personnel Only" sign is fair (and free) game. Save: $0.25-$48.
— Gabrielle Mosquera

Amtrak Alternative
No Philadelphian should ever pay more than $12 to get to New York or $15 to get to D.C., thanks to buses that run to and from the cities' Chinatown neighborhoods. There are actually two lines (New Century Travel and Today's Bus) that depart several times a day. For a fraction of the cost of an Amtrak ticket ($51) for the same trip, you get a clean, stop-free ride, sometimes even with a movie. Seating is first-come-first-served, so get there as early as you can. Save: $39 per one-way ticket.
— Gabrielle Mosquera

Steal This Hotel Room
Sign up for a chain hotel credit card that offers free nights or frequent-sleeper points as incentive. Cancel the card, and then repeat the cycle — endlessly. I've used this technique to amass 14 free nights at Marriott hotels — without spending a nickel. I get enough points for two free nights each time I sign up for Marriott's Rewards Visa Signature Card. I "refer" an accomplice for points toward another free stay. My accomplice/wife, who also gets two free nights, is kind enough to transfer her points back to me. Doing this three times has net me 105,000 points — enough for two weeks of clean, pressed sheets and awful in-room coffee. You can similarly mine any promotion that gives away something up front without any obligation. This works best when premiums can be transferred — or when promoters aren't hip to spouses not sharing a surname. It's not only perfectly legal, but strangely exciting. Hey, my parents get their buzz on by pirating an extra cookie or banana from the hotel breakfast buffet. I'm taking it to the next level. Promoters know that most goobers aren't slick enough to cancel before having to pay something (Marriott charges a $35 fee for its card after year one.) You've got to be smart enough to eat, sleep and run. Save: $1,400.
— Phil Blumenkrantz

Road Trip Cheapskatin'
First and foremost, avoid using the Gas 'n' Go as a grocery store. Instead, stock up on staples like water and Snickers bars before hitting the trail. When traveling with a partner, never order two Value Meals. Simply split the goodies that come with one and order a second cheap sandwich individually. While splitting those fries, grab extra condiment packets and tuck them away for your next camping trip — you'll never worry about ketchup bottles exploding in your luggage again. Finally, while your trip is undoubtedly a gas, gas, gas, it'll use a good deal of it, too. These days gas prices are wildly inconsistent from one station to the next. When your tank is half empty, pull off at a town with several options and you could save up to 40 cents a gallon. Savings on a 12-hour jaunt, all told, could amount to $30.93.
— Char Vandermeer

Work It At The Car Lot
Seems my love of all things vehicular has made me the go-to gal for friends and family members who are about to make that major and largely dreaded purchase. Guess all those excursions with Dad, test-driving cars for kicks, paid off. 1) Figure out the price range you can comfortably swing and do not deviate (visit www.kbb.com for a good payment calculator). Obtain financing before you step onto the lot — you can do better than dealer-obtained financing. 2) Choose several cars you find intriguing and read up on them (www.caranddriver.com is an excellent resource). Then go try those suckers out and buy the one that smacks your head into the headrest and says, "Buy me!" 3) Be ready to walk away from the bargaining table. I turned my back on two dealers after I deemed their trade-in offers ludicrous. The second called me back after a few days and offered me $800 more.
— Char Vandermeer