Movie with the girls. Ka-ching! An $8 focaccia sandwich for lunch. Ka-ching. The cat's blood-pressure medicine. Ka-ching! Late fees, insurance, utility bills. Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching. Sure, you could save money — if only you could stop spending it. You can't, of course, but you can spend it more slowly, wisely, and purposefully. How? Set aside one day (or a few evenings) and devote the time to cutting costs, following the daylong schedule on these pages. Along the way, take a look at Real Simple's solutions to readers' top four money problems. Then observe as you reap the benefits — and save up to $5,000 this year.

Morning: Housing and Food

9:00 a.m. Research your next purchase.
If your dishwasher is close to kaput or your printer is running low on ink, do your purchasing homework now. "Waiting until the last minute means paying full price," cautions Neale Godfrey, author of Money Still Doesn't Grow on Trees ($16, www.amazon.com). Go to www.dealcatcher.com or www.pricegrabber.com, two on-line marketplaces that offer coupons, rebates, and price comparisons on everything from ink-jet cartridges to DVD players to dishwashers. Type in the kind of item you're looking for, then compare deals from outlets like www.amazon.com, www.Overstock.com, and www.BestBuy.com. Or try www.dealtime.com or www.bizrate.com, which also offer free price comparisons. All these sites provide reader reviews, which can alert you to the strengths and weaknesses of a given product.

Average Savings: From $10 for print cartridges to $50 for a dishwasher (over buying them at a local stationery or department store).

9:30 a.m. Take a bite out of grocery costs.
The average family of four spends about $450 a month on food, according to the Food Marketing Institute, a supermarket trade association. To economize, join a warehouse club like BJ's Wholesale Club (www.bjs.com; $40 annual fee), Costco (www.costco.com; $45), or Sam's Club (www.samsclub.com; $35). Visit each club's website to determine which has the best location and product mix for you, then join online. The clubs can be 20 to 50 percent cheaper than regular grocery stores when it comes to products like condiments, coffee, bottled water, and canned beans and vegetables (they're also, hands-down, the best place to shop for appliances, trash bags, aspirin, and best-selling books, among other things). One RS tester found she could save $75 to $100 a year by purchasing bottled water from Costco rather than the local Stop & Shop. (A bonus: Sam's and Costco sell calling cards that charge just 3 1/2 cents a minute on long-distance calls.) But don't neglect your supermarket entirely — it will have better deals on items like produce, chips, and cookies.

Average Annual Savings: $1,850 (based on the average bill for a family of four at 35 percent savings, minus the average club membership).

10:00 a.m. Cut heating and utility costs.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the average family spends $1,400 a year on energy bills. This past season, prices soared up to 45 percent, partly due to increased demand. To lower your bill, surf over to www.energy.gov, the U.S. Department of Energy's website. Go to Information for Consumers and click on "Your Home." You'll find the Home Energy Saver, a handy energy-audit tool. By entering information about your house — the year it was built, the number of windows, the type of heating system — you'll generate tips for improving its energy efficiency. The more specific you are, the more detailed the advice. You won't have time to fix all these things now, but you can print out a list and follow up this weekend. For example, investing just $33 to $100 in a programmable thermostat — which you can set to lower your home's temperature at night and raise it in the morning — can slice 5 to 30 percent off your heating and cooling costs, according to the Department of Energy.

Average Annual Savings: $1,000 if you live in an extreme climate, like Vermont; $450 if you live in a milder one, like San Francisco.

11:00 a.m. Scrutinize your wireless, long-distance, and Internet bills.
If the cost of staying connected makes you want to become a hermit, scout for better rates at www.lowermybills.com or www.billsaver.com, free comparison-shopping sites. LowerMyBills.com allows you to search 18 categories of services, including long-distance carriers and Internet access. When you find a rate you like, call the provider directly. (Both sites conduct background checks on companies listed.) RS testers saved, on average, $150 a year on long distance, $100 on cellular service, and $80 a year on Internet access. Savings vary, based on location and whether you want to go with a brand name. For instance, one tester reduced her monthly Internet-access fee from $24 to $10 by switching from AOL to a local service.

Average Annual Savings: Up to $80 a year on Internet service, $150 on long distance, and as much as $100 on cell-phone bills.