Do you sometimes feel as though money is just running through your fingers? That there will never be enough to have any left? That you are just barely making ends meet?

If you are newly divorced, and trying to set up a new household, and especially if you have young children in the house, it can seem that there’s no end to “must haves” and “needs” and “should dos” and of course “wants.”

The good news is that you can save in so many ways, and each savings will add up more than you could believe possible. It’s hard to get into the right frame of mind. You don’t want to feel like a penny pincher. Think of yourself instead as a savvy consumer.

So, NO MORE...

Letting the water run

Did you know that every minute water flows down the drain wastes up to 2.5 gallons, according to the Environmental Protection Agency? So turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving. Only run the dishwasher & washing machine when you have full loads, water plants in the morning when the water is less likely to evaporate, and give the car a bucket wash saving the hose for a quick rinse. Do all this and you could save up to $190 a year or almost 40 percent off the average U.S. household water bill of $476.

Driving like a maniac

Drive the speed limit, go easy on the brakes, and carpool when you can. Oh, and use EZ Pass, Sun Pass, and other toll tags. And what about gas mileage? The more moderate your speed, and the less you rev the engine, the less gas you are going to use. This could save you $4 to $40 a month depending on how much you drive.

Paying online shipping fees

With the economy and the stock market acting wilder than a category 5 hurricane, many of us are feeling the pinch in our pocketbooks. We’ve been talking about ways to save money when you eat out, so you enjoy life a bit. Now let’s see if you can find ways to enjoy feeling flush with cash.

Does it seem possible?

Here are ten fabulous ways to build up your finances:

No BLT’s.

Weight Watchers has a saying, no “BLTs” — and they don’t mean bacon, lettuce and tomato. BLT stands for “bites, licks, and tastes.” If you are having trouble saving, you need to check to see what kind of BLT’s are lurking in your budget. Write down everything you spend money on for one month. At the end of the month take out a yellow highlighter and highlight everything that brought you great joy. Now look at what’s left. Chances are you’ll find something you can easily cut back on that doesn’t reduce your joy — for instance, drinks out with people you don’t even like, or subscriptions to magazines or newspapers you don’t read.

Ask yourself “How badly do I want it?”

Millions of Americans lack a tool to help them when those hot shoes or cool new earrings jump of the shelf and yell “Buy me now!” Here’s what you do. Step 1: Calculate your after-tax income. If you make $40,000 a year and have a 25 percent effective tax rate, you take home $30,000 a year. Assuming you work 2,000 hours a year, that’s an after-tax hourly income of $15. Step 2: The next time you see a $150 “whatever” that you just have to get, ask yourself, “How badly do I want it? Then figure how many hours you have to work to pay for it. Is that $150 item really worth 10 hours slogging away at the office?

Make saving a family project

Feel like you're losing your grip on those financial purse strings? (Especially if you've just heard that credit card companies are charging an extra ten cents a gallon at the pump!) Even cereal is higher at the grocery store, as is milk. Everything for the kids is going up, up, up!

But listen. There are still ways you can go out with friends, shop for groceries, make more money, save money as a family project, and plug your financial leaks.

First, let's deal with eating out.

You need adult time, if for no other reason than to have another grown up to bounce kid questions off of.

And if you're hoping to meet a guy, youíre not going to find him in your closet.

Going out doesn't have to take your budget into the red zone.

Here are five ways to eat out without breaking into the kids' piggy bank.

Share an entrée or make a meal out of appetizers

American food portions are so super-sized that the average entrée could feed at least two, sometimes even three people! But if you're going to split an entrée, find out first if the restaurant charges a fee for that. Appetisers, or small plates (tapas), are usually rich in better restaurants, or gigantic in lower priced restaurants, and thus more filling. An appetizer can make a fine meal, and cost half as much as an entrée.

Be sure to ask how much the specials cost

This a major pet peeve. How many times have you been in a restaurant when the waitperson describes a succulent-sounding, special dish-of-the-day? You go for it, and then sit dumbfounded when you see the bill and find out the price. It's a sign of financial self-confidence to nicely ask "and what do those specials run?" so you can make an informed decision.

Soup, it does a body good

What's the first thing your girlfriends ask you when you meet that someone special, especially after going through a divorce? They typically ask you if you are emotionally compatible, spiritually compatible, or and/or physically compatible. But do they ever ask you if you are financially compatible? Probably not. This is incredibly ironic given that time and again money is cited as #1 cause of fights, #1 cause of divorce, and top source of general life stress. The reality is dealing with the subject right front can prevent a mountain of heartache down the road.

When you think your new relationship is heading to the next level (so not on date two but when discussing moving in or marriage) it's time to "get financially naked" with each other. Our point is that if you are willing to take your clothes off with someone in one way you should be willing to take your clothes off with them financially as well. Specifically we recommend exchanging a list of what you own, what you owe and your credit scores.

Light some candles, put on some soothing music and talk about how money was (or wasn't!) talked about as you were growing up. This is also a great time to talk about your life and financial priorities. This conversation will likely be awkward at first, but over the long run you'll be amazed at how it can really bring you closer. If you're not sure how to bring the subject up, say you read about it on First Wives World!

No matter what stage of divorce you're in, you need to get the upper hand on your economic situation. If you're in financial crisis, you need to gain control of the situation and learn how to budget effectively. There's no reason why you can't start now.

Here are my top 5 tips to get started:

TIP #1: Don't be scared: Don't waste a minute feeling scared or insecure about not knowing how to handle your finances. In the U.S., personal finance truly is the pink elephant in the room. If everyone got "financially naked" you'd be stunned by how many of your friends and neighbors (male and female) feel the exactly the same way!

TIP #2: Rethink your attitude toward savings: Many people think saving money is about deprivation. The truth is that saving is actually all about spending — spending that you'll do in the future instead of today. You save for three reasons: An emergency fund, retirement and big ticket items. Ideally, you'd be saving around 15% of any new money coming into your life from this point forward for spending you'll do down the road.

Whether you're just thinking about divorce, in the middle of one or moving beyond divorce, you need to be on top of your personal financial situation. Empowering women to lead independent financial lives is the premise of my book, On My Own To Feet — A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance, coauthored by Sharon Kedar.

Here are a few strategies that you can use to gain control over your financial situation:

2. Understand that if you charge something on your credit card and make only the minimum monthly payment, you are effectively paying twice as much for that item.

3. Know and protect your credit score: Its reach in your life is far and wide.

4. Guard against the unknown with an appropriate amount of insurance for your particular circumstances — healthcare, auto, and homeowners insurance (if you own a car/home) — are an absolute must. If you have children, life insurance is also essential.

5. Keep in mind that it's your spending, as opposed to your income, that you have the most control over on a day-to-day basis.

6. Know that you invest for two reasons: To keep the corrosive power of inflation at bay and to grow your money faster than inflation.