Gas prices up. Food prices up. Mortgage payment amounts up. Airline travel costs up. You name it, it’s up. (Except your income, of course.)

These days, there always seems to be too much month left over and not enough money. Unless you’re expecting a big promotion or have an elderly relative who’s going to leave you a tidy sum, you don’t have many options for increasing your income.

But if you can’t make more, why not look around for ways to keep more of what you have? Here are some simple ways to “find” money you didn’t even know you had:

• Give yourself less credit. Credit cards are a wonderful convenience if you manage them properly. But if you’re like so many people who routinely carry large balances, you’re throwing away about 15 percent on interest charges every month – and that can really add up! Solution: Try to pay off those balances in full every month (or at least make more than the minimum payments).
• Be a coupon clipper. Most newspapers include a variety of cents-off and dollars-off coupons. Individually, they don’t amount to a whole lot; collectively, they can save you money that could be better spent on, say, newspaper subscriptions. You’ll also find a treasure trove of money-saving coupons on Web sites such as www.eversave.com and www.clickoncoupons.com.
• Donate and deduct. Thinking about holding a garage sale to generate some income from stuff you don’t need anymore? It sounds tempting but you might end up wasting a precious weekend and not getting rid of very much. Here’s a better idea: Donate those items to charity and claim a tax deduction that will probably represent a larger sum than what you might have made from your garage sale.
• Boost your FICO score. If you’re planning to buy a home in the next few months, take a look at your FICO score, which plays a major role in calculating your interest rate. The higher your score, the lower your rate. You might be able to boost that magic number by reducing your credit card balances (yes, we’re back to that again). Another potential FICO-booster, oddly enough, is to ask your credit card companies to increase your credit limit. Just don’t undo all your hard work by promptly going out and charging more!
• Finally, of course, don’t forget to periodically check for loose change under your couch cushions. Every little bit helps.

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