Renters: Use Neighbors to Save Money

Marla Mathless had been a renter in her downtown Manhattan building for seven years before she formally met her neighbor. "He came over and asked if I'd split my cable costs with him," she says. "He said he couldn't afford it anymore and wanted to just drill a small hole in the wall to run the cable into both apartments. Of course I said yes. Who doesn't want to save money?" (Before attempting something similar, don't forget to check with your local cable operator to see if it's legit.)

As the new year begins, resolutions run amok and usually end up abandoned. But this year, renters, why not take your pledge to save money to heart and make 2011 thrifty -- and while you're at it, make it neighborly. It's easy. Just by knocking on a few doors you can slice your monthly bills in half. Here's how: