How to save money?

This morning's news was dominated by talk of cuts in child benefit for those earning enough to pay the higher rate of income tax, saving enough money (the government hope) to be able to invest in sorting out the benefits system into something that's fit for the 21st century without causing hardship to those who inevitably end up slipping through the various safety nets around.  If it can be done it will be quite some achievement for relatively little pain, but the jury's out until the nuts and bolts are worked out and put into action.
This afternoon was spent at the Environment committee of Stockton Council discussing how the borough's car parking might be made to bring in a bit more revenue in these cash strapped times.  Talking of income of £50,000 and then having to invest some money in different signs and advertising the changes sounded very small compared to the millions being discussed this morning.  But then I remember the wise old saying "Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves" so perhaps it's worth persevering with a few thousand here and there after all.  I'm looking forward to us not spending a fortune every year on printing out loads of information for one set of government inspectors after another, to say nothingof the hundreds and hundreds of hours people spend on making sure the information is in exactly the right format.  Meanwhile the council has to start publishing expenditure over £500 - what would you think if entry after entry said "getting ready for the inspectors"? Don't answer, it's probably not repeatable.