(OPRAH.com) -- Families all over the country are tightening their belts during this economic crisis, but some people are actually finding that cutting back can lead to richer lives.





The Heinz family makes a net income of $58,000 a year -- but they have $70,000 in savings.





The Heinz family makes a net income of $58,000 a year -- but they have $70,000 in savings.





How did they do it?





Sue Heinz is a stay-at-home mom with four children living in Sarasota, Florida.





To keep their family out of financial worry, she and her husband, Brett, have gotten thrifty.





With a prepaid cell phone used only for emergencies, the family's monthly bill is just $5.





By brown bagging his lunch and carpooling to work, Brett spends little money during the work week and saves $122 each month on gas.





Sue has found a way to snip $550 from their yearly budget by cutting the family's hair herself. And with a little online research, Brett found out how to do his own home repairs and says he has saved more than $6,000.





Sue says their thriftiness began 11 years ago when she and Brett first moved to Florida on a teacher's salary. "We had goals," she says. "We wanted to own a home, we wanted to have a big family -- and we knew we had to set our priorities to make that work."





The ride hasn't been all smooth sailing, and Sue says they incurred some credit card debt along the way. "But I'm very happy to say, and proud to say, that we're paying it back at nearly three times the minimum balance," she says. Oprah.com: How to get out of credit card debt





Although they've had to cut back in certain areas, Sue says their thrifty ways haven't curbed their lifestyle one bit. "We go to the beach once a week, we go bike riding with the kids, we do all kinds of fun things," she says. "There are second-run movie theaters; there are a lot of ways to have fun without spending money."





"It's an alternative to living beyond our means, really," Brett says. "Instead of spending too much money on things, we just make choices."





Sandberg family





On the other end of the spectrum, the Sandberg family is learning the need to cut back for the first time. Vicky and Mark have been married for 15 years and have two children. Until recently, the family has always brought in a double income. "Times in the construction industry have been really tough, and four months ago I lost my job as a recruiter and as a trainer," Vicky says.





With about 40 percent of their total income gone, the family has a new set of stress. Vicky and Mark say they've had to cut back their investment contributions toward their children's college funds and froze their individual retirement accounts. "My personal biggest fear is losing what we have, what we've worked so hard for," Mark says.





Can thrifty couple Sue and Brett help Vicky and Mark find ways to cut back? They begin with the Sandbergs' monthly budget and discover the Sandbergs are spending $650 a month in department stores on things for the kids -- clothing, video games and DVDs. "That's a big number," Sue says.





In addition, the Sandbergs are spending $190 each month on their phone, Internet and cable bill and $350 a month eating out at restaurants. All in all, the family is spending $8,744 a month, which is more than they are bringing in.





To get Vicky and Mark on track, Sue says they need to bring their monthly budget down to less than $8,000 per month. Sue gives them a basket for storing their daily receipts and a journal to write down their needs and wants. "You're going to take a good look and start to become extremely aware of where this money is going
how much does sue save a year how much money did sue save? what did the family do? What does Family use for $5 a month?
$550 $70,000 cut back a prepaid cell phone
question: how much does sue save a year, answer: $550 | question: how much money did sue save?, answer: $70,000 | question: what did the family do?, answer: cut back | question: What does Family use for $5 a month?, answer: a prepaid cell phone