In reality, there should be no possible way to "squeeze" any additional RAM savings out of your code if it's done properly. No deliverable code should have anything at all in it that isn't absolutely essential to the product's requirements. That includes non-essential bytes of RAM storage. The amount of memory required by the software should surface during initial design. The only remaining variable would be stack usage.

Adding a component when there's an obvious way to avoid it such as stashing that byte that you look at twice a day in the LCD RAM that you otherwise don't use is a lot smarter than adding another component to the BOM, adding another risk to the statistical reliability of the system, and adding the cost of a small RAM, its receiving inspection, its inventory, its installation, and its acceptance testing.

That's likely to get you onto the short-list for dismissal.

BTW, what's the smallest, cheapest RAM you've been able to buy in small (25-99) quantity?

RE