Do you need to save money? Do you believe you’ve already cut back as much as you can from your expenditures in order to facilitate saving? You may be surprised to learn that there are likely still bills you can trim, fairly easily and painlessly, in order to save even more.
Energy and Utility Bills
You already know full well that utility bills can eat into your family’s budget. But what you may not know is how to cut back on them.
One of the most highly recommended (and inexpensive) ways to save is through the use of a programmable thermostat. In the middle of summer, for instance, you can program it to run a little warmer during the day when you aren’t home and then set the air conditioning cool the house down right before you get home. In the winter, you can program the thermostat to run the furnace less at night when you are sleeping and add an extra blanket to the bed instead. When it’s programmed on a timer you don’t have to worry about forgetting and running the heating and cooling system needlessly.
Are you still using old appliances? You may actually be costing yourself more money in the long run than the cost of purchasing newer ones. Today’s energy efficient appliances are not only better for the environment; they run more efficiently and cheaply than older models. A brand new, energy efficient clothes dryer will dry your clothes more thoroughly, quickly and for less than a 20-year-old model Find out more about appliances in general at www.all-about-appliances.net.
Eating/Drinking Out
If you eat out frequently, try cutting back at least one meal a week, just to see how much that can save you. You may decide the savings are so good that you cut back even more.
If you spend anywhere from $2-$5 a day on coffee drinks, invest in one of these books and start making your coffee at home or work.
- "Making Your Own Gourmet Coffee Drinks: Espressos, Cappuccinos, Lattes, Mochas and More!" by Mathew Tekulsky
- "Coffeetime Indulgences: 68 Irresistible Recipes to Serve with Coffee – Morning, Noon or Night" by Linda Hegemen and Barbara Hayford
Cable TV service
It can be all too easy to forget exactly what services you subscribe to when it comes to cable TV. Do you really use and enjoy all those premium channels? If so, then go ahead and continue to enjoy them. However, if you realize that you rarely watch them, drop them and save anywhere from $10-$50 per month. If you have one or two shows you can't live without, you may find them available on the internet.
Grocery Bills
The cost of food seems to keep going up. But there are smart strategies you can employ to combat the price increases.
- Watch for sales and then stock up.
- Comparison shop. Prices can vary widely from grocery store to grocery store.
- Join a warehouse grocery store. If you have a large family, you can probably reap the savings from buying in bulk quickly. Otherwise, share the costs and purchases with others.
- Plan your menu and grocery shopping lists in advance. Impulse buying can eat into a thrifty budget quickly.
- If you buy brand name groceries because you’re convinced they’re either of higher quality or taste better, you need to try out the store brand or generic. If you can’t tell the difference, it could result in huge savings every month in your grocery bill.
Everything Else
Visit www.billshrink.com to explore more about how to cut bills on gas, cell phone service, credit card rates and more.