Saving on Essentials: How to Cut Down on Bigger Bills
Thursday, March 19, 2015, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
In the current economic climate, one of the biggest questions on everyone’s minds is, “How do I cut down on bigger bills?” With electric bills and other essential expenses reaching over $300-$400, it’s never been a better time to put a few great money-saving tips to use.
These are five ways to save on the essentials and cut down on your bigger bills.
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Monitor the Lighting in Your Home
You already know you should keep the lights in your home turned off whenever possible, but you also have other options for controlling how much electricity they consume.
Use energy efficient light bulbs in place of your traditional ones, and install fixtures that help control the level of illumination of your bulbs.
These two tips alone will net you great savings on your next electric bill.
Try to use small lamps in the evening instead of all the big room lights.
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Search for Discounts on Your Auto Insurance
Maintaining auto insurance is unavoidable, but you do have some control over how much you’re paying for it. Contact your insurance to find out about potential discounts you could be eligible for.
Auto insurance companies regularly award discounts for clean driving records, safe driving course completions, change of address or vehicle, or other good practices.
Just ask what you might be able to do and for quotes on what you already pay.
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Perform an Energy Sweep Every Night
Before you head to bed each night, take a quick five minutes to walk through your home and ensure all unnecessary devices are turned off or unplugged.
It can be a pain initially, but the savings will give you the motivation to turn it into a lifelong habit.
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Cut Back on Your Hot Water Usage
Water heating accounts for a fair share of the entire electric bill, so it’s a good idea to monitor its usage.
For example, you can opt for short showers in place of baths, as well as using cold water for your loads of laundry.
You can also use a Powerblanket drum heater over your hot water heater to better insulate and reap maximum savings. Most importantly, avoid letting water run when it’s not absolutely necessary.
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Employ the Envelope System
Lastly, make use of the envelope system to save more, and maintain better control over your budget.
At the beginning of each month, set aside certain amounts of money in envelopes for each of your bills.
For example, you might set aside $200 for groceries, $200 for your electric bill, and so on. The money set aside is restricted for its intended use only.
If you have money left over in a bill’s envelope at the end of the month, leave it there for use in the following month.
Paying those big bills is always disheartening when a big chunk of your paycheck is gone at the beginning of the month.
Though, with a little planning and extra saving you’ll be able to find ways of cutting back and getting more savings to spend during the week.
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