Regardless if you’re saving money to travel to Costa Rica or buy a brand new plasma television, if you’re looking for more simple solutions to help you save money and lower your monthly expenses there are three simple things that you can do to help you achieve your goal. Here’s a short list of some simple activities and money saving tips that will help you lower your bills each month:
Cut your cable. There is no doubt that cable is an expensive luxury. Depending on your cable company, as well as your contract and services, cable bills can range anywhere from $50 to $130 per month. Fortunately, there are many substitutes to watching cable. The most obvious substitute is Netflix. For less than $10 a month you can instantly stream shows onto your computer. You can easily watch these shows on your TV by connecting your TV to your laptop through an HDMI cable. In addition to Netflix, there are many websites available like Hulu and Youtube that will help you cut your cable without sacrificing your ability to watch your favorite TV shows. For more information, The Cheapest Way offers a good list of the most accessible and legal websites available.
Turn down your air conditioning. Air conditioning and heating costs can account for 43% of your monthly utility bill. Try using less air conditioning by using a fan whenever possible. Also it is important to note that allowing sunlight into your home can actually heat up your house, which forces you to use more air conditioning. A good trick to help decrease sun exposure in your home is to not allow sunlight into your house by closing your blinds and curtains. Also try planting more shady trees in your yard. This will help to block the sun in the hot summer months.
Use cold water. Believe it or not, heating water takes energy. Therefore, using hot water in your house inadvertently increases your monthly energy bills. Although hot water may be necessary for certain activities like taking a shower, it is not necessary for activities like washing your clothes or dishes. With this in mind, the next time you wash your clothes, take care to turn your water settings to cold. In addition, when you wash dishes by hand, opt to use cold water instead.
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