Cell Phone Bill
If you haven’t updated your cell phone plan in years, then it is time you do. A lot of providers have lowered the prices of their data plans and other services and you may be able to pay less for the same/similar plan. In fact, since free WiFi is easily available in most locations, you can probably do well with getting a plan with less data usage and pay a whole lot less overall. If you have to switch providers to get these deals, then please do so! Many companies offer incentives to switch to their service and also pay the termination fee to get you on board.
Dry Cleaning Bill
Most garments don’t need to be dry cleaned since they can often be “spot cleaned” with a spot remover pen. For those that require a little more TLC, there are at home dry cleaning kits that do wonders.
Home Heating Bill
Instead of turning up the heat, weather proof your home. Check all your windows to determine if there are any leaks; if there are, block drafts with kits that can be bought at home improvement stores. If you are just using one area of the house, turn down the heat in your whole house and use space heaters or electric blankets. Lastly, installing a programmable thermostat can do you wonders; you can program it to turn on 10 minutes before you come back from work instead of having the heat run all day long. It is advised that you lower the temperature of your water heating tank to about 120-130 F; this is a good temperature to kill germs and can save you a great amount on your bill. It is also a good idea to do the laundry in cold water! Also look to see if there is any heat escaping or leaking from your water heater; a significant saving can be made if serious repairs are needed.
Mortgage Bill
Over the recent years, mortgage rates have gone significantly down and if you still have a long while to go till you pay it all off, perhaps refinancing is for you. If you can still afford to pay the amount you paid before you refinanced, then continue to do so; the amount of money you will save on interest in the long run is where the real benefit of this change will be.
Entertainment Bill
Bulk it up; go for plans that bundle multiple services together. Many times, service providers give great discounts when you bundle your phone, internet, and cable; not only would you be able to save, but you will be able to organize three separate bills on one statement. Even if you don’t use a landline, it is sometimes cheaper overall to take such a package. Most providers allow you to customize individual categories (i.e. adding more channels to the TV service and more speed for the internet) so you can still cater to your requirements. If you think you can find your favorite shows and movies online with providers like Netflix, Hulu, and/or Crackle, then perhaps savings can be made instead of paying huge amounts for premium TV channels.
Gas Bill
Shop around for the cheapest gas prices with apps like Gas Buddy. When on the highways, it is advised that you drive at higher speeds (like 65-70 mph; given that the speed limit is around this range) than cruising at slower speeds (like 50-55 mph); you are lowering you gas efficiency by approximately 15% by doing so. Also, try to eliminate unnecessary weight out of your car; every (additional) 100 lbs. impacts your mileage by approximately 2%. Lastly, make sure your tires are always rotated and good on pressure as tires can lose up to a pound of pressure each month; significant efficiency is lost if you let this happen over a large number of consecutive months.
Water Bill
Check to see if your water pipes are insulated, if they aren’t, this could certainly help to cut down on costs; you often lose a lot of heat as water travels. Also when it comes to drinking water, opt for tap, not bottled; tap water costs less than a penny per gallon – a huge amount when compared to the outrageous prices of bottled water – and you help contribute towards protecting the environment, also. If you don’t like your tap water, consider a filtration system, which will still save you more money over the long run.
You can also attach low flow filters to both showerheads and faucets; many new innovative designs allow for a good pressure flow and use less than half the water as traditional heads – making a huge dent on your bill. You may also want to change your toilet’s flush tank; many new ones use significantly lower amounts of water.
Insurance Bill
Do your research online and investigate the best deals for auto, home, life, health and more. Again, bundling here can also help you save and you might be able to find certain options that are cheaper to the one your employer offers. Look for auto classes you can take that will often times lower your auto insurance. Another great way to save some money is having your car’s VIN number etched into the windows, which helps in stolen car recovery. It is a good idea to weigh your options before filling claims; do so only when it is a dire necessity because the spike in premium may not be worth making a claim over a low priced item.
Electric Bill
So many appliances, devices, and almost everything else we use today relies on using electricity so this can often be a high bill. A good place to start would be to unplug any appliances that don’t have to stay on – i.e. coffee makers, TVs, DVD players, gaming systems, etc. – when you are away from home; doing a night check before going to bed is another great strategy. You may also be able to save some money in upgrading some of your old appliances to the newer energy efficient ones; look for “Energy Star-certified” products. Air drying your clothes during warm weather months is another great strategy; consistently clean the dryer from lint to enhance its efficiency. Refrigerator is one of the most energy absorbing appliance in your house; keeping its coils clean can increase its efficiency up to 50%. Many people also replace their lighting fixtures with greener alternatives; users have experienced mixed feelings about them so personal experimentation is advised.
Lastly, do some research on smart metering and see if your provider allows for this. There are various types of programs that cater to different needs of the users; for example, some allow you to better manage your electricity utilization (allowing you to make smarter decisions) while others reward you for using huge amounts of electricity only on specific/certain times of the day. You can save up to $150 annually from doing this so it is surely worth the effort.
Credit Card Bill
Now is a great time to call your credit card company and ask for reduced interest rates, which is often times all it takes. Also, make sure to pay more than your minimum balance to avoid high interest fees. A good way to manage your credit card is by only using 30% of the overall limit and debit and/or cash for all expenses afterwards; not only will you manage your credit and money wisely this way, but this keeps you utilization ratio at an attractive range (for the bankers) which benefits your credit history and score.