*This is the 20th day of the One Month Spending Freeze Challenge. Please click here to see all of the posts in this series.*
While we’re not spending any money on anything we don’t need this month, it’s still important that we take a look at our necessary expenses and figure out what we can do to lower them. It may not help for the spending freeze, but it’s always a good idea to lower our bills as much as possible so we can free up money to use elsewhere, and hopefully save more of it.
© Manuel Wächter / Dollar Photo Club
10 Super Simple Ways to Lower Your Bills Right Now
Today we’ll focus on really easy and quick ways to lower your necessary expenses, including your electricity, gas, water, cell phone, and other bills. I bet you’ve heard of most of these, but maybe you have never done anything about them. Now’s the time to get those bills lowered. Don’t wait another day! They can all be done in five minutes or less. Some of them can be done once and then you won’t have to worry about them again for months or years. I’ll also mention that these can all be done for free.
- If you tend to forget to pay bills, have them on an automatic payment schedule so you don’t have to worry about hefty late fees. Pay them online if possible, since stamps cost nearly 50 cents.
- Close or open the curtains, drapes, and blinds in your home depending on the season. If it’s hot outside, keep them closed to keep your house cool, and if it’s cold, open them up to keep your house warm.
- Use the internet on your computer or phone to chat with friends and family through Skype or FaceTime instead of using your minutes. Be sure to use wi-fi so it doesn’t use any of your data.
- Unplug anything that is not being used, including the TV, computer, chargers, razors, etc.
- Program the thermostat. You want it a little higher than you’re comfortable with in the summer and a little lower than you’re comfortable with in the winter.
- Turn down the temperature on your water heater to 130F, which is perfect for sanitizing the dishes.
- Cancel cable if you are not in a contract.
- Put stones in an empty water bottle, fill it with water, and then place it in your toilet tank. It will help save a little water each time you flush.
- Wash full loads of laundry.
- Use the dishwasher when it’s full.
- Cut back on how much you water your lawn. Wait until the lawn looks like it needs to be watered, rather than every day or every other day.
There are obviously a gazillion other ways to cut bills. However, I think when we are inundated with too much to do at once, we fail because we don’t take action. So hopefully this short list will help you choose just one or two to focus on. The only way you will save money is if you consistently do these things and make them habits before moving on to more of them.
What do you do in your home to save some money on your monthly bills?
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I wash almost everything in cold water, once I did the cost & energy analysis and realized that washing on hot water costs almost $0.50 a load more! (Full article is on my blog from my 31 day series last year…31 days of simple savings. Keep up the great work, Charlee! The end of the month is in sight!
Oh, yeah, I remember reading that you wash your laundry in cold water. I really should start doing that! Thanks for the reminder, Kristen. The month is really flying by, but it’s been really fun doing a post every day!