Use Natural Ways to Cool Your Home
Electric bills are some of the highest bills you have, right? Well, you can cool yourself naturally to save a few bucks here and there. During the summer, open the windows and turn on a fan to get a breeze going. Keep air moving through your home, and it'll actually cool it down a lot.
Hang Up Your Clothes to Dry
Dryers use a ton of electricity, and that’s no secret. Air drying your clothes can save quite a bit of cash, and it could also extend the life of your clothing. An independent study found that you can save up to $1 per load by hanging your clothes to dry.
Use Candles for Lighting
Candles smell great and look pretty classy, but they can do more than that. To cut down on the cost of your electric bill, light a few candles instead of turning on the lights. There’s something magical about a candle-lit room.
Cut the Cable Cord
We know this isn’t a unique suggestion, but it really can save you money. Nowadays, most television channels have their own app or stream their shows on Netflix or Hulu. Considering the cost of cable keeps going up, you can save thousands by the end of the year by swapping to a streaming service.
Read Your News Online
Newspapers and magazines smell great, but the smell isn’t worth the clutter and subscription price. You can get your news online in a much more effective way. Podcasts are great ways to get updated on the news, or just visit the news website you watch most!
Unplug Electronics
This one is a bit annoying but worth it. When you turn a device off, it’s actually still pulling electricity. The best way to deal with this is to unplug it. The best tip we can give is to plug it into a power strip and pull that from the wall at night or when you leave.
Write a Shopping List
Shopping lists can save a ridiculous sum of money. How many times do you go shopping for something and end up with a ton more than you initially needed? Shopping lists can help deter that. Write what you need down on a piece of paper and keep to the list when you go to the store. If it’s not on there, it doesn’t go in the cart.
Repair Clothing Instead of Tossing It
It may be easy to toss an item of clothing instead of repairing it, but it’s worth fixing small things. A small tear, a missing button, and an un-done seam are all easy things to fix. Over time, you’ll even get better at sewing, so don’t worry if your stitching is a little wonky.
Learn Basic House Maintenance
One of the best ways to save money around the house is by repairing stuff yourself. Most appliances will have a shorter lifespan if you don’t do things like replace filters and clean out dust. There’s also a number of other things you can do yourself like check for sump pump issues and repair caulking that’s coming up.
Invest in Warm Blankets
Winter is coming, but you don’t have to put the heat on 73 degrees. Instead, invest in warm blankets and turn the heat down low. Bundling up is cozy, and you’ll save a ton of money. Electric costs are some of the highest bills we have and decreasing just a few degrees can save a ton.
Put a Brick or Water Bottle in Your Toilet Tank
Put a brick or 32-ounce water bottle filled with water in your toilet tank. The object will take up the same amount of space as the water would, which will cut down on the amount of water you use every day. Doing this can save up to 500 gallons of water each year!
Drop Unused Memberships
Everyone has at least one membership we pay for that isn't used. We’re eyeing our monthly streaming memberships, but it could also be a gym membership, Audible, subscription boxes, or something else. Unsubscribe or pause what you’re not using. You can always start it back up if you need to.
Sign Up for Automatic Bill Pay
Most companies give you a discount if you sign up for automatic bill pay. Some will even give you as much as a $20 discount on your bill every month! Most services will send you an email that alerts you the amount that will come out of your account and when.
Start Meal Planning
One of the ultimate ways to save money is meal planning. Americans spend quite a bit on going to lunch and dinner. By meal planning, you’re eliminating the need. You’ll probably think, “Oh, I have food at home,” or even become concerned that it’ll go bad.
Make Coffee at Home
Buying a cup of coffee is easy, but you’re paying for the service, not for the better product. A pot of coffee is around $0.50 while a cup of coffee can be around $3 to $6. No matter how you like your cup o’ joe, you can cut down on costs by making it yourself. Buy all the fancy syrups and whip cream if you gotta!
Wait 48 Hours Before Buying
This isn’t about questioning whether you need the thing or not—although that’s a good thing to ask. When you put something in your online shopping cart (and you have an account with the site), you’ll usually get an email with a discount. Stores want you to purchase, so they send a coupon code or discount the item, so you’re encouraged to buy it.
Create a Budget
This may sound easy, but it’s tougher than you may think. By creating a budget, it forces you to be more conscientious about what you spend. Many people discover that they spend way too much doing something regularly, like going out to eat.
Get a Low-Flow Showerhead
Low-flow showerheads don’t have to be low pressure. There are many low-flow showerheads on the market that are surprisingly high pressure. Waterpik even makes a low-flow showerhead that has remarkably good pressure.
Change Your Thermostat for the Weather
The easiest way to save money on your electric bill is by lowering the temp in the winter and increasing it in the summer. Experts say that if you keep your thermostat at 68 during the winter and 78 during the summer, you can save as much as $400 to $500 per year.
Insulate Your Hot Water Heater
You can save up to $50 per year by insulating your water heater with a heat blanket. Make sure that you leave holes for the temperature gauges, so you don’t void your warranty.
(Image via Amazon)
Keep Your Water Heater at 110 Degrees
Finding the sweet spot for your water heater can be tough. The Department of Energy suggests keeping it at 120 degrees, but studies show that 110 is the best place to save money. Considering most water heaters are set at 140, you’ll definitely save some dough.
Swap to CFL Bulbs
Everyone knows classic blubs aren’t energy efficient. If you’re finding it hard swapping to LED lights, CFL may be your saving grace. They’re cheaper than LED bulbs and have a light that’s closer to the incandescent light that we’re all used to.
Turn Off Lights
We all know to turn off lights when we leave a room but think about turning lights off when you don’t need them on. Watching a movie or television for a while? You may not need the light on to do this as the television lights the room for you. Instead of leaving the light on while reading, use a reading light.
Remove Saved Cards from Online Accounts
Online shopping can be difficult to overcome. It’s easy to spend a little here and there, but that's when you find out you’ve spent close to $100! Remove your cards from your online accounts. When you want to make a purchase, you’ll be forced to get up and get your card.
Ask Yourself Why You’re Buying Something
Before you buy something, stop and take 10 seconds to ask yourself why you’re buying it. Do you really need it? Will it serve a purpose? Do you already have something that can complete the job? These questions will keep you from making unnecessary purchases.