Ten Easy Ways To Save On Household Bills

One of the biggest ways to improve your health is reduce your stress level. And one of the best ways to reduce stress is to get your finances under control.

With that in mind, I want to offer ten ideas that you can begin implementing today that will cut down on your household expenses.

1. Unplug appliances when they’re not in use.

More and more people are doing it, and more and more people are able to tell you: unplug your T.V., stereo, washer, dryer, etc., etc., and your electric bill will go down. Why? Even if the things aren’t turned on, if they are plugged in they are still sucking electricity from the socket.

2. Put a timer on your electric water heater.

For between $40 and $60 you can buy a timer for turning certain appliances on and off four times per day. Set the timer to turn the water heater on an hour or two before the three or four times you actually need hot water, such as for your morning shower or for washing the dinner dishes. This requires some electrical re-wiring; if you can’t or don’t want to try it, you probably have a neighbor who wouldn’t mind figuring it out for you.

You may see up to a $50 decrease in your monthly energy bill! Six hundred dollars per year for a forty-dollar investment? I would say that’s a pretty good return!

An even cheaper way is to do what Jerry and I have decided to do: keep the water heater unplugged most of the time. Plug it in just after arising (we don’t shower right away), then unplug it after showering. Heating a couple gallons of water on the stove for washing dishes by hand uses much less energy than heating fifty gallons of water. If you don’t do dishes by hand, simply plug in the water heater about an hour before you want to run the dishwasher, then unplug it when the dishwasher turns off.

3. Use solar path lights for bathroom nightlights.

You know those solar-powered lights people (maybe you) put along their landscaping or sidewalks to light them up at night? Buy one or two and keep them in a sunny place during the day. At night, set them in a vase in the bathroom as nightlights. Your bathroom light bulbs will last longer and you will use less energy.

4. Cut down on meat consumption.

Not everybody does well with beans and grains (a-hem, me). Eggs are a great compromise. Even the organic eggs are considerably cheaper than conventional meat, and if cooked in an iron skillet on low heat they are delicious! Whether eggs or straight vegetarian meals, if you substitute such foods for meat two or three times a week you will feel like you’ve received a raise.

5. Buy in bulk/in bigger containers.

You will almost always save money if you buy certain food items – flour, grains, beans, nuts, seeds – in bulk, whether online or in health food stores. Other items, such as paper towels, toilet paper, olive oil, coconut oil, etc., usually cost less per unit if you buy them in larger packages.

6. Clean with vinegar and baking soda.

Not wood, but most other surfaces can be made to shine with these two inexpensive and non-toxic substances. Baking soda gets off hard-caked, stuck-on junk, while vinegar kills just about as much as Lysol will. And both vinegar and baking soda are deodorizers.

7. Make raw sweets.

The sweets you buy in stores – even the “healthy” ones – are not good for you. Instead, mix one part nuts/seeds, one part dried fruit, and some spices in a food processor. Blend it all together, roll into balls and store in refrigerator. Healthy, and delicious!

8. Wait a week before buying something you don’t already have.

When you see something in a store or online and think, “Oh, I have to have that!”, wait seven days before buying it. More likely than not you will have either forgotten about it or you will no longer be excited about it. More money in your pocket.

9. Buy at consignment stores.

Ladies, you can be just as fashionable with clothes from consignment stores, and you will save a ton of money. And there ain’t no child – and I mean no child – who has to have most of his or her clothing bought brand new.

Furniture on consignment is generally in great condition, and half the price of what you would pay new for it.

10. Buy from amazon.com.

You may already be a regular amazon.com customer, but were you aware that when you buy from amazon you are almost always paying below retail and avoiding state sales tax? Before you buy anything from a store, check the price on amazon first.