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Having a party? Of course you can ask everyone to bring their own beverage or a dish to pass but you can also take it a step further and ask they bring their beverages in aluminum cans.
Once the party's over, you can take the cans to a recycling plant and get a few bucks back. No, it's not a lot of money but it's something.
Don't be ashamed to ask if people can bring a dish to pass. This saves a lot of your money by trying to buy snacks you think everyone will like. This also gives those who may have a particular taste for something to bring what they like.
If you want to decorate, shop at dollar stores. Even if it doesn't cost a dollar, it can still be less than buying from a party outlet store.
Don't buy gift bags from mass merchandisers. You can buy bags that are exactly the same thing at dollar stores and save a couple bucks. |
Water usage. Take a second to think about how much water we use around the house, especially in the bathroom.
Running the water while we brush our teeth, wash our hands, in the shower... All of this adds up in the pocketbook. Instead of leaving the water running while we wash our hands or brush our teeth; turn off the faucet until you need to use it again.
Taking a few minutes less in the shower will also help in the long run. Just a few minutes less will save a few gallons a day. This also helps with your water heater not needing to run as long to replace what was used, saving on your gas bill.
The next place we use a lot of water is in the kitchen. Whether it be in the dishwasher, or washing dishes in the sink, a lot of water is used.
If you do wash your dishes in the sink, don't leave the water running for when it's time to rinse. It may seem tedious to keep turning the faucet on and off, but it saves A LOT of water.
Only run the dishwasher with a full load. Even though no matter the size of the load, the same amount of water is used; but if you're washing partially full loads, you end up washing dishes more often.
We need to wash our clothes, too! Unless absolutely necessary, wash your FULL loads of clothes with cold water. This also saves the amount of warm water that will need to be replaced and washing full loads reduces the amount of times you need to use the washer. |
Electricity. We need it for our lights, tv's, radios and microwaves. But we don't always need them turned on.
Turning off lights when not in use will save a bundle over time.
Buy a an outlet-strip. By plugging your tv, dvd player, game console, home theater equipment and cable box into an outlet-strip, you can shut your them off completely each night. These have surge protectors, holding the electricity, keeping it going to your electronics.
If you're going to be out of the house for more than 4 hours, raise the temperature 5-10 degrees during the summer. In the winter, lower it 5-10 degrees. Buying a programmable thermostat can do this for you at your desired times. |
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Only heat and cool rooms you are using. By closing the vents in rooms you aren't going to be in, you will reduce the amount of energy needed for them and redirect more to the ones you use most of the time.
Keep windows and blinds closed during the summer, when the air conditioner is on. With your blinds closed, it keeps out solar heat from the sun that refracts through the glass.
Replace regular 60 watt bulbs with energy efficient compact flourescent light bulbs. They may be more expensive to buy initially compare to 60 watt bulbs, but they last 10x longer and use less energy overall.
Make sure any lighting is away from your thermostat. The heat given off by lights can make your air conditioner work harder, using more energy.
Consider installing low-flow shower heads to reduce hot water use.
When you need to buy a new appliance, or any lighting or electronics, make sure it has an ENERGY STAR® label.
Installing weather stripping around all of the exterior doors and windows keeps out drafts and your warm or cool air in. |
Cellphone Plans. Pull out your last few cellphone bills and see what the average amount of minutes you use compare to the amount of minutes in your plan. If you're using well under what your plan is, call your carrier to see if there is a less expensive plan with minutes closer to what you are using.
If you like sending text messages, look into how many texts you send and recieve each month. If you do it a lot, an unlimited or thousand text plan is for you. If not, go for a lesser plan to meet your needs.
If you have a data plan, again, find one to meet your needs.
Last of all, monitor your usage according to your plans to avoid overage fees. The last thing you want to do is unnecessarily give your carrier more of your money! |
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Credit Cards. Watch out for hidden fees. Take some time to read the fineprint to see where you may be getting charged. Also, make sure you're not signed up for programs through your credit lender that have annual fees.
Don't be late on your payments! Not only will you have late fees, but you will be negatively affecting your credit history.
Pay more than the minimum payment. Whatever you extra you can spare. If you only make minimum payments, it can stretch out the amount of time it takes to pay it off and you will actually pay more in the end because of interest.
Look for promotional offers from credit card companies in the mail for 0% interest. They usually last for a year and every dollar paid goes directly to the principal, helping you pay down your debt faster.
Think about your credit safety. The potential to be a victim of financial identity theft has grown exponentially over the last 5 years. What would be a small yearly investment in LifeLock, could be huge in protecting your information in the long-run. |
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