Have you ever faced financial difficulties? Working for a minimum wage? Losing a house you love? Did it ever seem like your house is literally eating up your paychecks? Felt desperate about it? If so, here you will find some examples on how you can save up money by doing some minor changes in your daily life…

Heating

The first thing you should check is your heating expenses. Check how much gas and/or electricity you use to heat your house to feel warm and cozy every day. You can save more money on this than you think! Try to seal your windows and doors with vinyl siding, maybe even change your regular wooden windows to plastic ones, well anything basically just so keep the warmth inside the house. In this way you will reduce your gas or electricity consumption to the minimum, because the warmth will stay inside.

Electricity

To reduce general electricity consumption, walk around your house searching for some unused electrical appliances you barely use, check how much electricity they use, let’s say a fridge, which I found unnecessary standing in my basement cost me about seven dollars per month. Try not to use your dishwasher too often; you can always use your hands to wash the dishes. That would save you around ten dollars per month, that’s 120 per year! The other thing which eats up electricity is your clothes dryer, try putting your clothes on a rope outside and let the wind and sun do the rest. Believe me it works fine!

Make sure you always turn off the light when leaving the room for a longer time, maybe even consider changing the light bulbs from a 100-watt (0.1 kW) to a 60-watt (0.06 kW) or even a 40-watt (0.04 kW). Also if you have a computer, don’t leave it on when you don’t use it, not even for music, you could turn on your radio instead, it uses way less electricity than your personal computer. Check if you leave any chargers for your mobile phone plugged in, because it uses electricity for fifteen minutes even if you already charged your phone. Direct your air conditioner to the rooms you use, don’t waste energy, because everything will show up on your utility bill. Use your imagination!

Water

To cut down the water bill a bit consider taking a bath instead of a shower once in a while and you will definitely notice the difference. You don’t even imagine how much water runs down your pipes when you’re in a shower!

Recycling

Have ever tried recycling? You get money if you gather old newspapers, warn off books, put them together and bring them to the recycling point. It would give you an extra dime or two. You can do the same with glass bottles and tin cans also. And you can start sorting your trash while you’re at it! It does not only save your money, but it is also great for environment! Start making a difference.

You can also save money if you watch TV. Just stop buying TV programs, you can always check on your favorite TV shows by browsing the teletext on your TV screen.

Random advices

If you don’t use the internet too often, you should check on some limited internet plans, they are cheaper, and if you work till six pm, you can search for one which would allow you to browse the net only from six till 8am. This should save you about 15 dollars per month.

If you’re not into fashion too much, there are always some second hand stores, where you can find clothes which are as good as new and for cheap!

Set your toilet tank to use 3 liters to flush instead of 5 that would save you 2 liters of water every time you flush.

Try making your own coffee instead of buying it in some café, every time you pay $2 for a cup of coffee, when you could make 40 cups only for $4!

Eating out is also a money consumption machine, go to your nearest grocery store and buy ingredients needed for your favorite meal and make it on your own instead of paying a triple price for it. Of course you don’t have to do it every time, just if you don’t eat out too often, it could save you around $20 a week!

If you do everything right, use the examples given in this article, add your own imagination and wisdom, you could be saving up to $300 per month.

You will see that not only it will save your hard earned money, but it will also make you feel better. You will help the environment also!

I hope you found this article helpful. Try to think of your own ways to save money also, you know you can!