10 ways to save on your household expenses today
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As many of you know, I am obsessed with finding ways to cut any and every bill.  As a family of 5, living on one income we have to find every way to cut where we can.  Again, your not getting this post from the stay at home mom whose husband makes six figures and, is saving money for fun not out of need…lol.

I am the average American, the average mom, in the trenches with you looking for ways to save in every area of my life to pay our bills… to pay off debt…to save for a family vacation or to put our kids in soccer. So, as the seasons change I want to share with you 10 ways that you can save money on your household bills TODAY.

1.  Turn off the lights.

I am borderline psychotic with this! Every time we are not in a room, we turn out the lights.  This usually means me running behind everyone and reminding them but it gets done!  We see about a $15-20 difference in our bill on the months I do this versus the ones that I get lazy with it.  Also, when we have friends over we let this go but during our normal day to day routine, we monitor “unused” lights.

2.  Adjust your heat.

I am one of those people that are usually colder than everyone else in the house but, during the day I turn the heat down to 65°(while the sun is still shining) and at night we keep it at 70°.  To stay extra warm on those super cold winter days, we bundle up.  We wear sweatshirts rather than shorts around the house. Also, having a little one at home can really make you want your home to stay extra warm so, we put a little space heater in his room as well as the 4 of us tend to sleep better in colder temps anyways.  This can save you hundreds every month.

3. Block the breeze.

There is a lot of cold air that comes in from around your door and your windows, unless they are brand new.  If that is the case, Lucky You! You are definitely saving money but for the rest of us it saves a lot on heating when you get a draft guard for your door.  This will seal your door.  We are shocked by how much this makes our entry way and downstairs a lot warmer.  This means we can keep our thermostat at a lower temperature.

4.  Run your appliances at night.

I learned this tip a few years back.  Rather than running the dishwasher and doing laundry during the day, save it for after bedtime and save on your electricity bill.  Peak hours=more money.  Rates are actually lower at night and you can save 30-40% on your monthly bill.

5.  Replace bulbs with LED lights.

These light bulbs up front are more expensive than the normal ones.  However, over the long run they will save you way more than the cheap ones that seem better to buy.  These light bulbs will last you up to 5 times longer than your average light bulb, which in turn saves you money!

6.  Grill all year long.

So many people feel that you can only grill out in the summer.  You will save money if you use your grill all through the year to cook a few meals on.  So bundle up and get grilling! If you need a new grill, this is the time of year to get one at a great discount!

7.  Shorten your shower.

I don’t usually take long showers becuase I’m usually rushing due to my children or the fear my toddler might burn down the house.  However, if you like to take longer showers, shorten your shower by even a few minutes and compare your monthly bill and be amazed.  Every little bit counts.

8.  Wash on cold.

I wash almost all of our clothes on cold since I found out the savings behind using cold or hot water.  Unless, you feel like it’s absolutely necessary, wash it on cold and save some big bucks.

9.  Unplug everything.

Unplugging your electronics at night, or even that coffee pot and microwave will also affect your bill.  Even if it’s off, it still uses electricity and, eats up your money.  So, take an extra second or two to unplug and save a few extra dollars.

10.  Cut the cable.

This is one of the largest ways we save.  Cutting or lowering your cable package will save you dramatic amounts of money every month.  Use a satellite, get Netflix or just remove the sports channels from your package, and head to a sports bar instead.  This can save you 100+ in a month.

These 10 tips can save you a lot of money every month.  Just try one month where you take the time to implement these practices and you will be shocked the extra money you gain in your monthly budget.  If you are looking for more money saving ideas.  Check out “How we live well on one income.”

Thanks for following!!

XOXO

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72 comments

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Love these tips!! I always try to cut back on household bills.. it’s the easiest thing to do when it comes to saving some dough because, let’s be honest, it’s not gonna be on the fun stuff 😉 hehe

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LOL Glad these are helpful to you!

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I didn’t know it is cheaper to run appliances at night! Good tip! We recently got rid of cable and use amazon and netflix saving us over $100 monthly!

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YES! That is so awesome!! Happy saving!

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Thanks for the tips! I just started washing on cold and then my husband switched it to hot. I guess I should be happy he’s doing laundry. (-:

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Thanks! LOL yea that is true! You win some you loose some!

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really good tips!!! thanks for sharing…

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Thanks!

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already doing most, just gotta try the grilling year round we get super cold here in Michigan.

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That’s fantastic!! Yea, that can be be a challenge lol

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I didn’t even know if I run my appliances at night, that saves money! Good thing that’s usually when I catch up on dishes and laundry 😉 Thanks for the tips, mama!

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LOL that’s awesome!

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These are great ideas. I have done most of them and it really does help cut back. Especially in the dead of winters.

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That’s awesome! Yes exactly!

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Such great tips! I had no idea it was cheaper to run appliances at night. I am forever following everyone around shutting off the lights. I also need to start unplugging more. We got space heaters for this winter too because I am always cold and our windows are OLD.

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That’s great yes with old windows, space heaters is a great idea!

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Great ideas. We’ve been throwing around the idea of cutting the cable. My hubby just doesn’t think he could live without football! lol

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Hey i understand my husband is obsessed but, wants to save money more lol

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How did I not know about the appliances at night!! Omg I am mind blown. These are all such great tips. My husband is the only one with a steady income so this will help so much!

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Oh that’s fantastic! I’m so glad you found a helpful way to save.

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You have officially converted me to a night time laundry/dishwasher user. Such great tips! I have approached the cutting cable idea many times with my husband but he is not going for it yet!

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Awesome! LOL Yes, husbands are usually the hardest part to overcome for no cable. LOL.

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I’ve been implementing a few of these, like washing on cold. thanks for sharing these!

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That’s great! Yes, that is super easy and saves!

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We’ve cut our cable and gone to amazonFire. This has made an absolute difference in both what we watch (less TV, wahoo) and how much we spend. The only thing we don’t always get is baseball… other than that, its great!

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Oh wow that is excellent! Great job!

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These are some great tips! I never thought about running the washer at non-peak hours!

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Thanks so much!

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I love how simple each of these ideas are! I do most on this list, but a few are new to me! I will say that by only plugging in our microwave when we use it saves more money than I thought it would! I am going to try out your laundry theory of washing at night… That is definitely a tip I have not seen before now!

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Oh really! I’m glad I shared something new! It will help for sure!

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I didn’t even think about peak hours for electricity! This is so smart – thanks for this list!

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Thanks so much!

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Great list! We just cut our cable. Now there are days that go by in which we never turn on the tv.

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That’s great!

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These are great tips! Regarding “Adjust your heat.”, I love that we are between summer and winter, so we aren’t paying for AC or heat right now!

We should really consider grilling in the fall and winter too. It’s true that it doesn’t need to be just a summer event!

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Yes! Exactly! I know I’m loving this weather.

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We’ve done a lot of these things over the past year or so and have noticed a difference! We held off on the LEDs until they went on sale and am sooo happy we switched! Great tips!

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Yes! They have great sales too!

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I never knew running the appliances at night saved money. Thanks for sharing!!

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Yep! no problem!

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We cut cable several years ago, and though I miss having HGTV at my beck and call, I don’t miss that bill! LOL! Now, keeping things unplugged? That’s my next mission! It’s amazing how much that wastes!

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LOL That is great! I do miss HGTV Too!!!

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Great tips! So many people I know have been cutting the cord but I;m not sure I’m ready to make that move!

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LOL Well try to use the other tips and you will still save greatly!

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I am working on cable now! Appliances at night is a great one! Thanks. I also call my cell phone provider every few months and ask for any specials or promotions .

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That’s a great extra tip! Thanks!

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These are all great ideas! I keep our house even colder at night – I keep it at 65, haha! Suck it up kids! I try to do washing at night, but it is so much easier during the day when I am already home, I have to readjust my day!

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Yes, it is easier too for me as I am home but, I try to just put in a load after the kids go to bed and knock it out while I watch TV 🙂

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These are great suggestions! I will have to try the appliances at night!

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Yes! You will see a difference!

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These are such great tips! I always need ways to save money!

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That’s awesome! I’m so glad!

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My husband and I have replaced all our bulbs with LED bulbs and it’s really made a big difference. Great suggestions, all of them!

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That’s awesome! Thank you!

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These are some really great ideas, and so important in today’s economy where it is so important to make every dollar count! Thank you for sharing!!

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Yes! I agree. Thanks!

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We just got rid of our cable TV and don’t miss it one bit. We saved $70 a month and got Netflix for $10 a month instead.

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Great idea!!

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Really great tips! With my husband in medical school, I’m always looking for ways to save money right now!

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Oh yes! I am sure! Hope these are helpful!

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Oh wow the tip about running appliances at night- SUPER BRILLIANT. I can’t believe I’ve never thought or heard of this before. Starting this now. 🙂

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That’s awesome! I’m glad I could help!

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Great ideas, I had never thought of doing laundry and dishes at night instead of during the day. I’m going to have to try it. We cut cable and it has saved us a ton of money.

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That’s fantastic. That is our biggest savings!

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Hmm these are awesome tips! I have not heard of the 30- 40% lower tip! So switching up!

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Yep! Awesome!

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these are great tips! i have never even thought about the importance of using the appliances at night. i wonder how much you actually save by unplugging things. i’m trying to work on my husband to get rid of the satellite. we hardly ever use it!!

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Thanks so much! Yes, it’s amazing these differences can have.

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These are great tips! I.hadn’t thought about running dishwasher or the laundry at night!

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That’s fantastic! I’m glad I shared something new!

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I’m not so sure about keeping it cooler in the winter. I’d rather be comfortable in my home than really cold. When I moved in, I did have the heat a bit lower and it only saved about $10 in a month which wasn’t worth it to me.

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Aww, wow that is interesting. I have definitely noticed a big difference in my bill from keeping it 75 to lowering it to 68-70 🙂 Hope you found other helpful tips!

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