Save Money Save On Your Electric Bill

One significant way to save money is by trimming your utility bills—especially your electric bill. Here are ten tips that will help you save on your electric bill:
1) House temperature—how cool or how warm do you keep your house? What’s the setting for your thermostat? It is recommended you set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher in the summer and around 65 or cooler in the winter. You will save an estimated 3% on your electric bill for each degree you raise your thermostat in the summer and each degree you lower it in the winter.
2) Use an electronic thermostat. Because it is programmable, you really can set it and forget it. While you are away from home or asleep the house can be maintained at an economical temperature, then automatically prepared for comfort when you awake or come home.
3) Turn down the temperature of your water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees F. That temperature is warm enough for bathing, laundry, and cleaning dishes.
4) Vacuum the coils and check the door seals of your refrigerator. A running refrigerator uses a lot of electricity, but a little maintenance will let you save money. Also, minimize the number of times you open the door to your refrigerator and/or freezer.
5) In summer and spring use fans instead of the air conditioning. Moving air makes you feel cool and you will find you save on your electric bill if you aren’t running the air conditioner all the time.
6) Use electric appliances with discretion. Use your clothes dryer only if there is no way to let your clothes hang to dry. And, if you must use your dryer make sure you have a full load of clothes and only run it long enough for drying: Not only will you save on your electric bill, but did you know over-drying makes your clothes wear out faster? Another appliance to take control of is the television—turn off that TV if no one is watching it.
7) Replace standard light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs. They burn less electricity and you save money.
8) Turn off lights you are not using. Just turn off the lights when you leave a room—if no one is in the room, why keep the lights on? This is one of the easiest ways to cut power usage and save on your electric bill.
9) Reduce the number lights you use. Rooms are often much brighter than the task at hand requires.
10) Use your windows. They are a natural source for daytime light and often can be used to maintain your home at a comfortable temperature naturally.
As you begin to use these money saving tips you may think to yourself, “There is not one tip here that saves me a lot of money.” You are right. However, by routinely using as many of these tips as you can with practicality, you will save on your electric bill and that will allow you to save money.

Buyer Beware

Change your attitude about money.


Too often we get hooked in to buying more than we need or better than we need: I need a pair of pants to work around the house—nothing fancy. I end up buying a new pair of jeans or kakis. Something from a garage sale or thrift shop would work just fine, but my mind set is “MALL” and at the mall I’m going to find a name brand and pay full price. I’ll end up with an expensive pair of pants that are too nice for my purpose.

Or the cars we drive? We all want new or better. Instead keep in mind what will do the job and what’s affordable. Some occupations require an impressive car (or suit)—but do you have that occupation? If you don’t then go with what is adequate. Don’t let better rob you of best.

Before buying anything, look at what you need and what will do. I’m not going to say secondhand and used is always the way to go. I’m saying think before you buy. Get what you need. —What you save can go a long way towards easing unexpected challenges that come up.