Need to know how to save money on utilities? These tips will save you money month after month. Bank the difference & watch your savings grow!
There are two types of people in this world.
There’s the one who goes around the house turning off lights behind everyone else. And then there’s the one who doesn’t know that the switch also goes back down.
Chances are that you spent most of your childhood as the second one, but quickly changed to the first person after receiving your first electric bill.
Yikes.
Luckily, there are ways to lower that bill. And all of those other pesky bills that show up month after month, too.
How to Save the Most Money on Utility Bills
Just trying to figure out where you can buy this light fixture? We got it from Amazon. It’s really pretty, and does require some assembly, but it wasn’t bad. I do suggest you get these extra light bulbs.
How to Lower Your Water Bill
Our family has an unusual water situation.
We don’t have “city” water that comes through pipes. But we also don’t have a cistern or well that we can use for personal use.
Our family lives on giant tanks. We’re at the mercy of a man who hauls water to us as we need it.
As you can imagine, this has lit a fire under us to conserve on water usage. So I have an entire blog post dedicated to ways to use less water.
Cut BackPhone Costs
Do you still have a landline? Cutting it can often be a quick way to save.
On the other hand, sometimes having a landline actually saves you more money.
We have one because we get cheaper internet by adding a phone line. I’m not sure why it works that way, but I do like having the phone for the kids to use in case of an emergency.
If you don’t have a free or cheap landline, and cutting it is not an option, there are other ideas to explore. Here’s a fairly comprehensive review of Vonage and MagicJack devices.
Both are cheap alternatives to traditional landlines, but they do require high speed internet.
Lower the Cell Phone Bill
As far as cell phones go, you’ve got more choices than you think. Google Fi and Republic Wireless are cheap options.
We used Republic Wireless for years and it worked great at a fraction of the cost.
If you’re stuck in a contract…stop signing contracts! Save up and buy the phone you want.
I find great prices on phones on eBay or Swappa.
Be sure it’s unlocked so you can shop around for the best option.
Older models or rebuilt phones will cost less. While rebuilt phones don’t seem to last as long, we have used them. They’re a great option if you need something affordable.
How to Keep Your Power Bill Low
How to Keep Your Power Bill LowIf you follow just one rule, it should be If you can unplug it, unplug it.
“Vampire electricity” is the term for appliances and electronics that suck up your electricity, even when you aren’t using them.
Do you really need 4 different clocks in our kitchen? (None of ours ever read the same time, anyway.)
Unplug the coffee maker when you aren’t using it.
Flip the switch on the power strip to turn off all the devices attached.
Sometimes it will save you enough money to justify purchasing some power saving devices. (Don’t spend money on anything not guaranteed to save you money based on your own habits.)
Devices that cansave you money on electricity:
- Power saving electric plugs. These have mixed reviews, so research your electric type before buying.
- Foldable clothes drying rack.
- This simple drying rack is great for smaller items. (So they don’t get dropped and have to be rewashed.)
- Programmable timer for those things no one can seem to remember to unplug or turn off.
- Window kit, especially good for keeping heat in upstairs.
- Programmable thermostat (Best for families that are often away from home. Otherwise, just turn the thermostat yourself!)
Here are some ideas for helping you save on heat bills.
Cut Back On Trash
Trash is a bill that is different everywhere.
Removing trash might be part of your taxes or rental fees. You may pay more or less for recycling. Ask your local government.
I know people who didn’t pay for trash removal, but loaded their trash in the back of the truck and took it straight to the town dumpster or the dump themselves.
Others recycle nearly everything to avoid this fee.
Our own trash bill doesn’t cost much, but it is a pest because the bill shows up every 3 months and always surprises me.
Cut TV Prices
I have lived nearly my entire life without cable or satellite television. And I’m still living and breathing!
These days, there are so many alternatives that paying an expensive cable bill seems silly.
Obvious choices include Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. You can often get a free trial of these services to see if they are right for you.
Some phone services offer freebies of streaming services. Verizon customers can get Disney+ for free. T-Mobile customers had the chance to get Paramount Plus for free for a year.
Look for better deals on streaming.
Or go without any services. Why not?
News can be found on the internet.
You can get your local channels (and probably some extras, too) by using an antennae like this one.
The library has all sorts of DVDs you can get for free. And the thrift shop has them for cheap.
If you already have Amazon Prime, there are plenty of watching options there as well. And even if you occasionally buy a movie, you’ll still come out ahead.
Knowing how to save money on utilities makes you super smart.
And if you purchase an electric saving device,you won’t have to be guy number one…OR guy number two!
How do you save on utilities?
Find out how our family of 8 keeps a good stockpile of food on a budget. Here are the steps we take that make it easy to always have plenty of food on hand.
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Emily @ JohnJaneDoeon January 9, 2017 at 11:15 am
Thanks for the mention!
We paid for trash removal for two months, then my hubby decided to just take it to the dump himself. It takes him about 45 minutes once a month and saves us over $700 a year, so well worth it. We compost to make our trash less smelly (and get good soil for gardening) and shred and burn sensitive documents.
We dropped down to basic $10/month cable last year and dropped it entirely this month in exchange for a Sling subscription. (We already had Netflix and Amazon Prime). We like Sling, but PlayStation Vue is another option for cord cutters. It’s a bit more expensive, but has a few more tiers of channels, doesn’t actually require a PlayStation, and comes with a net-based DVR. (Jon still misses DVR capabilities.)
Jamie Jefferson January 9, 2017 at 11:19 am
I hadn’t heard of PlayStation Vue. (I’m not that big on TV, but Hubby probably knows about it.) Thanks for the info!
ShannonHon January 9, 2017 at 1:39 pm
I don’t know if this “saves” us money but it sure makes a difference on budgeting for utilities. We live in the frozen north lands and so we spend a pretty penny on heating our home for several months of the year. We called the gas company (hooray for natural gas!) and set up even pay with them. We pay the same amount each month and settle up once a year – generally the bill adjusts by a few dollars – and usually our favor as we are cool house friends and keep our thermostat around 65 unless we have arcticly low temps (think -30 like last week!) .It keeps us from getting crazy high bills in December and January and crazy low bills in July and August. While the crazy low bills would be great, the money would be spent and not set aside for the crazy high months.
We have done the same with electric as well. If our town would, we would do this for city utilities too but we’re just not that sophisticated here. 😉 Since I can’t control the City Utility bill (water, sewer and trash) in the same way, I just pay it like an even pay bill. I looked at what the bill was for 12 months, added it up and divided by 12 – note, we started this in the winter when we have lower bills so we were building ahead rather than being behind. We almost always have a surplus by the summer – when we use more water for our lawn – and end up about even the rest of the year. I’m certain there is a city accountant rolling their eyes at my billing account, but hey, no fair complaining until they join the 21st century and get even pay. 🙂
