What are some things that you cut out or cut back on to reduce your monthly bills?

Question

We've already cut out cable and are trying to cut way back on eating out.

What are some other things you have done to cut back?

Answer 1

If your vehicles are paid for, cut your insurance from Full coverage to liability only.

Cut out manicures/pedicures and do them yourself

limit the number of times you go to the hairdresser.

Join either Sam's or Costco, buy your meat from there and seperate it into portions to fit your family size. Make sure you are there on Saturday Morning when they open the doors. You will be able to pick up the meat that they didn't sell on Friday for between 30 - 50% off.

Cook at home. Try new recipes, you may be surprised to find that what you cook actually tastes better than what you can get in a restaurant. Do not go out to eat

Rent a movie instead of going to the theater

Do all of your errands on one day, such as Saturday, that way you are not wasting gas

Turn off lights, appliances, etc. when not in a room

set you air conditioner to 80 degrees, close your blinds to keep the heat out of the house, turn on your ceiling fans to circulate the air. DO NOT use your oven during the heat of the day.

Wash your clothing in cold water, use a good detergent and bleach on your whites to get them clean. Only wash a load when you have a FULL load.

run your dishwasher ONLY when it is full

Take a shower instead of a bath, turn the water way down as you lather up, turn the water off while brushing your teeth.

Pay your bills online instead of mailing them, saves on postage.

Cut out your internet, because believe it or not, you can live without it. Check your e-mail at the local library

Get a library card, you can check out books, movies and even in some cases, video games.

Answer 2

To see where you are in comparison to others, I would ask neighbors if they are willing to tell you what their bills or usage is. Rates, climates and house types/size will affect your bill. I have a 2000sf 2 story home and use about 45kwh per day in the summer and about 15-20 in the winter. My lowest rate for electricity is .084 per kwh for the 1st tier and goes up to just over .11 I think. I have a solar system, so I don't have the other rates on my bill. You can cut down by insulating, blocking drafts, and lowering your thermostat. Using energy efficient lights and turning things off when not in use. Unplugging or using power strips with switches, electronics, many use energy when turned off. Unplugging chargers. Shutting down your computer when you aren't using it, clearing off your unused icons, and using a blank screen for your screen saver. Using human power instead of electricity. Sweep instead of vacuum, use a spoon to mix instead of a mixer, etc.

Answer 3

cutting back on the eating out thing will definitely help out a lot. make sure to unplug things when not using them, lights, toasters, things like that. cut coupons they save a lot in the end. Plan meals ahead for the week and shop just for those items. Good luck

Answer 4

If you smoke, quit.

If you drink, drink cheaper stuff.

Get a credit card that offers a good reward program and pay everything on the card. I have been doing this for a couple years now and I am able to get $600 credit on my Credit Card bill if I want to redeem my reward points.

Look around for cheaper auto/life/homeonwer insurances

If you use a lawn service, try doing it yourself

Try car-pooling to work to save on gas

Bring own meals to work instead of buying them there

Look into different phone plans (if you have cell phones, you may not need a land-line phone)

Wait for sales to buy clothing

Clip coupons and print them online (you would be amazed at what you can get coupons for online)

Buy generic names products when possible

Answer 5

Anything that is not a necessity can be cut back. One thing you may try is to keep track of all expenditures (I use my computer for this) and have a set budget for various things like dining out or entertainment. Of course, you have to start with how much money you actually have for these things and then go from there.

Answer 6

If you haven't already, you can do little things around the house, like turn off the fan/light when you're not in the room, limit tv use (it's amazing how many hours of tv people watch a day), set a timer for showering, and use fans and light sheets at night instead of the AC.

Answer 7

Try replacing the light bulbs in your place with flourecent bulbs that last for five years and take a 5th less power. Instead of buying the name brands for food products buy the generic store brand instead it usually will save you at least 30% to 40%. Taking your lunch to work can save quite a bit and you will find yourself eating healthier as well.

Answer 8

1) Eating out
2) Impulsive buys (magazines, candy, anything you don't truly "need")
3) Entertainment - rent a DVD as opposed to going out to the movies
4) Run the major appliances (dishwasher, washer/dryer, etc.) before 9 am or after 8 pm (there is a "non-peak hours" rebate with most hydro companies)
5) Trade services with neighbours, fellow city dwellers (you'll watch their kids while they grocery shop if they cut your lawn, Mechanic Joe does your breaks if you as Accountant Sue complete their taxes, etc.)

Lots n lots of stuff - do a "gallup poll" of friends and family to see how they cut corners or an internet search and you'll be amazed!

Answer 9

1. no eating out
2. no cell phone
3. no air conditioning
4. no shopping - Wal-mart/K-mart etc
5. Make a menu according to weekly sales, use meats to make 2 meals such as a roast on Sunday and leftover roast to make beef and noodles.
6. Eat before you go grocery shopping so you dont overspend on junk at store
7. Plan what you need in town and do it once a week so your not driving around wasting gas

Answer 10

1) stop eating out.
2) stop buying gourmet coffee drinks
3) quit smoking (haven't managed this yet, but working on it!)
4) stop buying DVDs, CDs, books
5) only buy new clothes when absolutely necessary
6) buy groceries instead of prepared food - cook your own!