Save Money On Your Monthly Bills

Owning a home can be very costly.  You have numerous expenses such as mortgage, insurance, and utilities, but don't worry; there are many different techniques that you can use to save money on your monthly bills.

Electricity:

1. Lower the temperature in your hot water heater to anywhere between 110-120 degrees.  Having the temperature any higher than 120 wastes a lot of electricity and is unnecessary.

2.  Put fluorescent light bulbs in those light fixtures that you leave on for long periods of time.  Fluorescent bulbs last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs and provide much more light.

3.  Insulating your hot water heater and putting in new windows could save you lots of money on electricity each year.  A home with windows that leak air will have much higher electricity bills.

4.  Dryers consume a lot of electricity, so try to use your dryer less frequently.  Hang your clothes up to air dry instead. 

5. Use a microwave rather than an oven whenever you can.  Ovens can use up to twice as much electricity as a microwave.

6. Turn your air conditioner down when you are not home.  There is no sense in cooling a house when you are not there.

7.  Turn things off when you're not using them.  Things such as TVs, computers, and lights do not need to be on if you are not using them.

Water:

 1.  When washing laundry, always wash full loads.  Doing two large loads of laundry saves more water than washing several small loads. 

2.  Use warm or cold water instead of hot water when washing clothes.  Also, use cold water for the rinse cycle.

3.  Fix leaking toilets and sinks immediately.  A leaking toilet can waste 1,000s of gallons of water each year.

4.  Install low flow shower heads and faucets.  These restrict the water you're using, and can also prevent you from wasting 1,000s of gallons of electricity.

5.  Only run your dishwasher when it is full, and let the dishes air dry rather than using the drying cycle.

Insurance

1.  Home insurance is pretty important. It is required if you have a mortgage on your house, and can protect you if something such as a fire destroys your home.  Home insurance doesn't have to be expensive. You need to make sure you compare quotes from multiple home insurance companies to ensure that you are getting the cheapest rate possible with the best coverage amount.  Home insurance premiums can vary greatly from company to company, so it's a good idea to compare quotes from a few different companies. One company might offer you a rate much lower than another.  You might want to consider getting your home insurance and your car insurance with the same company. This can save you a lot of money each year.  InsuranceRates4Less.com allows you to compare quotes from multiple home insurance providers in your area for free.   It is a great tool to help you lower your insurance premium. 

Other Utilities:

 1.  If you don't need cable TV, don't pay for it every month.  Cable TV can cost over 100 dollars a month.  Some people pay for channels they don't even use. 

2.  Stick to basic phone service.  You don't need features like call waiting and call forwarding.  These can almost double your phone bill.  If you use your cell phone alot, you might want to consider getting rid of your main home phone line.

3.  When landscaping your yard, plant perennial flowers rather than annual flowers that only last one year.

Mortgage:

 1.  Consider refinancing your home to get a lower interest rate.

2.  Consider getting a 15 year mortgage instead of a 30 year.

3.  You can save a considerable amount of money if you pay an extra principle payment on your loan each month.

4.  Pay half of your mortgage every two weeks rather than the whole thing once a month. This can help you pay off your mortgage much sooner and save you lots of money on interest.