Frugal Moms: Part 3

Today I thought that I would touch on the basics a little bit. We have looked at coupons and how to start making your own meals. Now we will look at a few tips and tricks to save some money on your bills around the house.

1. Stop wasting. This applies to almost anything. For example, people tend to waste a ton of food. To help prevent wasting so much food there are so many things you can do. Don’t buy things you don’t need. Create a weekly menu for your family. This way you are buying what you need and nothing additional. Check your pantry before you go grocery shopping as well. A lot of the time you will find that there are some things in your pantry that you can create a meal around.
2. Watch how you wash your laundry. You spend a lot of money on the things that make your house run. To help reduce your electric and water bill start washing your clothes a little bit different. Wash all your clothing in cold water. People tend to think that their clothes will not get as clean if they don’t wash them in warm or hot water. This is simply not true. Also, when your ready to wash clothes, don’t wash a load that isn’t full.
3. Turn it off. If your not using it then turn it off. So many people leave electronics around their house on when they are not using it. You don’t realize how much electricity you are wasting by not turning things off and by have multiple things on at the same time. I am sure there are some people out there who are guilty of having a television on and being on the computer at the same time.
4. Stop buying bottled water. You waste so much money on buying bottled water. Not only that, but it is way better for the environment for us to stop using so many plastic water bottles. It is so easy to go and buy a reusable container for your water and by a filter system. It may be a small saving at first, but it will really add up.
5. Change your light bulbs. Change out your current light bulbs for lower voltage light bulbs or energy saving light bulbs. You will see your electric bill slowly decrease.
6. Keep your thermostat at 70 or below. There is no reason to have your thermostat over 70 degrees. I know a lot of people like their homes warm, but really if you keep it at 70 or below you will see a drastic change in your heating bill. If your still cold and it is 70 degrees in your home then just toss on a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt. I usually keep my house around 67.
7. Take showers. Forget the bath. Take showers and keep the under 10 minutes. Save the bath for a special occasion when you need to relax a bit.
8. Stop using paper products. Now I don’t mean all paper products, but you should stop using paper plates, napkins, towels and cups. There really is no need for them. Yes, I have to admit they are nice to have around. If you want a snack you can just grab a paper plate then toss it, but it is a huge waste of money, not to mention hard on our environment. If your guilty of using all of these, then pick the one you feel you can’t live without and toss the rest.