Cut Your Spending by $400 a Month!
Go Green and Save Some Green
• The Return of the Clothesline – Start using a clothesline or drying rack, and you’ll save nearly 6% on your monthly electric bill according to the Department of Energy…plus your house will be quieter & cooler! If your city or homeowners association prohibits clotheslines, your best option is a cloths drying rack (available at Target, Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond for about $30). If your monthly electric bill is $200, your friend the clothesline just saved you about $12 a month & $144 a year!
• Burn Calories, Not Gas – Walking or riding bikes is budget friendly, earth friendly and figure friendly…so, what do you have to lose? Maybe a few pounds???? Let’s here it for pedal power!
• Consider Carpools – Could you organize a carpool for work, school or after school activities? You’ll save both time and gas!
• Plan Ahead – Are you guilty of running errands every single day or making two trips to the store because you didn’t make a list? There’s more to life than errands, and planning ahead will save you both time and gas money.
• Slow Down – Driving 65 miles per hour uses 15% more gas than driving 55 miles per hour – that’s like paying 40 cents more per gallon! Of course, you’ll likely be the only one on the highway going 55!
• Pay Bills Online – Save trees, save stamps, save money!
• Find a Farmer’s Market – Discover your local farmer’s market, and your budget will love the prices and you’ll love the fresh taste of just picked produce! To find a farmer’s market near you.
• Stop Junk Mail – Save trees, save your sanity! It only takes a minute to visitDMAChoice.org to remove your name from mailing lists for catalogs, insurance offers and more! Or in Canada, leave the postman/woman a note on your mailbox.
• Reusable Lunch Containers – Instead of a brown bag, carry a lunch box. Instead of zip top bags, invest in reusable bags. You’ll spend a little money upfront, but you’ll save money in the long run.
• Stop Buying Bottled Water – Bottled water has become the American way, and up until a few years ago…I was guilty of buying a 24-pack every single week! WOW…that’s $4 a week, $16 a month and $208 a year for WATER! Stop buying bottled water and start buying refillable bottles for your family to take to work, school and sports.
• Unplug – Phantom Electricity is the electricity that is used when a device is plugged in but not in use. For example…you leave your cell phone charger plugged in all the time, but you only charge your phone every few days…did you know that your charger is still using electricity when it is plugged in but not charging? This is “Phantom Electricity”, and little bits are being used throughout your home everyday hence the name “phantom.” Wasted electricity is not earth friendly, and wasted electricity is wasting your money!
• Recycle, Recycle, Recycle – If you’re not recycling, this is a great week to start! The first step is to have a system and make sure everybody in your family understands it! The Budget Diet girl’s system is two trash cans in the kitchen – one for recycling and one for trash. After a few weeks, recycling will become a habit, and your neighbors will be green with envy when you only have one small bag of trash each week!
• Homemade Cleaning Products – Make the switch to homemade cleaning products that cost pennies to make and clean just as well without harsh chemicals.
• Repurpose – Look twice at things before throwing them away! Could you cut off the fronts of some of your Christmas cards to use a gift tags next year? Could you paint that old piece of furniture or spray paint a chandelier to give it a new life?
• Compost!
• Check Craigslist for free plants…you’ll almost always find them!
Shop Smarter
• Stock up on discounted gift cards for places you normally shop. How does 15% off at JC Penny or Pier 1 sound?
• If you shop online, start with Ebates.com – you’ll find coupon codes and earn cash back on every purchase!
• Stop making impulse purchases! Get in the habit of asking yourself if it’s a need or a want.
• Shop garage sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, Freecycle and consignment shops first – you never know what treasures you may find!
• Do you know the best times of the year to buy for maximum savings? Fall is the best time to buy a grill because stores need to make room for Christmas merchandise. Check out the Best Time To Buy Guide with listings by month.
• Consider homemade gifts and homemade Halloween costumes – you don’t have to be Martha Stewart with my ideas!
• Get in the habit of buying clothes during the end of season clearance.
• Be thankful for what you have instead of shopping for more!
More Ways to Save
• DIY – could you make it yourself or fix it yourself? Thanks to You Tube, there’s a video to teach you just about anything! You can even learn to fix a leaky toilet!
• Consider swapping babysitting or pet sitting with a neighbour.
• Cut your dry cleaning bill by switching to Costco Kirkland brand no-iron shirts. 5 shirts cost $79.95, and you’ll save about $250 a year on dry cleaning.
• Instead of a coin jar, try a $1 bill jar – you have to adjust for inflation, right?
Go Green and Save Some Green
• The Return of the Clothesline – Start using a clothesline or drying rack, and you’ll save nearly 6% on your monthly electric bill according to the Department of Energy…plus your house will be quieter & cooler! If your city or homeowners association prohibits clotheslines, your best option is a cloths drying rack (available at Target, Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond for about $30). If your monthly electric bill is $200, your friend the clothesline just saved you about $12 a month & $144 a year!
• Burn Calories, Not Gas – Walking or riding bikes is budget friendly, earth friendly and figure friendly…so, what do you have to lose? Maybe a few pounds???? Let’s here it for pedal power!
• Consider Carpools – Could you organize a carpool for work, school or after school activities? You’ll save both time and gas!
• Plan Ahead – Are you guilty of running errands every single day or making two trips to the store because you didn’t make a list? There’s more to life than errands, and planning ahead will save you both time and gas money.
• Slow Down – Driving 65 miles per hour uses 15% more gas than driving 55 miles per hour – that’s like paying 40 cents more per gallon! Of course, you’ll likely be the only one on the highway going 55!
• Pay Bills Online – Save trees, save stamps, save money!
• Find a Farmer’s Market – Discover your local farmer’s market, and your budget will love the prices and you’ll love the fresh taste of just picked produce! To find a farmer’s market near you.
• Stop Junk Mail – Save trees, save your sanity! It only takes a minute to visitDMAChoice.org to remove your name from mailing lists for catalogs, insurance offers and more! Or in Canada, leave the postman/woman a note on your mailbox.
• Reusable Lunch Containers – Instead of a brown bag, carry a lunch box. Instead of zip top bags, invest in reusable bags. You’ll spend a little money upfront, but you’ll save money in the long run.
• Stop Buying Bottled Water – Bottled water has become the American way, and up until a few years ago…I was guilty of buying a 24-pack every single week! WOW…that’s $4 a week, $16 a month and $208 a year for WATER! Stop buying bottled water and start buying refillable bottles for your family to take to work, school and sports.
• Unplug – Phantom Electricity is the electricity that is used when a device is plugged in but not in use. For example…you leave your cell phone charger plugged in all the time, but you only charge your phone every few days…did you know that your charger is still using electricity when it is plugged in but not charging? This is “Phantom Electricity”, and little bits are being used throughout your home everyday hence the name “phantom.” Wasted electricity is not earth friendly, and wasted electricity is wasting your money!
• Recycle, Recycle, Recycle – If you’re not recycling, this is a great week to start! The first step is to have a system and make sure everybody in your family understands it! The Budget Diet girl’s system is two trash cans in the kitchen – one for recycling and one for trash. After a few weeks, recycling will become a habit, and your neighbors will be green with envy when you only have one small bag of trash each week!
• Homemade Cleaning Products – Make the switch to homemade cleaning products that cost pennies to make and clean just as well without harsh chemicals.
• Repurpose – Look twice at things before throwing them away! Could you cut off the fronts of some of your Christmas cards to use a gift tags next year? Could you paint that old piece of furniture or spray paint a chandelier to give it a new life?
• Compost!
• Check Craigslist for free plants…you’ll almost always find them!
Shop Smarter
• Stock up on discounted gift cards for places you normally shop. How does 15% off at JC Penny or Pier 1 sound?
• If you shop online, start with Ebates.com – you’ll find coupon codes and earn cash back on every purchase!
• Stop making impulse purchases! Get in the habit of asking yourself if it’s a need or a want.
• Shop garage sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, Freecycle and consignment shops first – you never know what treasures you may find!
• Do you know the best times of the year to buy for maximum savings? Fall is the best time to buy a grill because stores need to make room for Christmas merchandise. Check out the Best Time To Buy Guide with listings by month.
• Consider homemade gifts and homemade Halloween costumes – you don’t have to be Martha Stewart with my ideas!
• Get in the habit of buying clothes during the end of season clearance.
• Be thankful for what you have instead of shopping for more!
More Ways to Save
• DIY – could you make it yourself or fix it yourself? Thanks to You Tube, there’s a video to teach you just about anything! You can even learn to fix a leaky toilet!
• Consider swapping babysitting or pet sitting with a neighbour.
• Cut your dry cleaning bill by switching to Costco Kirkland brand no-iron shirts. 5 shirts cost $79.95, and you’ll save about $250 a year on dry cleaning.
• Instead of a coin jar, try a $1 bill jar – you have to adjust for inflation, right?
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