Combine your connectivity costs. 3 of your bullets out of 13 deal with connectivity. Get rid of your cell phones altogether. (From what I understand it's possible to get out of a cell phone contract.) Sign up for the least expensive cable plan and start using one of the VOIP services like Vonage, OOMA or even MajcJack. In the mean time, best wishes and hopes to anyone facing this kind of thing right now. There's no dishonor in tightening your finances.
Combine your connectivity costs. 3 of your bullets out of 13 deal with connectivity. Get rid of your cell phones altogether. (From what I understand it's possible to get out of a cell phone contract.) Sign up for the least expensive cable plan and start using one of the VOIP services like Vonage, OOMA or even MajcJack. In the mean time, best wishes and hopes to anyone facing this kind of thing right now. There's no dishonor in tightening your finances.
If you can't cancel your high dollar cell plan without a cancellation fee, ask them about switching it to the lowest non-smartphone plan instead and just go buy a cheap prepaid for that use. I did this with my ex's phone when she bailed and I still had the contract for another 6 months and saved a ton. Your contract might allow you to switch to a non-smart phone with no data plan temporarily and then you can just switch back when you're able.
Black out curtains and window tint! I have a big sliding glass in my apartment and I spent $20 on cheap window tint and it made a huge difference in how hot it gets
There is plenty of ways to save money that you dont even think about. We actually make our own homemade laundry detergent. It costs about $8 to make total and makes a ton of the stuff and IMO works better then any of the stuff we buy off the shelf. You wouldnt think about it but when your buying Tide for $18 every month vs. $8 twice a year your saving $200/year on something as simple as that.
The one thing i would urge people not to do is stop watering your lawn. Disclaimer here is im in the Lawn care business but its allowed me to see the problems that come from not watering the lawn. The simple part is when you stop watering in during the heat it makes your lawn a garden for weed growth. The really bad part that most people dont think about is the foundation of your house. I cant tell you how many times during the summer when i go to treat a lawn the ground is cracked because noone is watering and you follow that dried out crack to the house and the foundation is cracked in the exact same spot.
You honestly wont save alot of money by not watering either. I put on average 600 gallons of water in my trucks a day then in the middle of the summer i water for 30 minutes per zone everyday its allowed and put a couple hundred gallons if not more in my pool each week and my water bill never clears $150. I would say we use about 5-10 times more water a month then the average household. So just watering your yard should still keep you under the $100 mark easily and your foundation will last alot longer.
Just something to think about.
The one thing i would urge people not to do is stop watering your lawn. Disclaimer here is im in the Lawn care business but its allowed me to see the problems that come from not watering the lawn. The simple part is when you stop watering in during the heat it makes your lawn a garden for weed growth. The really bad part that most people dont think about is the foundation of your house. I cant tell you how many times during the summer when i go to treat a lawn the ground is cracked because noone is watering and you follow that dried out crack to the house and the foundation is cracked in the exact same spot.
You honestly wont save alot of money by not watering either. I put on average 600 gallons of water in my trucks a day then in the middle of the summer i water for 30 minutes per zone everyday its allowed and put a couple hundred gallons if not more in my pool each week and my water bill never clears $150. I would say we use about 5-10 times more water a month then the average household. So just watering your yard should still keep you under the $100 mark easily and your foundation will last alot longer.
Just something to think about.
In many (if not most, based upon my previous experience at a large retailer) cases, the doubling at Homeland is just to make you feel better.
For example, I can get a 64oz jar of Mt. Olive pickles at Atwoods for $3.29 (IIRC). The 24oz at Homeland was $5-something that same day, and they only double up to $1 coupons (or $2 max, with obvious exceptions for face-value above $1).
Just because the receipt says "You saved XXX" doesn't really mean you paid less than what you could have got it for anywhere else, kind of like just because it says "Rollback" doesn't mean it's priced less than it was 90 days ago.
Lower your heat to 65 and wear sweats/hoodies. Definitely eat at home, pack your own lunch. If you are like me, I take two showers a day. Limit water usage, make sure all lights are turned out when not in use. Try and carpool with someone to and from work. If you have kids, cut extra sports activities to save on gas, concessions, entry fees. Pick up a part time job. SOME employers are willing to work with you. If not, walk out it's not your primary source of income. Where do you work or what do you do? You could always sell your nice car and drive a cheap one for awhile......
People on septic systems should make sure that the ingredients used are septic-safe.
Yep. I do this at home during the day when my wife is at work. (I work in a home office.) 63 heat in the winter and 82 cool in the summer. We went from an average bill of $260 (sometimes close to $400) trying to keep the trailer at 74 year-round 24/7 to an average bill of $180 that rarely gets above $220. If it's below 40 out, we'll burn wood which gets the whole house to 75 or so with a burn rate of 1/3 log/hr.
Thanks , lots of good ideas.
I know it would be more beneficial to quit, but if you smoke , try rolling your own.
About $13.30 per carton compared to $55 for Marlboro's, plus its pipe tobacco so it doesnt have the "extra " stuff in it.
Healther, Maybe, quitting would still be the best, but until then. Good Luck
I know it would be more beneficial to quit, but if you smoke , try rolling your own.
About $13.30 per carton compared to $55 for Marlboro's, plus its pipe tobacco so it doesnt have the "extra " stuff in it.
Healther, Maybe, quitting would still be the best, but until then. Good Luck
in for later and thanks for all the great ideas
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