Money Mondays: Saving on 7

Today over at Simple Dollar, Trent is talking about how to save money on the 7 most common bills. Here's my take on these 7 items.




Energy: I'm a renter so I don't do any long lasting improvements on my properties. The three best ways I've found to save on this are (1) power strips: put as many energy suckers as you can on power strip so you can easily click it off, (2) sweaters: turn down the thermostat, this is a hard one for me because I love being warm. So I pile on the down blanket, put on my sweatpants and keep the thermostat turned down. I also try to drop it down another few degrees when I'll be out of the house for the day and turn it down to 50 if I will be out of town. (3) rent newer and smaller properties: the largest utility bills I have ever had is when I rented older spaces. I love the character but the lack of insulation and old windows, don't help much.

Mortgage/Rent: I admit I'm not as good about this because I'm all about location. Biggest tip is to not be wow'd by bigger or flashier spaces, just get what you need especially as a renter, you don't own those granite countertops anyway.

Water: Even though I'm a renter I change my shower heads, and after years of paying for laundry by the load, I'm trained to wait until the washer is full before running it. (If you can skip drying, you save energy too!)  Also put a water filter on your faucet and drink it rather than bottled.

Internet:  Shop around! Jump ship whenever you can for promotional deals, its worth it.

Cell phone/telephone: Ditch you land line and go cellphone only. If you aren't getting a discount on your cell phone plan you definitely should. Almost everyone can get one through a club, organization, alma mater, or their company. If you can swing a family plan with others it can be cheaper. (They don't actually have to be family)  Use google voice for international calls.
Insurance: Have it even if you are renter. Again look for discounts through organizations you are involved with, alumni associations, and your employer. Constantly shop around and then negotiate with your current provider if you aren't prepare to switch.

Car payments: I have always bought my car used and paid in full, but there are still things that crop up. One thing that keeps cost down is keeping up on maintenance and walking or using public transport when possible.