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Money Saving Tips

Written by Pat Johnson

Friday, 04 January 2008

In this day and age, even with a 2 family income, money can be tight and it is always nice to be able to save money. I have several ways a person can do just that.

When you go grocery shopping, watch the cash register as the items are being rung up. It is estimated that up to $2.5 Billion per year is made in scanning errors. Supermarkets often put items on sale that don't always get entered into the register. Also, checkers can easily make mistakes when making entries. If it is not possible to watch, then check your register tape for errors.
Lower the temperature on your water heater from a scalding 140 degrees to a plenty-hot 120 degrees can save you nearly $50/year. To save another 10%, wrap the tank in an insulating blanket (not recommended for gas heaters and those with automatic vent dampers). Avoid using the hot water heater when doing the laundry by washing in cold water.
Lower your thermostat by about 10% for eight hours a day can shave 10% off your heating bill. Install a programmable thermostat and let it automatically adjust your home's temperature according to your lifestyle.
A clothes dryer is one of the most energy-draining appliances in the home. It can add as much as $0.40 to $1.00 to your gas or electric bill for every hour that it runs. In the USA we have more clothes dryers than in the rest of the world combined. If you must use your dryer, keep the filter cleaned, make sure the vent isn't obstructed, don't overload the dryer, don't under load the dryer, and don't over dry the laundry.

There are a lot of ways to save on your water bill. Some ways are:

Limit the time to 5 minutes, but take a shower instead of a bath.
Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or shave.
Only wash full loads of both laundry and dishes.
Install low-flow showerheads rated as using fewer than three gallons minute and lower or cut your water use in half and low-flow toilets.
Fix leaky faucets as soon as possible.
Use cold water for the garbage disposal.

Save on your electric by switching to energy efficient lighting. You can use lower watt bulbs or change to compact fluorescent bulbs. You can also use dimmer switches which are great for extending the bulb life up to 12 times. Turn off lights when not in the room. Also use white lamp shades because they give off more light.

One way to save on gas is to slow down. Try to keep your high speed between 40mph and 55mph. Speeds above 55mph can decrease your gas mileage by more than 20% due to wind resistance.