7 Ways You Can Save Money Today
Life is expensive. ValuePengiun claims the average household in the U.S. had an income of $63,784 in 2014, and 16% went to housing, 14% to transportations, 12% to taxes and 11% to utilities and operational costs.
There are some things that can’t be changed too much, like debt payments, and healthcare.
You can always choose cheaper food options, decide to contribute less to retirement or cut out entertainment, but that’s not what we’re talking about today.
Instead, we’re going to discuss how you can save money – not turn your life upside down and let go of everything you like / love.
7 Ways to Save Money Today
- Thermostat change. Programmable thermostats save people a lot of money. Install one today and allow the thermostat to change itself when no one is home. These thermostats can save you 10% – 30% on your energy bills if you’re willing to use default settings.
- Eliminate unnecessary bills. Don’t watch HBO unless Game of Thrones is on? Cancel it. Don’t listen to Pandora anymore? Cancel, or go with free options. Forget your home phone number that no one has called you on in years? Drop it if you have a cell phone.
- Haggle interest rates. Yup. You need to call all of your credit card companies and ask for a lower interest rate. A lot of store cards will not budge, but it’s worth calling and seeing if you can have your rates lowered anyway.
- Use credit wisely. I used my Target card often – big mistake. I had cards with half the interest rate and rewards. Don’t just throw any card on the table when making a purchase. Choose the cards you use wisely to save on unnecessary interest charges.
- Ask professionals for alternative options. There is often an alternative option that will help you save money. Need to have an HVAC system replaced? Ask if there is another option. Own your own company and don’t have the budget for a high-end piece of equipment? Ask for a discount. Smaller companies like Tric Tools may be able to work with you to find products that work within your budget. If you don’t ask, no one will help you.
- Lower your subscriptions. If you don’t use a subscription, cancel it or see if there is a cheaper option. When it comes time to renew a subscription that you find you use often, it may be worthwhile to sign up for a long-term plan to save money every month.
- Call your Internet or cable provider. Cable bills are going up again (yay). And if you haven’t done so, call your provider and ask for a way to lower your bill. You may even threaten to cancel. The retention team often has the authority to offer a promo, so this is who you want to talk to when trying to lower your bill.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when trying to save money. Compare prices for insurance, downgrade policies that are too costly, bundle policies or subscriptions. There are ways to save money, and often it’s a matter of simply making a phone call and asking for some help.
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