5 Ways to Cut Your Home Bills
With the economy still in not-so-good shape, I figured it's always helpful to find new ways to save money.
1) Make your own Laundry Soap
I just did a post about this, to check out the recipe, click here. This is obnoxiously easy, it takes less than 15 minutes to put together and it saves us AT LEAST $24 a batch. If you previously purchased Tide or Gain it would save you even more! There are also benefits for those with sensitive skin or those who don't like heavy perfumes, since this soap is great with both. The soap, when made, smells pretty strongly, but after the clothes are washed, they only smell clean, no perfumes at all!
Altogether, this could save a family of four well over $200 a year, and that's on the low side.
2) Mop with Vinegar and Water
We used to do this at my mom's house. My mom hired a cleaner once a month to do the whole house (it was pretty big, wish I still lived there) and one of our cleaners told us about this. It's so simple! In a 3 gallon bucket, add about 3/4 water and 1/4 white vinegar. This will not only clean and disinfect the floor, but it also makes the house smell very clean and tidy (not like vinegar). Compared to harsh floor cleaners, super fancy mops and swiffers, this will save you a ton of money and you only need two simple things. Water is practically free if you have your own well (even city water is cheap) and vinegar is about 2$ a gallon. Cheap, no harsh chemicals and you don't have to wear a respirator while cleaning.
3) Switch to CFL light bulbs
These were very controversial when they first came out, but after switching our house over, I don't think I would go back. Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL's) are extremely energy efficient and now, very affordable. I recently just purchased bulbs for 99¢ a piece! They also last MUCH longer than incandescent bulbs. When I switched our last apartment over, I think we saved almost $10 a month and the bulbs didn't need to be replaced. That's pretty substantial after a year I would say!!
4) Compost and Recycle
It is completely possible to not have a trash bill, but I know some people don't like to have a burn barell, so let's just cut back on trash first. Food scraps (except meats) can be composted. It's easy, it's free and it doesn't smell at all when done properly. There are tons of articles out there about composting, just google it. Besides that, ALWAYS recycle glass, aluminum, cans and bottles. Not only will you get the deposit back (it's 10¢ here in MI), but you will also be helping the environment and stopping things from getting into our soil, water tables and oceans. With this kind of practice, you could cut your garbage down to a bag a week, I know a couple with a baby who cut theirs down to a small bag every two weeks. This way you don't need a regular garbage pick-up and you can just take it to the dump yourself (or ask a neighbor).
5) Invest in Quality
This may sound counter-intuitive to saving money, but it pays off. When you go out to purchase major items (appliances, cookware and the likes) or you are building a house, build/buy quality items that will last. Do your research. If you have a cheap refrigerator that needs a repair every year, you're racking up way more than if you would have just gotten a nice one to begin with. If you buy a new microwave every two years, it adds up really fast. Get a nice set of pots and pans, or better yet, some cast iron pans that, when cared for, can literally last a lifetime. I would rather have those than a cheap set from Wal-Mart that will be dented and useless in 6 months. Also, find uses for things that go bad. Refrigerator too small or needs some help? Keep it in the garage for non-essential things (soda, beer, stuff like that) or, if you are handy, you could convert it into a really DIY chest freezer (is that possible??). The point is, if you can recycle and use something, why not? Don't fill your yard up with junk, but use things that can be used and recycle those that cannot be.
Well, I hope this was inspiring to you. I'm working on more lists of things to help everyone out! I'll have some new things coming up and hopefully more pictures this time.
As always, may the odds be ever in your favor!
Ben
