Multiple Blue Rings

Save Money Around Your Home With These 27 Tips

Grow herbs

A bundle of herbs costs three or four bucks. Keeping a little herb garden on your window sill will cost about the same upfront, but can yield herbs for months.

Learn More

Don't buy bottled water

Bottled water seems cheap, but it gets expensive fast. Settle for a water filter pitcher, and you can use tap water. It's cheaper over time, and it's better for the environment, too.

Learn More

Make your own coffee

It seems obvious, but those daily cafe Americanos can easily take a chunk out of your bank account (trust me, I know). Use a coffee maker or French press to get your caffeine fix instead. You can even make your own cold-brew coffee or homemade espresso.

Learn More

Throw almost-spoiled fruits and veggies in the freezer

Buying fresh produce, then opting for the tastier freezer meals while the bananas and spinach spoiled was a weekly ritual in our house.  Then we started tossing them in the freezer to use for smoothies. It cut our weekly waste way down.

Learn More

Keep your freezer full

Speaking of freezers, when you keep your freezer full, it works more efficiently, taking less energy to keep the contents cold.

Learn More

Keep your dishwasher full, too

Running half-loads of dishes is a quick way to waste water and dish detergent.

Learn More

Break out that Dutch oven

It could be a Dutch oven or a slow cooker of any kind, but cooking in bulk really helps cut down the costs associated with more individual-size meals.

Learn More

Eat leftovers

This isn't a tip so much as a choice. Keep your leftovers and don't give yourself the excuse not to eat them. It'll stretch your dollar way further.

Learn More

Be selective about organic foods

Organic food can be pricey, and ethically grown meat is even more expensive.  So, for the most problematic products, buy organic to avoid pesticides and hormones, and get the standard fare for the rest of your grocery list.

Learn More

Hang-dry your clothes

Save energy by hang-drying your laundry. (No one will notice your wrinkled shirt.)

Learn More

Wash with cold water

Another way to cut costs is washing with cold water. Unless you have serious stains or odors you're trying to remove, most clothes can wash on the cold cycle without an issue.

Learn More

Run full loads of laundry

Pack your washer to capacity, because you're going to use the same water either way. May as well get as much use from it as you can.

Learn More

Lower that water heater temperature

Check the temperature on your water heater. You generally don't need it to be above 120 degrees, and higher temps come with higher fees.

Learn More

Change filters

It's not just your water heater's inefficiency costing you money; your HVAC system can burn a hole in your wallet if you haven't changed its filter recently, so learn when to swap in a new filter.

Learn More

Switch credit cards

If you spend a lot of money at Whole Foods or on travel, consider specific credit cards that will offer the best rewards for your current spending habits.

Learn More

Use a budgeting app

One of the hardest parts of budgeting is just developing awareness of our spending habits.  Using a budgeting app like Mint is a great way to see exactly how your impulse buys really do shape your monthly budget.

Learn More

Use coupons

Coupons are basically like cash. If you buy things online, doing a 30-second search for coupons will often save you 10% or more.

Learn More

Pay bills online

There are few things I hate more than late fees on bills. Setting up autopay on your electricity and water bills will help avoid those unnecessary fees, and they'll also remove the need for postage on paper bills.

Learn More

Unsubscribe from services

While you're thinking about bills, check on your subscriptions. If you haven't used a certain streaming service or that fitness app in a month or more, cancel it. You can always restart it in a few minutes if you change your mind.

Learn More

Use library online resources

f you have a library card, your public library likely offers a lot of free online services, such as ebooks or even streaming services. Give them a shot.

Learn More

Check out Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a great online resource for ebooks, offering over 60,000 titles. You can read more about it, and other ways to download and read books for free.

Learn More

Go outside

Not to sound like a dad from the '90s, but go outside! It's a free way to mix up the day, get some exercise and remind yourself that your bedroom is not the whole world. 

Learn More

Start a garden

While you're outside, think about starting a garden. If you have a backyard, you can avoid many of the upfront costs of a raised bed and simply get seeds to plant in the ground.  You can get plenty of seeds for less than $20, and that will translate into much more than $20 worth of food over the following months.

Learn More

Build a compost bin

OK, this one is a longer-term investment, but building a garden can be hard and expensive if you're starting from scratch. If you start tossing your food waste into a compost bin now, though, you won't have to buy tons of fertilizer or expensive soil for your garden next year. Plus, composting is another good way to help the environment.

Learn More

Dress for the temperature

If you work from home, that means adjusting the "office thermostat" now directly affects your monthly bills.  So adjust it less and dress comfortably for the temperature. After all, no one's around to judge you for wearing sweats.

Learn More

Switch fan direction

Most ceiling fans have a small switch on them that changes the direction they spin.  In the summer, run the fan counter-clockwise so it blows air down on you. This can help avoid the need for more air conditioning.

Learn More

Use energy-efficient bulbs

LED bulbs cost more to buy, but in the long term, they cut down on electricity costs. As bulbs burn out in your house, make the switch.

Learn More

LEAR MORE

..................................................

..................................................