~How to Save Money~Part 4~

Today I am writing about how to save money on utilities. Hope this information blesses you all on this very cold day. Enjoy!

Phone:
*We changed our phone to the bare minimum and saved $50 per month instantly! This is savings of $600 annually!
*We use a MagicJack for our long distance calls. I wish I could give it an awesome review, but I can't. Honestly, there are many days that I would like to throw it out the window! However, I remember just how much money it is saving us and I regain my patience with it.

Cell Phone:
I don't have a cell phone! That is a savings of around $960.00 annually (if the average cell phone bill is $80 per month). My husband does have a tracfone that he carries (required for coaching in case of emergency) and we add the minimum amount of minutes every 3 months and it only costs us around $80-$100 annually. Now, this takes extreme commitment to not give this number out and to not use it unless he really needs to. We keep the phone off the majority of the time and forget we even have it! Honestly, we LOVE being disconnected from the world. It is nice to be able to leave the house and not worry about interruptions.
Cable/Satellite:
*We also switched our satellite provider and were able to save $15-$30 per month (sorry I can't remember exactly, my hubs took care of it). Be sure to ask them for a "promotional rate" when you call. They usually always have some deal running. This is a savings of at least $180 (or more) annually!
*Several of our friends have cancelled their satellite and only watch tv shows & movies on hulu.com on the internet. Also, you can go to ABC.COM and the other major networks and watch your favorite shows from their site for FREE! It is not as convenient, but at least you still get to watch. If you cancelled your cable/satellite and it was $50 per month, that would save you $600 annually!

Electric:
*We keep our heater on 64-65 degrees day & night during the winter months. Yes, it can be a bit brisk! Anytime we all leave during the day, I turn it down to 62 so that it doesn't kick on while we are gone. We just wear a sweatshirt and are fine. My electric bill is on average $100-$200 cheaper per month than 2 of my neighbors with the exact same floor plans. A little chill, saves a lot of money annually!
*Unplug it! If an item is not in use, unplug it. Especially if it is a charger or something else that is using electricity without even being used!
*We switched almost all of our light bulbs to energy efficient ones.
*Do an energy audit of your house. Go around to each room and see what is plugged in that doesn't need to be. You will need to get everyone in your household on board with your plan here for it to make a difference.
By doing all this, we are able to save around $1,000-$2,400 annually!

Some of you may think this is a bit EXTREME and I totally agree :) However, how else are you going to save big? If you keep doing exactly what are have been doing, then how can you expect any change? We went for it and it PAID off! Think about these little (some extreme) changes and then think about saving 35% of your annual income. It makes these things not seem so extreme after all. I promise, you can do it!

Thursday Blessings~
SHO