Monday, February 22, 2016

40 Ways to Save Money on Monthly Expenses

hot water heater thermostat

One of the biggest challenges in personal finance is figuring out ways to spend less money — and one of the best ways to accomplish that is to cut down on your monthly expenses. Even though some of our regular bills might seem small and insignificant on their own, their cumulative effect can be enormous – and become a huge drain on our resources.

40 Ways to Cut Monthly Expenses

To minimize the damage caused on a monthly basis, many people look for ways to cut expenses that are both easy to implement and effective. Here are a few ways to save money that you can try one by one without too much hassle, but offer the potential to save huge sums of cash over time.

How to Save Money on Transportation

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Let’s face it: Cars are money pits. Not only does their value constantly go down, they also devour fuel by the gallon and require all kinds of pricey maintenance.
Between car payments and interest, insurance, gas, maintenance, and other costs, AAA estimates the price of owning a car to be over $8,600 a year – and that doesn’t even include parking. So how can we reduce the cost of automobiles in our monthly budget?

1. Use public transportation

If you have access to public transportation, you can save quite a bit of money on gas, parking, and maintenance over time. For a small percentage of the cost of owning a vehicle, you can get from one side of town to the next, to work and back, and to most important events. Each time you’re able to leave the car behind, you’ll be saving money.
And that’s just the money you’d save on gas and maintenance and the like — you’ll save far more if you’re able to forego buying a car completely. Rideshare services like ZipCar and Uber make it easier than ever to live car-free in major cities, allowing you to rent a car or hire a ride for the occasional IKEA run or day trip to the country.
I’ve used this strategy myself: During my earlier days, I exclusively used public transportation to get around and save money, and it was downright painful to add a car to my monthly finances.

2. Sell a vehicle

If a vehicle you own is rarely used, consider selling it. If nothing else, you’ll save money on insurance. If you’re able to get market price for your vehicle, you could also use the proceeds to beef up your savings account or pay off high-interest debt.

3. Carpool to work

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If you have an opportunity to share a ride to and from work with someone else, you can significantly reduce wear and tear on your car, save on gas, and take advantage of carpooling lanes that might make it easier to get to work.

4. Keep the tires on your automobiles properly inflated

Once a month, stop by a local gas station that offers free air and check the air pressure in your car tires. If they aren’t inflated to the optimal PSI, fill each one to the maximum recommended amount as stated in your manual. Every two PSI of air you’re able to add to your tires can improve your gas mileage by 1%.

Ways to Save on Debt

Any time you can reduce how much money you owe, it will help lower your ongoing monthly expenses. For starters, paying off debt means fewer monthly bills to pay, leaving you with more money to save. Here are a few ways to cut down on debt and save money over time.

5. Refinance your home and/or automobile

If you think you might be eligible to refinance your home at a lower rate, contact some lending institutions and inquire. Even if you’re underwater on your mortgage, you may still be able to refinance using the HARP program. Locking in a lower interest rate can not only save you money over the life of the loan, but can also lower your monthly payment and increase your monthly cash flow.

6. Consolidate your student loans

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If your student loans are locked in at a high interest rate, figure out whether it makes sense to consolidate all or some of them. While this isn’t the silver-bullet saver it used to be now that most federal loans have fixed rates, if you do find a good loan consolidation option, it could pay off every single month.

7. Take advantage of balance transfers

If you’re carrying debt with a high interest rate, a balance transfer might be a good option. The best balance transfer cards offer perks such as 0% APR for up to 18 months – and some even offer rewards programs. Taking advantage of a 0% APR offer can help you pay down your debt and save quite a bit of money on interest. Just make sure to factor in the balance transfer fees, and pay down the entire transferred balance during the introductory period if possible.

8. Request a credit card rate reduction

If you’ve got a fairly large balance on your credit card, call up your credit card company and request a rate reduction. If you pay your bill on time every month, they may be willing to negotiate. If they won’t go for it, get a 0% balance transfer onto another card. The key here, though, is to stop buying on credit until your financial situation is healthy.

9. Sign up for automatic debt repayment plans

Many installment plans, particularly those associated with student loans, offer an interest rate reduction if you sign up for automatic monthly billing. You should never pass these up – not only do they save money automatically each month, they’re also incredibly convenient and ensure you won’t miss a payment or incur a late fee. If you have any installment payments (particularly student loan debt), see if such an offer is available to you.

10. Sell unused items

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Dig through your closets or attic and look for items you no longer use that may have value, then sell them on eBay or Craigslist. You can then use the money you bring in to pay off debt and put it behind you once and for all. I did this myself with a number of items, including my baseball card collection, when my debt load became almost unmanageable.

Ways to Cut Down on Energy Bills

From hot summers to cold winters and all the gadgets we plug in, Americans spend a lot of money on energy bills; in fact, the average house spends about $2,200 a year. Fortunately, technology has brought us a few effective ways to improve energy efficiency and lower that figure.

11. Install CFL or LED light bulbs

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If you’ve never updated the lightbulbs in your home, consider switching to eitherCFLs or, better yet, LEDs. These bulbs are about four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and last for many years. One tip: When comparing bulbs, use thelumens number to compare bulbs, not the equivalent wattages. Lumens indicate the actual amount of light emitted by the bulb.
Remember also that under normal usage (four hours a day) and average electrical rates ($0.12 per kilowatt hour), replacing a 60-watt bulb with a 14-watt CFL or LED saves about $0.66 per month. Now multiply that by all the bulbs in your house to see how much you’ll save every month. Even switching just the five most-used light bulbs in your home could save you upwards of $40 a year on your electric bill.

12. Install a programmable thermostat

programmable thermostat allows you to automatically change the heating and cooling of your home when you’re not at home, when you’re asleep, and so on, saving significantly on your heating and cooling bills. You can also set it to heat or cool your home right before you arrive home from work.

13. Unplug all unused electrical devices

Are there any electrical devices around the house that stay plugged in, but that you rarely use? Most electronic devices constantly draw a small amount of electricity, a phantomcharge, that can add up quickly when you consider just how many devices and small appliances you own. To eliminate that usage, unplug any items or power strips you use infrequently.

14. Utilize timers and power strips

Along those lines, consider utilizing power strips and power timers to turn electrical devices on and off. A power strip with a switch on it, when turned off, blocks the phantom charge on those devices; a timer can automatically turn off the charge going to a power strip (or anything plugged into it) at a certain time each night.
“Smart” power strips can even manage electricity flow based on a control device — for instance, your DVD player will only receive power if the TV is turned on first. These are all great ways to eliminate phantom charges on your home electronic equipment at night or when they’re not in use.

15. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater

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The hot water heater is a major energy drain in most homes, accounting for about 14% of energy costs. Often, the water is kept hotter than most people ever need, plus the heat is constantly lost to the environment, meaning you have to burn more energy than ever to keep the water so hot.
Solve both problems by dropping the temperature down to 125-130 degrees Fahrenheit (around 60 degress Celsius) and also installing a water heater blanket to keep in the heat – a blanket can pay for itself in about a year, after which you’ll be saving money monthly. While you’re at it, insulate any exposed hot water pipes as well for additional savings.

16. Air seal your home

Air sealing your home can prevent drafts — common efficiency culprits in older homes. The loss of cool air in the summer and the loss of warm air in winter can both increase your utility bills substantially. Here’s a great guide to this weekend project from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Reduce Your Entertainment Expenses


Many people look at entertainment as the first thing to cut when trying to trim costs, but they often forget to look at the regular expenditures that slowly eat away at your financial foundation month in and month out. Here are some things to consider that you may have overlooked before.

17. Cancel club memberships

Look at expenses such your gym membership, your membership with the local country club, and so on. How often do you really use these services? If you’re using a gym membership less than once a week or a country club membership less than once a month, you’re likely throwing away money. Try canceling any memberships you’re on the fence about, and see if you really miss them.

18. Reduce or eliminate your cable bill

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Most people could find a cheaper way to gain access to their favorite shows if they tried hard enough. Perhaps you could downgrade from premium to basic cable, or maybe you could even eliminate your cable bill entirely. Cutting cable and watching less television can also cut down on your electricity bill – a double savings whammy.

19. Look for inexpensive entertainment options

Do you take advantage of your local library? Do you attend local community events like music festivals and art fairs? Are you aware of local volunteer groups and organizations? Your community may offer plenty of options for inexpensive or free entertainment of all kinds. And any money you save is money you don’t have to spend on entertainment. Fore more inspiration, here are more than 100 free things to do.

20. Find new ways to reduce travel expenses

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We live very far from our extended families, so we’re well aware of the costs of travel. To save as much as possible, we cut down on the amount of travel we do and use travel credit cards for everything from free hotel stays to airfare.

21. Cancel newspaper and magazine subscriptions

If you get a magazine or newspaper in the mail but simply don’t read it, cancel that subscription when it comes up for renewal without a second thought. An unread subscription is nothing more than expensive clutter. If you need reading material, hit up your local library instead.

22. Consider reducing/eliminating other regular paid services

Look at the services you pay for each month and determine if the money you’re spending is truly worth it. If not, just drop the service and look for other options that can accomplish the same thing for less.
Have you examined your subscriptions lately? If you’ve cut cable TV, it’s great to take advantage of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu+, and Amazon Prime — but you probably don’t need to be paying for all three at once. Or if you pay someone to mow your lawn, for example, you could even eliminate that expense completely by mowing yourself.

Ways to Save Money on Food

Food is one of the most common problem areas in the average American budget. We either eat too much, spend too much on groceries, or eat out so often that it costs our budgets (and waistlines) to swell. Here are some ways to save money on food and eliminate waste.

23. Cook (and pack) your own meals at home

When you cook at home, make a lot of whatever you’re preparing so you can freeze some of it for future meals and, even better, take some leftovers into work for lunch. Some people may shy away from leftovers, but there are some secrets to making any leftovers as good as the original.

24. Reduce or eliminate eating out or getting take-out

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Take-out and dining out can be a nice luxury and huge time-saver for a busy family, but the expense can be tremendous. Instead, look at other options to make dining at home more convenient — for example, prepare lots of meals at once and freeze them for easy cooking later. Meanwhile, focus mostly on simple recipes, and choose recipes that use the fresh produce in season in your area.

25. Buy nonperishable items in bulk and use coupons

Many people never even bother to look at some of the larger packages of nonperishable items – they think it’s just too much. Try looking at the cost per unit of all of the sizes and choose the one that’s the best deal. Check for coupons and coupon codes for items you go through a lot of–try taking a look at the Simple Dollar Coupon Finder for updated daily deals on hundreds of items. Simply search for what you need (and don’t buy what you don’t need, even if it’s on sale!) and if a good enough coupon presents itself, buy it in bulk.
Spread out over months and over a lot of items (think of all of the nonperishables in your home, from salt and sugar to soap and shampoo – food is just the beginning), this can add up to a lot of trimmed fat.

26. Start a garden

Vegetable gardening is a splendid hobby that can often turn a profit if done right. Focus on vegetables that are easy to grow and produce abundant fruit, like tomatoes, and learn how to can and store the excess.
Opening up a jar of tomatoes in the winter that you grew yourself in the summer and canned in the fall is a wonderful experience – and it can really help with trimming the food bill. If you’re ready to start gardening, here are some good strategies for reducing your gardening start-up costs.

27. Buy generic when you can

Many products (not just food) are available in a store-brand or generic form for significantly less money. Look carefully at the ingredients in generic and name-brand products to see how similar they are. If they’re close, go with the generic one on a regular basis to consistently trim money from your shopping bill.
I tend to try the generic version of a product at least once — and if I like it, I’ll continue buying it. (There are a few products where the generic version hasn’t passed mustard for me, though.)

Ways to Cut Insurance Bills

We all need insurance to protect against the unexpected. But when we overpay for insurance, we leave ourselves vulnerable in a different way. Look into these options for ways to reduce your insurance premiums.

28. Downgrade your health insurance

Ask at work about the various options available to you that might reduce your insurance costs, and don’t neglect to look into family options if you have children – if you do, all working members of the household should look at family coverage.
If you want a lower monthly premium, consider a high deductible health insurance plan — this is particularly fitting for people who don’t rely on regular medications or go to the doctor all that much, and simply need coverage for a health emergency. Just make sure to weigh the expected savings against the additional amount you may have to pay out-of-pocket each year.

Find the Best Health Insurance Rates

Enter your zip code below and be sure to click at least 2-3 companies to find the very best rate.

29. Shop around for homeowners and auto insurance (or bundle them together)

If you haven’t shopped around for homeowners and auto insurance lately, now’s a good time to get a few quotes, especially if your credit is strong. If you can save a substantial amount and maintain your current level of coverage, it’s well worth switching to another provider — but give your current one a chance to match their quote.
Most insurance companies also offer a good discount if you bundle your homeowners and auto policies together. If you currently use two separate insurers, ask what kind of discount each would offer if you bundled the policies together.

So you want to lose weight?

Here's how:
  1. EAT ENOUGH. You need to cut calories to lose weight. ...
  2. REV UP IN THE MORNING. Eating breakfast jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy high all day. ...
  3. DRINK COFFEE OR TEA. ...
  4. FIGHT FAT WITH FIBER. ...
  5. BUY THE BIG BOTTLE. ...
  6. EAT MORE ORGANIC FOOD. ...
  7. ALWAYS INCLUDE PROTEIN. ...
  8. EAT IRON-RICH FOODS.

HEALTH
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13 Pieces of High-Tech Clothing

We live in a very technologically advanced society where smartphones and tablets rule our lives. But being high-tech isn’t saved for the newest gadgets anymore! That’s right, clothing is becoming just as high-tech as your favorite devices are. We’ve rounded up a few cool high-tech pieces of clothing that are both innovative as they are impressive!

13. StressVest

StressVest
Used in training exercises, the StressVest delivers a real-time shock, up to 4,500volts, when your mark has been hit with a real gun that has been retrofitted with one of their compatible, eye safe lasers. It basically provides real world experience for trainees so they know what it’s like to be wounded in the line of fire.

12. Swamp Cooler

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This one may not be for humans, but it’s still a pretty high-tech outfit made for Fido! When it’s too hot outside for man’s best friend, have them wear the Swamp Cooler by Ruffwear, an innovate dog vest that you activate with water. All you have to do is get it wet with cold water, wring it out and put it on your dog. It uses the principles of evaporation and three different layers to keep your pet cool: the bottom layer cools, the middle layer absorbs and the top mesh layer facilitates evaporation.

11. BC Vest w/Built-in Backpack

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Really targeted to skiers, the vest is supposed to partially replace a bulky backpack. It’s snug so that you don’t snag yourself on a tree branch and only weights 2 lbs. It’s also said to fit all kinds of outdoor tools and utensils.

 10. Flexi Freeze Ice Vest

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It’s hot outside right now as we’re in the middle of summer and this Flexi Freeze Ice Vest is just what you want if the AC is broken! It comes with  three removable, reusable ice panels that will keep you cool and comfortable for a couple of hours (or until the ice melts).

9. Core Heat S2 Jacket

core heat s2
The Core Heat S2 Softshell Jacket utilizes collar heat, keeping the back of your neck warm. This jacket will heat for hours with our new 4 panel heat system which concentrates the heat in the collar, between the shoulder blades and on both sides of your chest. Look good and stay warm for $199.99.

8. ScotteVest

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This ScotteVest literally has 33 seperate pockets to hold pretty much anything you want! You can fit practically anything and everything you want in it, making it great if you’re traveling. However, they say it can replace carry on, but TSA might not like it.

7. Reebok Checklight Skullcap

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The Reebok Checklight Skullcap is great at alerting athletes to the severity of impact they might endure while playing. It features sensors that will continuously measure impacts that one experiences and is supposed to be an extra set of eyes that leads athletes on a pathway to injury assessment. Its sensors are directly attached to the head so they reflect direct accelerations to the head and not the helmet or chin strap, providing consistent, reliable and actionable impact data.

6. Flask Tie

Flask-Tie
With the Flask Tie, you can easily fake business professional and start drinking ahead of happy hour by sipping on your favorite drink in secret. Inside the tie is a removable bladder-like system that can be filled with liquid that you keep wrapped around your neck. It uses a sealing nozzle, which should eliminate spills and inadvertent squirts in the face. Get it for $25.

5. Stash Waterproof Pocket Shorts

Stash Shorts
It’s summer and that means lots of time by the pool or at the beach. Now you can keep all your tech devices safe from water with the Stash Waterproof Pocket Shorts. The innovative shorts feature a patented waterproof pocket that incorporates into clothing and gear, such as swimwear, life vests, waders, backpacks and jackets. The special  Pocket is attached into the interior of the shorts via their lock-down fitment and its securely sewn into the material, too.

4. H2Flow Jacket

h2flow jacket
The H2Flow Jacket by Helly Hansen uses three layers to control your body temperature. The first layer pulls out humidity out of the air surrounding your body, while the middle layer is made of Polartec fleece with holes in it and is supposed to collect warm air in these holes, creating individual air pockets all over the jacket to help regulate the temp so that you don’t get too warm. Finally, the  the polyester outer layer is designed to block the elements while being breathable and allowing moisture to escape.

3. Baby Glow

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The Baby Glowis a patented suit that will increase baby safety by monitoring high temps, which can be a serious prob for babies since they can’t regulate their temp like an adult. To the baby it’s just a piece of clothing but to parents it’s so much more.

2. Fabrican Spray-On

Spray-On-Clothing
Manel Torres’ spray-on futuristic fabrics are seriously taking clothing to new heights! Torres, a Spanish fashion designer, worked together with Paul Luckham, professor of Particle Technology, to create a sprayable material for clothes without any seams that they are calling Fabrican Spray-on. It works thanks to polymers in the spray  that bind short fibres together once the solvent that holds the fabric in liquid form evaporates immediately after delivery on a surface like your body. But clothes isn’t the end goal, with the two hoping to create a new breed of sanitary spray-on bandages which could cover wounds and burnt skin.

1. Virus Coffee Clothing

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Virus, a California-based clothing company, uses the left overs from coffee production to manufacture their clothing that can trap body heat providing up to 10 degrees of added warmth. Their clothing is also extremely efficient at wicking away moisture, stopping the fabric from getting that good old stink your t-shirts have long sustained after a long jog or power lifting session.


Pigs' feet: The New Superfood


As Britain's spending on cosmetic surgery soars, Fiona MacDonald Smith suggests it's time that we chopped and changed our diet instead
The latest anti-ageing food? Pigs' trotters. That's right, you heard it here first. In New York, the most talked-about new opening of the past couple of months has been a Japanese restaurant called Hakata Tonton, where 33 out of the 39 dishes contain pigs' feet.
The reason for this, according to its owner, Himi Okajima, is that they are rich in collagen, the protein responsible for skin and muscle tone, more recognisable to beauty addicts in the form of face creams and fillers.
"Collagen helps your body retain moisture," says Okajima, who has introduced a chain of restaurants specialising in collagen cuisine in Japan. "Your hair and skin will look better, but it's not just for looking beautiful now. If you begin eating collagen in your thirties, you will look younger in your forties."
Maybe this sounds a little improbable ("It's news to me," sniffs Lisa Miles of the British Nutrition Foundation. "I've certainly never heard of eating collagen") but Okajima believes he is on to something. Figures published last month show that British spending on cosmetic surgery is the highest in Europe, hitting nearly £500 million in 2006, four times more than in 2001.
Isn't there a cheaper solution? Couldn't eating the right foods, in the right way, be a simpler, and ultimately more long-term way to stay looking and feeling younger? "You are what you eat," says nutritional therapist Ian Marber, aka The Food Doctor.
"You can't turn the clock back but you can slow things down. Every cell replicates from RNA and DNA. In order to keep the DNA in good condition, you want to protect cells from harmful free radicals. And for this you need to eat fruit and vegetables, which contain vital anti-oxidants like vitamins A, C, E and zinc.
"It doesn't have to be expensive," he adds. "I know people go on about so-called 'superfoods' which have a greater concentration of anti-oxidants, but two apples a day will give you plenty of vitamins and fibre. You just need to ensure a varied diet."
"The key is to remember we're omnivorous," agrees nutritionist Christian Lee, who is the national trainer for the Dr Nicholas Perricone cosmetics and nutrition empire. "Have you ever noticed how women age more rapidly than men?
That's because they don't eat enough protein. The days you don't eat protein are the days you age. The body can't store protein, but it needs it for cellular production and function.
"At each meal you should be able to hold up three fingers and say 'I've got a good source of protein (lean fish or poultry, nuts, seeds or tofu); an essential fatty acid (Omega 3 or 6, so that's coldwater oily fish, flaxseeds, linseeds) and a low glycaemic carbohydrate (fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains like quinoa, buckwheat and oatmeal)'. If you can say that, you're on the right road."
Perricone, a dermatologist, became America's most famous anti-ageing specialist with his "Three-Day Nutritional Face Lift", which extolled the virtues of eating wild Alaskan salmon twice a day, claiming its essential fatty acids would banish puffiness and tighten the skin. Uma Thurman, Heidi Klum and J-Lo are all fans.
Image result for anti aging pic
In his new book Ageless Face, Ageless Mind, which has yet to reach the UK, Dr Perricone's team assert that up to 40 per cent of wrinkles are caused by dietary sugar.
"When you eat high glycaemic carbohydrates like bread, cakes and pasta, they turn into sugar in the blood so fast that the pancreas can't respond with enough insulin and the blood becomes saturated with sugar," argues Christian Lee. "The sugar needs to go somewhere so it attaches itself to the cell membranes.
When it does this to collagen molecules in the skin, it causes the collagen to become stiff and immobile and that's the birth of the wrinkle. The bad news is that it doesn't end there - the sugar then pumps out free radicals, causing a double whammy of damage.
The good news is you can prevent it - either by cutting out sugar or by taking a supplement of alpha lipoic acid, which is 400 times stronger than vitamin C and E combined."
So ditch the sugar, but don't forget the pigs' trotters.
FOODSTUFFS THAT KEEP YOU YOUNG
Spinach contains the pigment lutein, present in the retina, which helps maintain the health of the eye.
Tomatoes contain the anti-oxidant lycopene, which can protect the skin from UV damage from the sun.
Purple or red berries - such as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries - are full of anthocyanins which can help protect against diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and help maintain strong arteries.
Oily fish, such as fresh water salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines, and also flax seeds and linseeds, are the main source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can delay the ageing process of the skin.
Water: drinking more aids digestion and elimination; drinking too little can harm the complexion.
...AND SOME THAT AGE YOU
Carbonated drinks - along with tea, coffee, sugar, red meat and alcohol - can push the body's balance towards the acidic, meaning that alkaline minerals (such as calcium) are removed from bone stores to balance it, weakening the bones. Restricting them may help you keep stronger bones.
Nightshade vegetables - potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, aubergine and peppers - while often healthy in other respects, contain a chemical that studies suggest can activate pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Avoiding these foods may help reduce it.
Refined carbohydrates - such as white bread, white rice, sugary cereals, pasta and noodles - contribute to the development of type II diabetes, which accelerates the ageing process and, if not controlled, can lead to a wide range of other health problems.

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