How To Save Money On Bills, Food, Clothes & Health

A significant portion of your income is going to be spent on bills. Whilst individually they may not seem like much, they all add up, and if you’re not careful, they could leave you with very little money to spend on other things.

The main bills that people have relate to costs of living. For example, bills related to your home and the money you spend on food make up the single two largest ongoing expenses that drain your finances.

In additions to these costs, you are also likely to spend money on clothes and on your health, although usually, these expenses occur on an intermittent basis and so do not represent an ongoing expense.

They are however, still expenses, and so have the same effect as continuous expenses by taking money out of your pocket and putting it into someone else’s pocket.

Therefore, the single best way to improve your financial situation is to cut down on your expenses by saving money wherever you can. This is what any financial advisor will tell you, and if you are successful in doing this, you will find yourself with a lot more money left over in your pocket at the end of the month which you can then use to buy other things with, or better still, invest to make more money.

So in this article, we are going to try and help you out by revealing how you can save money in the major expense categories of your life. You might not be able to follow all the advice that you are about to read, but even if one tip ends up saving you money, then at least your time will have been well spent.

Right, so let’s get started with the first major expense category, home and utility bills!

How To Save Money On Home & Utility Bills

This section relates to the major expenses that you will have when living in a home.

Phone

If you are looking to lower your phone bills, then it pays to think about how you intend to use your phone. For example, if you are going to be calling long distance numbers all the time, then look for a package which gives you the best deal on long distance calls.

If you need a phone for Internet access, you may be able to find package deals that offer you phone, Internet and TV combos cheaply. Many of these deals offer free evening and weekend calls, but if they don’t, you may want to sign up with Skype and pay a small monthly fee to call landlines from your computer.

Alternatively, since many people now have a cell phone, you can reduce your costs further by getting a broadband deal with your cell instead of getting an extra phone line.

But if you don’t use your cell phone very often, then get rid of it because that in itself is a major expense. If you must have a cell, at least switch to a pay-as-you-go service so that you can limit how much you spend on calls.

Internet

Most people require access to the Internet, but if it’s not essential for you, then don’t get it as you will be able to save yourself a lot of money. If you do want internet access, make sure that you hunt around for the best deal as there are many companies to choose from.

It’s also worth bearing in mind what you want to use the Internet for. If all you require is to browse the Internet, then you could lower your Internet bills by getting a basic package that offers a small monthly bandwidth allowance. If you want to download music or do other things which require a bit more bandwidth, then go for a faster connection with a larger bandwidth allowance.

Be careful not to get the smallest bandwidth allowance just to save money though, because many companies charge extra for exceeding your allowance which usually works out to be a lot more expensive than had you had a large allowance to begin with.

In some cases, you may even be able to get on the internet for free if one of your neighbors has an unsecured wireless network. Although, in order to maintain a stable connection to such networks, you will usually need to invest in a long-range wireless adapter such as an Alfa wireless card.

TV

Many TV deals come in packages that also include phone line rental and internet access. But if you don’t need these things, then getting only basic terrestrial TV is a good way to avoid needlessly wasting your money.

If you want cable or satellite TV, then make sure that you can afford it because they can be very expensive especially if you subscribe to movie or sport channels. And remember, that in some countries, you are required to purchase a TV license before you are allowed to watch TV and so this will obviously further add to your expense.

To save yourself money when watching TV, consider not buying a TV at all and using your computer instead. This will save you a lot of money, and many of the shows on TV can either be watched live on the internet or downloaded to watch later on.

Electricity Bills

One of the best ways to lower your electricity bills is to install low voltage bulbs in your home. These can be picked up very cheaply and use a fraction of the electricity when compared to standard incandescent bulbs.

You can further lower your monthly bills by switching off lights and appliances when they are not in use rather than putting them on standby.

If you use a computer to browse the internet, try replacing it with a laptop computer instead as they use far less energy than a regular PC. It also helps if you properly set the power saving options on your computer. On my laptop for example, I have monitor off set at 5 minutes, hard disks off at 10 minutes and standby mode set at 15 minutes.

In addition to lighting, another major use of electricity in the home is cooking. The oven for example, uses a lot more energy to cook food than does a microwave.

Kettles are also another big user of electricity, especially when you boil more water than you intend to use. So if you drink tea regularly, boil only a cup and a half of water to account for water lost as steam, and switch off the kettle just before it starts steaming to save even more electricity.

Gas

In most homes, gas is used for central heating and hot water. When it comes to heating your home, set your thermostat at a comfortable temperature but not too high as otherwise it will cost you more.

You should also be able to program your central heating to come on at certain times of the day. Since there is no point in heating the house when you are not there, set your heating to come on early to late evening for a few hours and off during the rest of the day.

If the house is very cold in the morning, set your heating to come on just before you wake up for one or two hours. Oh, and when you have the heating on, don’t leave your windows open like so many people do!

When it comes to gas bills, you will find that they are highest during the winter because that is when you will be heating the house. So plan this into your budget.

Finally, ensure that your home is well insulated. Two areas that you should pay particular attention to is the attic and your windows. Your attic should have a thick layer of loft insulation to prevent heat loss, and your windows should be properly sealed to ensure that they are not letting in a draft. Both of these areas of your home can be insulated very inexpensively, yet can result in significant savings to your heating bills.

If you find that your rooms don’t seem to retain heat very well, then check around the door frame and underneath the door for any gaps. If you find gaps that are letting in cold air, seal them up with a draft excluder. If you are still cold, put on some extra clothes instead of turning the heating up.

During the summer, open windows between two adjacent rooms to create a draft. This is a great way to keep yourself cool, and reduce your need for air conditioning or fans.

Water

Your local water company will charge you a certain amount for supplying water to your house, and unfortunately, there is little that you can do to control this cost if you are on a fixed rate. If however, you are on a water meter, then you can significantly reduce your water bills by not wasting water needlessly.

One of the best ways to do this is to have a quick shower rather than a long bath. In addition, if you speak to your local water company, they may even be able to send you equipment that will minimize your water usage for free.

Such things include tap fittings which reduce the flow of water, a shower aerator and floats which you put in the back of your toilet to reduce the amount of water that you use per flush.

If your budget is really tight, you can save even more water by doing what my geography teacher once told me: “If it’s brown flush it down, if it’s yellow let it mellow!”

Drying Clothes

If you have a washing line, dry your clothes outside instead of using a tumble dryer. If you don’t have a washing line, there are small foldable clothes lines which you can buy to dry your clothes on indoors or in your garden.

How To Lower Your Food Bills

Food is something that you have to spend your money on, and it can be very expensive if you go about it the wrong way. So here are some tips on how you can save money when buying food.

Shop At Large Supermarket Stores

Try to avoid the temptation to buy food from your local convenience store or gas station, as their prices are often much more expensive than supermarkets.

Convenience stores are just that, a convenience, so unless it is an absolute emergency, buy your food somewhere else.

Don’t Shop When You Are Hungry

One of the worst times that you can go shopping for food is when you are hungry, because everything looks so tasty and you end up buying things which you don’t need. So never go shopping on an empty stomach!

Use A Shopping List

Before you go shopping, write down exactly what you intend to buy and stick to it. People who don’t use a shopping list tend to buy much more than they originally intended, and as a result, also tend to have extremely high monthly food bills.

Shop Psychology

You may not realize this, but the way your local store lays out its products are designed to get you to spend the most amount of money during your stay there.

Generally, you will find expensive brands positioned at eye level because they are the first place that you look. Below these items will usually be cheaper brands and the stores own label brand, which in most cases, is exactly the same product as the more expensive brands.

Another thing to look out for are products that are positioned near the checkout tills. These are designed to get extra money from you by displaying low value items such as chocolates and magazines which can easily be picked up while you are waiting to be served.

Buy Multipacks

If you drink a can of coke everyday, then it’s pointless buying individual cans. Instead, get a multipack, and you can save yourself a lot of money each month. The same goes for other items of food, so whenever possible buy in bulk.

The only things that you should avoid buying in bulk are items that you cannot readily store for long periods of time, as they are likely to go off by the time you use them and so will only end up getting thrown away.

Special Offers & Coupons

When new products are released, they are usually done so at an introductory price which is cheaper than what they will be sold at later on. This can be a great time to experiment with different foods, and also save yourself some money in the process.

Stores will also tend to have seasonal special offers, such as after Easter or after Christmas. Buying an Easter egg at Easter for example, is very expensive, so if you do want an Easter egg, wait until after Easter and get it when it is reduced.

When you enter a store, pick up their magazine if they have one as sometimes there will be coupons in them. However, only use the coupon if you originally intended to get that item, as otherwise it’s just another tactic the store uses to get you to spend more money.

Check Your Reduced Section

Most stores will have a reduced section where you can buy discounted food that has been damaged slightly (usually it is just the packaging).

Another tip is to find out when your store reduces its food. Most stores reduce food in the evening, because if they don’t sell it then they will have to throw it away.

Look for perishable goods such as meat, eggs and bread, as often these are heavily discounted if they are approaching their sell by date. You can either use them immediately when you get home, or freeze them for future use.

Make Your Own Credit Crunch Lunch

Making your own lunch is one of the best ways to cut down on your food bills, especially if you buy ready-made sandwiches everyday. The same goes for drinks such as coffee and tea, both of which you can make at home and then take to work with you in a thermos flask.

At dinner time, make your own food rather than eating ready-made meals as this will also help you to save a significant amount of money.

Watch What You Eat

If you eat food for comfort, then you probably spend a lot of money on junk foods such as potato chips and chocolate. Try to adjust your eating habits by eating less often and eating better quality food. This will benefit your health and your wallet!

Grow Your Own Food

It is very unlikely that you will be able to grow everything that you need, but growing your own food can still make a significant reduction to your monthly food bills.

Seeds are cheap to buy, and as an added benefit, the food that you grow will also be organic, something which you would normally pay a premium for if you were to get it at the store. Foods which are easy to grow includes tomatoes, potatoes, herbs, onions, carrots and lettuce.

If you have a garden, buy some young fruit trees such as apple trees, plum trees or orange trees and in few years you will have a regular supply of organic fruit.

Supersize Me

Some products come in different sizes, and the larger sizes work out to be more cost-effective. However, unless you actually need the larger sized item, avoid getting them just because they work out cheaper. As if you don’t need it, then you will probably end up throwing it away.

The same applies to offers on products. In order to get you to spend more, the stores will often label one product as $3 or two for $5. Again, if you don’t need it, don’t spend extra money on it.

There is an exception to this, and that is with non perishable items which you can store away and will eventually use. For example, washing up liquid, washing powder or dried foods are all good items to buy if you can get them cheaper in bulk.

Eat In

If you enjoy eating at restaurants then be aware that this is a very expensive habit to have, especially if you eat out every week. If eating out is not important to you, avoid this expense by eating at home and only eat out on special occasions.

The same applies to fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s or Burger King. Even though these are cheaper than regular restaurants, they can still work out to be very expensive over the course of a month. If you want to enjoy eating food with friends, then invite them over to eat at your place instead.

Shrink Your Stomach

The more food you eat the more your stomach expands. As a result, you will need to eat more food for your next meal to fill you up.

Try eating less than you normally would for a few day and your stomach will shrink. The next meal you have, you won’t have to eat so much to be satisfied. Keep this up for long enough, and you will even start losing weight!