Uncategorized
Save Money On Electricity – Energy Saving Solutions
Saving money on your energy bill is something that could put extra money in your pocket to help you buy something you want, pay down debt and give you more disposable income.
A big portion of your monthly budget likely goes to pay for utilities at home. There are some great ways to save money on your energy bill. Here are some great tips to help you save:
-Seal all drafts around doors and windows. Weather stripping can save you money every month
-Consider having your attic reinsulated. New reflective products work great at helping you to keep warm air in during the winter and cool air in during hotter months
-Put outside lights on timers/sensors so they don’t get needlessly left on during the day
-Use outdoor solar lights instead of plug in lights for harnessing free energy from the sun
-Upgrade your appliances. Older appliances cost a lot extra each year in energy and new energy efficient appliances may even have rebates from your local government or hydro company
-If you live in a humid area, replace your air conditioner with an evaporative cooler. Swamp coolers use 1/3 of the energy of an air conditioner and can make your home’s temperature very cool in summer
-Teach everyone to turn things off. Appoint someone in the family as the Energy Officer who can actually fine people who leave lights unneccesarily on with money fines or chores to be done. (Money fines can go towards paying down debt or buying something for the home!)
-Switch to energy saving lightbulbs
-Install LED night lights or standalone (no power) nightlights that use almost no energy instead of leaving lights on at night
-Install a wood stove for the winter and get rid off those baseboard heaters if you have them
-Consider getting OFF the grid with solar and wind energy solutions. Read about this here. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to tell the energy companies to shove off or even better, require them to pay YOU money because your house generated electricity for them from wind and solar power.
Tips For Your Money Jars or Envelopes
Here are some practical tips related to the money jar budget:
Types of Money Jars:
-Use Mason jars with labels
-Buy little piggy banks from the dollar store
-Empty spice jars
Money Jar Tips:
-Label Your Jars
-Keep them in a safe place (not near an opened blind or curtain)
Budgeting Tips
-Suggest your kids set up jars for savings and for spending too. It’s never too early to learn how to budget
-Have a slush fund jar that you use to put in whatever your leftovers are at the end of the week. This jar can be for a treat or a special fund. This is a great incentive to spend even LESS
Envelope budgeting works well too if you don’t want to use jars and travel well. Use plastic pencil cases or inexpensive wallets with labels for each fund.
Maximizing Loyalty Programs During The Holidays
Anyone on a budget such as a money jar or envelope budget will begin finding creative ways to save money. It happens like a natural evolution because you become so conscious of what you’re spending. When you shop and try to save money, shopping where you get loyalty bonuses is a great idea. If you use them all year round, you can often cash in during the late fall and take advantage of rewards that can take some of the pressure off at Christmas time.
Here are a few examples:
If your grocery store gives you Airmiles or PC Points or some other benefit it could be worthwhile to shop there. Not only could you save money because many of these stores offer discounts but you could also get bonus points on a regular basis.
Let’s look at shopping at a grocery store that offers Airmiles reward miles. If you spend $160 a week on groceries you’ll have 8 miles a week. The average store has several bonus offerings every week so let’s just say you earn 10 miles a week. Multiply that monthly and at the end of a year you’ll have about 520 miles. For 140 miles you can exchange for a $20 grocery store gift certificate so you’ll get an additional $60+ of groceries in a year. This is perfect to save for Christmas time when you’ll be spending more on your groceries.
If you buy your gas at a gas station that offers loyalty points on one of the many programs you can also find that once a year you’re ready to cash in for a reward that can be used as a gift or as gift cards to give out.
Here at the Money Jar Budget site we don’t advocate the use of credit cards but some credit cards do offer great loyalty programs. The trick is to pay the balance every month so you don’t get charged interest and not to use them for cash advances which charge interest from the first day you use it rather than the bill payment date.