Here are a few thoughts on how to stretch your money by reducing your bills. I grew up in a household with the following phrase ringing in my ears on a regular basis, “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”.
Some of the ideas presented here will be more acceptable than others. Let’s start with a basic necessity for life – water. Depending on where you live your water bill can put a big hole in your budget. By conserving water you not only save money, you help the environment too.
Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. If your teeth are temperature sensitive, put enough water for rinsing your mouth into a glass and microwave it for about 20 seconds. If you don’t have a microwave, use the sink closest to the water heater to get your warm rinse water.
When showering, get wet, turn off the water, soap up and then turn the water back on. You can even install a valve to shut off the water flow, so you don’t have to readjust the hot cold mix. Just reopen the valve and rinse off.
With today’s technology there is really very little reason to pay to watch television, especially if you’re already paying for internet service. A great many shows are available online at no charge. You simply need internet access and the cable to hook your computer to your television. If you have an older television it may require more than one cable. However, if you have a newer TV set for less than $20, shipping included you can order a 15 foot cable to run from your computer to your TV and watch a great many of today’s popular cable shows at no cost. For those of my readers who are a little older, the internet gives you access to some of the shows that were popular when you were growing up.
What I’m going to say next will be positively blasphemous to some. I do not have cable, dish or any other television service provider. I have an (shudder) antenna. It works great. You too can live without paying monthly to watch television. A new digital antenna for about $80 and a digital TV set, each hooked to their respective ends of a coaxial cable is all you need. If you have an older television set you may need to get a digital converter.
Next, is an idea that’s a bit more main stream. Figure out how much your checking account is costing you in fees with your current bank and then shop around for a better deal.
You may be wondering what all of this has to do with finding a job. Directly, it has nothing to do with finding a job. It does have a great deal to do with managing life until you find a job and get back on sound financial footing.
If you have ideas that you would like to share on this topic, feel free to do so. I’m always looking for new ways I can save money. Isn’t everybody?
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