7. Mess Less—Your home is your haven. It’s time to turn it into the retreat it should be. The easiest and least expensive way to do this? Clean out the clutter!
Swap out the magazine rack for an end table with drawers. Buy a filing cabinet for all of your records that are strewn about the house. Hang up your coat when you walk in the door. Make a pile of items you haven’t used in a year (including clothes) and list them on Craigslist, Ebay, or Etsy (for vintage or handmade items) and turn that clutter into cash!
6. Paper-less—Almost all utility bills, bank and credit card statements, papers and newsletters have a paperless version now. Not only does it save the companies a bundle in postage, it saves you time and mess to go paperless. Companies like Earth Class Mail, will store all your statements in the cloud and even receive and open mail for you!
5. Tank-less—For hours and hours everyday, your traditional tank water heater is keeping water hot for nobody. While you’re at work, it’s heating. While you’re asleep, it’s heating. A tankless water heater heats water instantly and only when that water is needed. When you aren’t using hot water, neither is it. There’s even a $1500 tax credit for buying the system.
4. Use Less—When your parents told you to turn off the lights when leaving a room, they knew what they were talking about. For that matter, turn off the TV, unplug your laptop and cell phone, and don’t open the fridge! Or, offset your carbon footprint by buying a programmable thermostat. This device will automatically adjust the heat or air conditioning for times when you’re out of the house or asleep to reduce your power bill. The general rule is that for every 1 degree in your thermostat, you save 3% of your bill. That means if you change your thermostat from 72 to 68 with power bill average of $200, you could save $24 on each bill!
3. Landline-less— For the money you spend on the landline, you can upgrade your cell phone to a smart phone plan with unlimited data, which is much more useful that a phone that sits at your house all day that nobody uses. It makes sense to have a backup phone, so consider buying a pay-as-you-go cellphone. With plans for as little as $10.00 a month, it’s hard to resist.
2. Cable-less—Two seconds ago you said, “I can’t save any money if I get rid of my phone. It’s part of my cable package.” So, just get rid of your cable package! Watch for free on Hulu, or subscribe to Netflix and watch all the movies you could ever want for less than $15 a month.
1. Wait Less—There are dozens of little things you’ve been putting off around the house. The dining room needs new paint,
the kitchen needs a new faucet, and who knows the last time the carpets were cleaned. These are all little projects that will make a big difference once you get them done. Make it your goal this year to take care of one of these projects every month..
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