Three No Brainer Costs to Cut This Year

Written By Mary Beth Eastman
Last updated January 22, 2018

Note: We receive a commission for purchases made through the links on this site. Our sponsors, however, do not influence our editorial content in any way.

Money Saving Tips
January 8, 2018

Simple. Thrifty. Living.

To ring in the new year right, you can analyze your monthly expenses and see exactly where you can save money. Cutting expenses does not have to be time-consuming or painful, if you know where to focus your attention. Look at the three following three areas to minimize your monthly spending on household bills and keep more money in your bank account where it belongs.

The temperature you select on your thermostat directly influences the amount you pay each month for heating costs. You can drop the temperature by three degrees to cut your monthly utility bill by up to 15 percent. The minimal drop in temps will not affect your comfort levels due to the way your home retains heat. If you want to decrease your heating bills even further, consider obtaining a programmable thermostat that allows you to set your thermostat low when you are away from the house or sleeping.

Even if you have not been involved in a collision or received any traffic tickets, you may notice your car insurance rates steadily climbing in price at the renewal date. Car insurance companies tend to sneak these extra costs into your bill, hoping you will not notice and simply continue paying the assigned rate. Thankfully, you can actually complete the online quote process to potentially receive a lower rate while maintaining your current coverage levels. If you are happy with the new rate, cancel your existing coverage and start the new plan on the same day.

Cable companies try to nickel and dime you to death by offering select channels in their package offerings. Before you know it, your cable bill has doubled, depriving you of the extra funds for your savings account. Luckily, there are many alternatives to cable that are far cheaper while offering the same entertainment value. You could cut costs by utilizing Chromecast, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube to fulfill your entertainment needs. If you already pay for Amazon Prime, take advantage of their video offerings to watch your favorite shows and movies.

Once you adjust the three above areas, you may save hundreds of dollars on household bills each month. You can continue working through your other bills in this manner to cut the fat and keep your hard-earned dollars for yourself.

About the Author

Mary Beth Eastman

Mary Beth Eastman serves as the content manager for Simple. Thrifty. Living, where she is dedicated to helping readers use money and credit wisely. Mary Beth believes that access to the right financial information paired with a growth mindset are essential tools for getting out of debt and building wealth. Mary Beth has a degree in Journalism from Bowling Green State University and has focused her 20-year journalism career on putting readers front and center, carefully considering their concerns and presenting information that will help them in their everyday lives. She has won numerous statewide journalism awards. Her writing on personal finance as been featured on numerous websites in addition to Simple. Thrifty. Living, including Huffington Post and Lexington Law blog. Mary Beth resides in Pittsburgh, Pa., with her family and two rescue dogs.

  • No comments yet. Be the first to get the conversation started. Here's some food for thought:

    What are you doing to cut costs this year?

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *