Members Share How They Save Money at Home

17 Ways to Reduce Your Bills

-- By SparkPeople

• "Plant a garden. You can make pickles, chili sauce, and jams to give as gifts. Everyone loves a gift from the heart."
  -- ADOPTMOM1
  
  
• "Make friends with the neighbors. I give them extra produce, outgrown clothing, old cars, and a helping hand when needed. In return, I have gotten babysitting in a pinch, and other things, such as a free bike."
  --LOVEROLLS
  
  
• "I keep my air conditioning set to 78 and run fans to circulate the cooled air."
  -- LECATES
  
  
• "I closed off part of the house, so I now cool a smaller area during the summer."
  -- VHASKEW36
  
  
• "We practically live in the basement family room and outdoors in the summer, so we don't have need to keep the house too cool. We barbecue a lot to avoid heating up the house using the stove, too."
  --CSTEVENSON
  
  
• "We turn off and unplug our satellite TV box, cell phone chargers and computers (and other electronic equipment) when not in use. They use electricity when plugged in, even when they're not being used."
  -- CONNIECOOLCHICK
  
  
• "We watch our utilities closely. We use fans, blankets, and open windows to manage our temperature."
  -- LOVEROLLS
  
  
• "Plant a garden, and save rain water for it. My boys love to help garden, harvest and of course eat what we grow. We have a few chickens for eggs as well. Chickens are great pets and easier to take care of then a dog--and the eggs are so fresh and yummy. (You can even keep chickens in most cities.)"
  -- CRMAGNO
  
  
• "I am saving on heat by not turning the heat on even when the weather gets cooler than normal. Instead we dress in our sweats when the weather cools, and if we actually start feeling cold, we exercise!"
  -- PARTTIMER
  
  
• "I use cloth napkins, and reuse my towels and other linens before washing."
  --LOVEROLLS
  
  
• "I post a list outside of my refrigerator reminding me of what's inside, with a special section for things that need to be used soon. Every morning I glance at the list and decide what to have for dinner. That has cut back on food waste, and I don't forget what I already have and end up buying duplicates."
  -- ANARIE
  
  
• "Instead of nagging at my family about using too much detergent, shampoo, dish soap or pretty much any liquid, I started watering it down. No one has noticed yet!" --LILYREDCLOUD
  
  
• "In winter, I keep the heat at about 62 degrees. I take navy showers. (Turn the water on to get wet, turn the water off while you shampoo and wash. Turn the water on again to rinse, then turn it off while you condition hair, shave, etc.) I have no dryer—I use a clothesline inside or outside of the house. Lastly, we have a small apartment, which is much more energy efficient than a larger house."
  --MARYLOUK
  
  
• "I sell stuff I don't need and don't use on craigslist. (Visit www.craiglist.org.) I also look at craigslist first when I need to buy something."
  -- DEMIKIT
  
  
• "In the summer months, I plant a small garden. I will also blanch and freeze veggies that I get cheaply during sales or because they are in season. It really doesn't take long."
  -- CSTEVENSON