Cheap Long DistanceWant to save money on your long distance? Here's what we did.
Saving Money With a CellphoneMost of us should use our cell phones for all long distance calls. If you have unlimited LD, why are you paying for each call on your land line? For that matter, why do you have a land line? Think hard about whether you need both.
Before Purchasing a Cell Phone PlanBefore purchasing or renewing your cell phone plans, ask around and find out what your friends and family are using. Some cell phone carriers allow you call people on their network for free which can dramatically reduce the number of minutes you need each month.
Keep Your Home Phone For EmergenciesI have a niece that her and her husband only have cell phones. Yet when they're both out (not together) and have their children being babysat, now what?
Check For Discounts On Cellphone BillsI receive 19% off my cellphone bill, each month, for being an educator. My husband and I also switched to the family plan. Contact your provider and they will give any information you need.
Free 411My phone company charges hefty fees for directory assistance. When you need to use the 411/information option, simply dial 1-800-Free-411 or 1-800-373-3411 without incurring a charge.
"Time Of Use" Electricity PlanWe are on a "Time-of-Use" plan for the electricity we use in our home. Our provider is Wisconsin Public Service. From 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. and 24 hours/day on Saturdays,Sundays, and holidays, we are charged $.0549/KWH.
Do Without Garbage Pick UpIf possible, do not use garbage pick up. Check with your employer to see if you can put your garbage in their dumpster. You may even ask your church or a local business that does not fill up their dumpster to use theirs.
Buy Cheap Prepaid Phone To Replace Broken Cell PhoneDid you ever notice that a cell phone plan/contract is 2 years and the phone only works for a year? Instead of spending a ton of money to buy a new phone, buy a Go phone (prepaid phone) for $15-$20. DO NOT have it activated.
Ask Cable Company About Special DealsIf you are not locked into a price for cable, check on a regular basis to see if the cable company is offering a special promotion. You would be surprised at the promotions that they have and sometimes it is only for 3 months but this savings can add up.
Reducing Cable CostsIn an effort to cut costs to the barest amount, I called the cable company and asked them to turn off our service. I told them I only watch the local channels. They offered me a new plan of only the local channels.
Get the True Cost of a Service Before Signing UpMore and more of our utility companies are offering a low cost rate for X amount of time at a very good price to lure you into signing up for their service. Cable and cell phone companies are the worst.
Saving Money on UtilitiesIn my area, the trash company and the wireless internet company are locally owed. In reading the fine print on the bills, I discovered some interesting savings. Both, give one month free if you pay for 6 months in advance at a time.
Use Solar Patio Lights as a Night LightInstead of turning on lights at night for water and bathroom breaks, use a simple electric free night light. Stake a solar patio light into some houseplants that are in sunny locations, and of an evening, after you turn the house lights off, they will provide enough light for you to be able to see.
Saving on Cellphone ExpenseI dropped my monthly cellphone charges by getting a 20 dollar cellphone.
Cheap Phone ServiceCell phones are many times reduced to anyone receiving any kind of assistance: Lower income families, SSI, food stamps, Medicaid. I believe this service is available in many states in the US.
Check for Utility DiscountsCheck with your cell phone provider to see what discounts you may qualify for. Most people are aware that auto insurance companies give discounts, but are not aware that cell phone companies do as well.
Use a Coolbox Instead of a FridgeIf you live alone and have a freezer, you can use it to freeze cold cells for a coolbox, so that you don't need to use electricity running a fridge as well. My daily routine includes changing my cold cells when I get up, and when I go to bed.
Check your Electric Company for SavingsCheck with your electric company for savings you may be overlooking. This is especially true if you are on a co-op system, and often also true if you are on a town electrical system.
Free Cell Service with Q Link WirelessIn filling out one of those endless surveys online the other day, one interesting thing came out of it. A window popped up advertising a federal program offering completely FREE cell phones and service.
Free Heat from Dryer VentWhat do you need in winter? Heat and humidification. Disconnect the dryer vent in the winter and let the heat and moisture stay inside. Smells nice too.
Changing Names on UtilitiesI decided to change the name on the phone bill from my husband's name (since he has been deceased for over a year) to my name. However, it turns out they cancel everything in the old account, including the old email, and start over with a new account!
Save Electricity with LED BulbsDid you know that by using LED light bulbs instead of regular light bulbs, you can lower your lighting bill by 75%? Also lighting is about 12% of your electric bill (the rest is AC, heat, and appliances).
Setting Up Free Telephone Service at HomeThere are many free phone services out there. Even the government has one, Safelink, although you must meet a few requirements. Another, little known and quite different service is provided by Google. It is different in that it allows you to use your land line (home phone) for free.
Slash Your Electric BillIn the past 6 months, I have cut our electric bill by half. Several years ago I replaced all our light bulbs with CFL bulbs. Now, with the newer LED bulbs I have been replacing the CFL bulbs. 4 years ago, our average electric bill was around $300 per month for an almost 4000 square foot home. Now, I have it down to $100 or less.
Disable Wi-Fi Assist to Save MoneyWi-Fi Assist on your iPhone will detect a slow network, and automatically switch to cellular data. You will never know this is happening because the phone will not alert you.
Turn Data Off When Using Wi-Fi to Avoid OverchargesOur family plan is unlimited talk, text and shared 10GB of data among four phone lines. I remind everyone on the plan to turn off cellular data when they're using WI-FI (free internet) so we know for sure we are not using cellular data and that will prevent from overcharges on our bill.
Smart TV to Cut Cable CostsI realized I do not need the cable box as long as I have wifi to stream from the app to my smart TVs. I turned in both of my cable boxes, saving $15.00 a month in the rental fees. Also, there are no more ugly cable wires cluttering up the back of the TV.
Contact Your Internet Provider About OutagesThis morning, my internet suddenly stopped working. I restarted my router and nothing was working. I searched online "Is Cox down in my area" and there were many reports. I decided to log onto my Cox Internet account and it said there are outages in your neighborhood and to text a number to stay informed when it'll be back up. My internet ended up being down for 5 hours.
