How have you lowered your monthly bills? - Page 3

lilac · 02-12-2008, 05:21 PM

Like so many others, I also cancelled Netflix.

Several months ago, I went from a situation that where I lived had no landline so I only had my cell phone to depend on, to where I moved and had a landline and I mostly used that for my calls. So, I called my provider (AT&T) and switched to their pay as you go option instead of monthly bills. I went from shelling out $40+/mo including all of the little fees to spending about $15/mo to top up my phone.

I also changed 75% of the lightbulbs in the house to CFLs, and saw instant savings. Our electricity bills were consistently $20/mo lower than they were pre-CFL.

penny pinscher · 02-12-2008, 06:44 PM

1. I got a job in my kid's lunchroom which saves me gas, cutting my trips down to two a day instead of three.

2. I started subbing in the school for anyone that needs me from the custodian to the library.

3. Started going through bills with a fine toothed comb and have been cracking down on any superfluous charges, like line insurance.

4. Switched all my bills to online to save the stamps.

5. Started buying books at the thrift store instead of the bookstore, and started using paperbackswap.com to read for free.

6. TRYING to cut down on eating out.

Angela

lilac · 02-13-2008, 03:40 AM

penny_pinscher's comment about books reminded me of ways I cut down on my textbook bills while I was still in school. If i knew that the textbook was for my major and I would want to use it later on for reference, I would buy it online through a site like half.com or off of a friend. If it was for a GE class or I knew I would never want to look at the book ever again, I would go to the school library's website and reserve the book for the quarter through the Interlibrary Loan system, which meant I could get textbooks from other universities for free and not have to worry about re-checking them out in time because I could borrow them for 3 or up to 6 months at a time!

While I'm still thinking about the student subject, if you're a student, or even if you work for a biggish company, ask your cell phone company if you are entitled to discounts on monthly plans. I know through my university I could get $7 off a month by just calling them. The only thing you have to realise though is that if you already have a contract, you will be extending it by another 2 years if you sign up for the special company/school rates. It is definitely something worth looking into though!

klnam · 02-13-2008, 11:04 AM

I called my landline company (yes, I still have landline service) yesterday and did the 'triple play' - DirecTV which I already had + Phone & LD + DSL on one bill. Saved $21 over what I was paying PLUS got faster DSL and long distance included.

Ditto on the car insurance thing - call around, annually, to see if you can get your rates lowered. We dropped GEICO 3 years ago...and now they're calling US to say they can beat our rates (which we can't do b/c we bundled our car/umbrella/homeowners insurances with AAA).

mabtech · 02-13-2008, 12:11 PM

Wow poor netflix -- I also cancelled
and yes that cable bill will be scruitenized next
using 1-800-FREE411 for free directory assistance, you listen to a 12 second ad to save the $1.49 per call ... seems worth it
eliminated swiffer sheets and use out of the dryer bouce sheets ...same results
had a storm door installed
only buy groceries that are on sale, never buy as much, cook from scratch, more fruits and more veggies on the table now.

thanks for your tips too!
Mabtech

Ranger02 · 02-17-2008, 12:59 AM

When I looked at my cell phone bill and realized what I was being charged for Directory Assistance calls, I was stunned. We have stopped dialing 411 and are using 1800The Info from both the land line and cell phone. Great service, we can get an SMS and be connected as well. Now I just need to figure out how to get rid of that Landline all together.

PlantGeek · 02-17-2008, 05:06 AM

We canceled our satellite service and signed up for Netflix! It's a great alternative to cable or satellite. It's about time someone showed Netflix some love!

We pay all of our bills online.

We canceled our home phone service and are just going to go with the local cable company's highspeed internet.

I've started clipping coupons and planning meals around what's on sale. I'm still trying to optimize my system there. We are such impulse eaters. I've also started taking my lunch to work rather than eating out.

We turn our thermostat down while we're gone during the day and at night.

mommyof3inva · 02-17-2008, 08:55 AM

I've cancelled our cable, lowered the thermostat a few degrees, and started cutting dryer sheets in half (half a dryer sheet is just as good as a whole one!).

We also recently purchased a chest freezer, so we can purchase more meat when sales are good.

khorrell · 02-17-2008, 10:18 AM

Wow - compared to all the fantastic changes you all have been making, my change doesn't seem like much.

For Lent, I have given up going to Target. I realized that I have little self-control at that store, and I always overspend. Decent stuff, at great prices, but still unnecessary. Not only am I spending WAY less money, but I suddenly have an extra hour or two a week.

I'm going to have to seriously reconsider whether to let myself back in Target when Lent is over.

Congratulations to you all for your great changes!

Finally_Frugal · 02-17-2008, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khorrell

For Lent, I have given up going to Target. I realized that I have little self-control at that store, and I always overspend. Decent stuff, at great prices, but still unnecessary. Not only am I spending WAY less money, but I suddenly have an extra hour or two a week.

Khorrell, I am sooooo relating to your comment about Target! When I finally started going through my credit card and debit card statements (a painful thing, let me tell you) I saw so many charges at Target: $55 here, $125 there, $75 there. I could never remember what exactly I purchased---all that money, and I had no idea what it was I needed so badly! Clearly, these were 'wants', not needs.

Target is a dangerous, dangerous place for me and my budget. So I don't go there anymore. I simply can't (yet) control my desire for new sheets, a new curling iron, some cute workout clothes, a new lipstick, and etc, etc, etc.

What a great, reflective thing to give up for Lent! Thanks for your comment!

02-12-2008, 06:44 PM	#22
penny pinscher Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 20 Reputation: (10)	1. I got a job in my kid's lunchroom which saves me gas, cutting my trips down to two a day instead of three. 2. I started subbing in the school for anyone that needs me from the custodian to the library. 3. Started going through bills with a fine toothed comb and have been cracking down on any superfluous charges, like line insurance. 4. Switched all my bills to online to save the stamps. 5. Started buying books at the thrift store instead of the bookstore, and started using paperbackswap.com to read for free. 6. TRYING to cut down on eating out. Angela __________________ pennypinscher.net

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02-12-2008, 05:21 PM	#21
lilac Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South Cheshire, UK Posts: 40 Reputation: (12)	Like so many others, I also cancelled Netflix. Several months ago, I went from a situation that where I lived had no landline so I only had my cell phone to depend on, to where I moved and had a landline and I mostly used that for my calls. So, I called my provider (AT&T) and switched to their pay as you go option instead of monthly bills. I went from shelling out $40+/mo including all of the little fees to spending about $15/mo to top up my phone. I also changed 75% of the lightbulbs in the house to CFLs, and saw instant savings. Our electricity bills were consistently $20/mo lower than they were pre-CFL.

02-13-2008, 03:40 AM	#23
lilac Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: South Cheshire, UK Posts: 40 Reputation: (12)	penny_pinscher's comment about books reminded me of ways I cut down on my textbook bills while I was still in school. If i knew that the textbook was for my major and I would want to use it later on for reference, I would buy it online through a site like half.com or off of a friend. If it was for a GE class or I knew I would never want to look at the book ever again, I would go to the school library's website and reserve the book for the quarter through the Interlibrary Loan system, which meant I could get textbooks from other universities for free and not have to worry about re-checking them out in time because I could borrow them for 3 or up to 6 months at a time! While I'm still thinking about the student subject, if you're a student, or even if you work for a biggish company, ask your cell phone company if you are entitled to discounts on monthly plans. I know through my university I could get $7 off a month by just calling them. The only thing you have to realise though is that if you already have a contract, you will be extending it by another 2 years if you sign up for the special company/school rates. It is definitely something worth looking into though!

02-13-2008, 11:04 AM	#24
klnam Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 4 Reputation: (11)	I called my landline company (yes, I still have landline service) yesterday and did the 'triple play' - DirecTV which I already had + Phone & LD + DSL on one bill. Saved $21 over what I was paying PLUS got faster DSL and long distance included. Ditto on the car insurance thing - call around, annually, to see if you can get your rates lowered. We dropped GEICO 3 years ago...and now they're calling US to say they can beat our rates (which we can't do b/c we bundled our car/umbrella/homeowners insurances with AAA).

02-13-2008, 12:11 PM	#25
mabtech Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2 Reputation: (10)	Wow poor netflix -- I also cancelled and yes that cable bill will be scruitenized next using 1-800-FREE411 for free directory assistance, you listen to a 12 second ad to save the $1.49 per call ... seems worth it eliminated swiffer sheets and use out of the dryer bouce sheets ...same results had a storm door installed only buy groceries that are on sale, never buy as much, cook from scratch, more fruits and more veggies on the table now. thanks for your tips too! Mabtech

02-17-2008, 12:59 AM	#26
Ranger02 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1 Reputation: (10)	When I looked at my cell phone bill and realized what I was being charged for Directory Assistance calls, I was stunned. We have stopped dialing 411 and are using 1800The Info from both the land line and cell phone. Great service, we can get an SMS and be connected as well. Now I just need to figure out how to get rid of that Landline all together.

02-17-2008, 05:06 AM	#27
PlantGeek Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 18 Reputation: (10)	We canceled our satellite service and signed up for Netflix! It's a great alternative to cable or satellite. It's about time someone showed Netflix some love! We pay all of our bills online. We canceled our home phone service and are just going to go with the local cable company's highspeed internet. I've started clipping coupons and planning meals around what's on sale. I'm still trying to optimize my system there. We are such impulse eaters. I've also started taking my lunch to work rather than eating out. We turn our thermostat down while we're gone during the day and at night.

02-17-2008, 08:55 AM	#28
mommyof3inva Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1 Reputation: (10)	I've cancelled our cable, lowered the thermostat a few degrees, and started cutting dryer sheets in half (half a dryer sheet is just as good as a whole one!). We also recently purchased a chest freezer, so we can purchase more meat when sales are good.

02-17-2008, 10:18 AM	#29
khorrell Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 439 Reputation: (60)	Wow - compared to all the fantastic changes you all have been making, my change doesn't seem like much. For Lent, I have given up going to Target. I realized that I have little self-control at that store, and I always overspend. Decent stuff, at great prices, but still unnecessary. Not only am I spending WAY less money, but I suddenly have an extra hour or two a week. I'm going to have to seriously reconsider whether to let myself back in Target when Lent is over. Congratulations to you all for your great changes!