Monthly bills, even for essentials, can become overwhelming. To help shave meaningful dollars off your monthly spending, the money-saving experts at Solavei have put together simple tips for reducing common bills.
Every dollar counts for families and individuals on a budget. Hidden fees, unnecessary features, unmonitored usage and surprise fee hikes can add lots of dollars to monthly bills.
Reducing monthly bills can be simple, if you know the right steps to take. The tips below will help consolidate and reduce recurring expenses, freeing up cash for savings or the extra things that can life more enjoyable.
Energy costs
Keeping home energy costs down can be as simple as maintaining a reasonable temperature (65 degrees in the winter, 77 in the summer), or as complicated as switching your home heating energy from electricity to natural gas. For quick fixes, use energy efficient light bulbs (think the coiled-up CFL bulbs) and unplug all electronics when not in use to eliminate ongoing energy consumption.
Cable bill
Television might not be a basic human need, but it’s definitely a basic entertainment need. Cable and satellite TV bills can get extremely high, especially after introductory prices expire. Premium television alternatives like Hulu Plus, Netflix and Amazon Instant Video charge as little as $7.99 per month and offer movies and television from most networks. Using Roku, a Wi-Fi enabled Blu-Ray player, or almost any gaming console, these videos services can be streamed directly to your TV.
Phone plan
We all need to have a phone – they are the lifeline in our connected world today. Many people have already dropped their landline phone to save money, but traditional mobile phone plans typically lock you into a contract for two years and charge exorbitant monthly rates, often with surprise overage charges. To decrease monthly phone expenses, consider a pre-paid, contract-free plan such as Solavei. For $49 per month, Solavei Mobile Service offers unlimited calling, texting and data, as well as the opportunity to earn monthly recurring income by sharing your Solavei experience with family and friends through Solavei’s social sharing outreach platform.
Credit cards
The most important practices to remember with credit cards are paying on time and paying more than the minimum balance. Rewards cards can have appealing incentives for spending, but only use those cards if you pay your balance in full monthly to avoid accruing high interest charges. Once you’ve established a good payment history with your credit card issuer, ask for an interest rate reduction. Companies like to keep quality cardholders, so they will be receptive to lowering your interest rate and saving you money.
Small changes that may seem insignificant can add up to thicken your wallet. Without a great shock to your lifestyle, adjusting spending and living habits will save you and your family hard-earned cash.
Guest Post, Written by: Allyn Hebner, Head of Finance at Solavei
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