General Money Saving Tips
As summer approaches many of you may be anticipating those higher utility bills and therefore looking for ways to save money. Check with your utility company or your electrician about the installation of a smart switch. It actually turns off your AC for fifteen minutes at intervals and is especially helpful from June thru September in keeping those utility bills under control. You can also set the thermostat at a temperature 4-5 degrees warmer when you aren’t home which will also save you money. There are a number of devices on the market that will do this for you automatically at set times of the day. Check with your electrician and start saving money.
Another thing that has surprised me is how much difference the energy star appliances really make in that electric bill. Having replaced most of our appliances and our heat pump over the last six years has actually almost cut our electric bill in half. I have heard this many times but now that I am looking at a much easier bill to pay I know that it is true. There are a number of websites that I used to compare appliances before we purchased them so that we are sure that we made the best purchases for reliability and energy savings. The US Department of Energy site at enerysaver.gov has a lot of information that will help you make the right choices. And don’t forget to check and see if you qualify for a tax credit for your purchase.
If you are in the market for a new computer check out nobetterdeal.com. I have heard that some people have gotten terrific deals there.
As you begin to do your back to school shopping make sure that you are getting the best deal by comparing on-line who has the best deals and don’t forget to shop with coupons. If the store has a coupon offer at a certain time you can be sure that you will be getting the best price.
If you have a child in elementary school and you are considering music lessons you may want to rent for the first 6-8 weeks just to see if the instrument is a good fit for your child. After your child has settled into the business of learning that instrument you may want to look for a used instrument at your local music store or try musicgoround.com for a good deal on the instrument your child chooses. Or if they are in sports you may want to look into used equipment at stores like playitagainsports.com. You can realize a substantial savings when you start out with used equipment. Remember that backpack you replace every year, you may not have to if you buy a backpack from places like LL bean, Lands End, or Jansport they will actually warranty your child’s backpack by either replacing or repairing it if your child tears a seam or breaks a zipper. And if you have a child in college, consider used textbooks this could save you a bundle. And finally remember to take advantage of those tax free days or just traveling to a state that has little or no tax on back to school clothing. Happy Savings!!! And remember you don’t need to be rich to live a rich life.