There are many creative ways to assist in saving money and cutting costs during this time of economic struggle. Home and vehicle maintenance are a quick, easy fix to help save a few extra bucks. Make sure that your home is ready for the season. Gas and electric bills can be effected by how well sealed your home is. Both heat in the winter months and cool air in the summer months can seep out of leaky homes causing your furnace or air conditioner to run longer or harder, in turn using up more gas or electricity. Simple home sealing products can be purchase at any hardware store for a small cost. Save money on your water bill by only using the dishwasher or washing machine for full loads. Fill a milk jug with water and place in the back of the tank. This will help your toilet use less water throughout the year. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where there is nice weather, save some energy and money by hanging clothes on a line to dry. Vehicle maintenance will help you save money on gas. Also try carpooling. You are saving money and helping the environment by lessoning your driving time. Making sure that your car is running smoothly will help save money on unnecessary maintenance. Keep you engine clean, your oil and air filters clean, and your tires filled.
Contact your credit card companies. It doesn’t hurt to ask for a lower interest rate. A lower interest rate will help save money over the long run. Use the internet to search for credit card deals. Many companies offer zero percent interest for a specified term. Transfer high interest credit cards to those zero percent term cards and pay as much off as you can during that time frame.
Get rid of what you don’t need. Do you need to spend the extra money on cell phones to be able to text message? If you do text, would it be more beneficial to pay the monthly unlimited fee? Shave items from your cable bill. Get rid of the movie channels for a while and head to the library. It is free to rent movies from the library. Go through your closets, attic, storage area, etc. Put unneeded items on EBay; one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
Cut coupons! You would be surprised at how much you save when you use coupons. Our family has made it into a little game to see which shopper can save the most money. Make sure you separate your coupons and pull out those you will defiantly need before you shop. Some food chains offer double coupons up to $.99. Don’t be afraid to hit the dollar stores. Purchase you basic needs there. Things like cleaning supplies, toothpastes, toothbrushes and other household items are several dollars cheaper there than at a typical grocery store.
Our family has currently turned to loan modification. We are currently dealing with a company called SIXON PT. SIXON helps clients save their homes and avoid forecloses. SIXON can help lower mortgage rate, lower monthly payments, lock in fixed rate, and much more. The monthly savings can be used to pay off other bills and get people back on track. For more information on loan modification and the free application, please call: Jessica Lynch 412-498-6046.
With the current economic troubles today, people do need to get creative, but you don’t have to do it alone.
