Simple Ways to Slash Your Monthly Bills

For some families, money is no object and it really doesn’t matter what the monthly outgoings are, but for the rest of us trying to juggle kids and a career, every cent counts. Some women are forced into taking a second job just to make ends meet, which is tough on everyone, not to mention them. But there is another way.

When it comes to paying bills and putting food on the table, most of us are pretty lazy. We stick with existing suppliers and shop in the stores we are familiar with. From a convenience perspective this is great, but if you want to slash your monthly outgoings, you need to rethink how you do things. So what’s the answer?

Create a Household Budget… and Stick to It!

Unless you monitor your monthly expenditure, there is a very real possibility that you will spend more than you need to. We’ve all been there. We go out to the store to pick up some milk and spot a few nice goodies. Thirty minutes later we have spent ten times more than we were expecting to. Not such a great result! To avoid this type of behavior from wrecking your finances, write a list of everything you spend in a month and see where you can cut costs. Maybe you eat out several times a month or like to pick up a latte on the way to work. By cooking nice home-cooked meals at home and making your own coffee-to-go, you’ll save a fortune!

Cancel DD’s You Don’t Use

Had a good look at your bank statement lately? I bet there are outgoings on there you have forgotten all about, things like that gym membership you took out two years ago and used twice. Be ruthless – cancel anything you don’t use regularly, or you may as well be flushing your cash down the toilet.

Shop Around for Energy Suppliers

Ideally you should compare tariffs for your energy requirements at least once a year. Big energy companies rely on our laziness because it makes them big bucks. They know that the vast majority of people stay on the same tariff year after year, even though they could save money by switching to a cheaper one (or different provider). So make sure you visit texaselectricityrates.org to see if you can save money.

Be a Smart Shopper

One way to save a ton of money on your monthly grocery shop is to steer clear of big name stores and shop at discount stores instead. Groceries are often a lot cheaper. Another way is to buy dried goods in bulk, as they are always cheaper this way. It is usually better to buy only what you need – so instead of doing a weekly shop, pick up what you need for the day on a daily basis.