Five Quick Tips for Lowering Your Monthly Bills

I don't know anyone who enjoys wading through the never ending stack of windowed white envelopes that the postal carrier brings. Six days a week, more and more bills arrive demanding payment. More often than not, the balances due are higher than we would like them to be. The following quick tips will help lower your bills and save you money every month.

Bury The Land Line You probably justify this monthly expense by telling yourself that a traditional phone line is a good thing to have "just in case." Chances are very good that you can live without it. Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VOIP for short, has dramatically changed the way we communicate. The service uses your internet connection to place and receive calls. Many cable companies offer phone service that utilizes VOIP. Vonage offers its own VOIP service, which requires installing a small device between your phone and your internet modem. Installation is quick and easy. VOIP service plans typically include unlimited long distance calling, and in some cases, international calling - all for a flat monthly fee that's lower than the cost of a traditional land line. Cable providers typically offer a discount package including cable, phone and internet service, creating even greater savings.

Get With The Programmable Thermostat Heating and cooling costs add up - and quickly. One of the easiest ways to lower your heating/cooling bill is to install a programmable thermostat. This is a do-it-yourself project if you are very handy or a quick job for your heating/cooling company if you are not. Once installed, the thermostat can be programmed to raise or lower the temperature at various times of day. During cold weather, the thermostat can automatically lower the heat by a few degrees at night while you sleep and raise it back up by the time you get out of bed. During hot weather, the thermostat can be set to automatically cool your home to a comfortable temperature when you are home, and conserve energy when you are not. And, since a programmable thermostat starts at about 40 dollars, it pays for itself in a few short moths and goes on to save lots of cold hard cash.

You Can Brew It Who doesn't want/need/love coffee in the morning? I sure do. However, all those stops at our favorite java joints add up to major bucks every month. For as little as twenty dollars (or about 10 stops at the coffee shops), you can get a decent drip coffee maker if you don't already have one. Home made coffee is fresher, tastes better and much less expensive. If you love a particular brand or variety of coffee, buy the ground beans and simply brew it at home. If you commute and must take it with you, invest in a decent travel mug or tumbler - it's better for the environment than paper cups and plastic lids.

Be In Remote Control Cable television is a good thing, in my book. There's a ton of smart, funny, educational and informative programming to enjoy. There are also some channels that we never end up watching, particularly premium movie channels. Most of us subscribe to channel packages due to the savings associated with buying the bundle. If you are in the package for just one or two of the channels offered, you may have an opportunity to save. Though not widely publicized, cable subscribers can select individual premium channels and pay accordingly. Take a good look at your channel lineup, decide what you don't need and contact your cable provider for pricing.

Tap Your Reserves Most of us accept the idea that we need eight glasses of water a day. And many of us get that water in plastic bottles, which require recycling. Those bottles get expensive. If you live in a place where the tap water is clean and tastes good, why pay for the plastic bottle? Invest in a reusable, dishwasher safe sport bottle for your thirst quenching needs. Don't like the way your tap water tastes? An filter attached to your kitchen faucet will do wonders for the taste. And if you like your water nice and cold, a filtering pitcher, kept in the fridge is a great way to save on your daily eight glasses.