Huge Local Savings for U.S. Families, Where You Forgot to Look!

Doing for yourself many of the things you used to have others do for you, can really add up in yearly savings for your family. Maybe you have already started doing these things for yourself and your family, and are becoming skilled in new endeavors, or maybe not.

Saving thousands of dollars per year should be incentive enough, for you to learn these saving strategies, if I can do it you can too! These 10 ways to save big, can point you in the right direction to start saving your family thousands of dollars per year, right in your own hometown!

1. Cutting your family's hair - can save a family of four more than $600.00 per year. For instructions on cutting hair, Parents.com offers an illustrative slide show "How to Cut Your Kid's Hair" because it is easier than you think!

2. Growing your own produce - can save a family of six more than $600.00 per year, as assured in the book "How to Grow and EMERGENCY Garden".

3. Washing your own car/s - can save a couple more than $600.00 per year, see the Popular Mechanics' illustrated article "How To Detail Your Car".

4. Purchasing only machine-washable clothing and an industrial-sized washer - can save a working couple more than $600.00 per year in dry cleaning charges; or save a family double ($1,200.00) per year, purchasing durable cotton over synthetic-fabric clothing. Cotton will always be the most cost-effective choice, even with predicted higher prices from NY Times Business article "Cotton Clothing Price Tags to Rise".

5. Burning wood in the fireplace to heat your home - can save over $600.00 per year in heating utilities, by storing and using wood from a tree trimming or dead tree removal on your property. To compare wood-burning stoves vs. conventional heating see the article "Beating Heat Costs: Alternative Stoves and Fireplaces".

6. Turning off and unplugging electrical sockets and closing unused heater vents - can save a family more than $600.00 per year in additional energy costs. In 2006, an extra $60.00 per year (per home) was wasted on a single laptop charger (not including appliances, lights, or TV) as alerted in the SFGate (CA) article about idle electronics "Law Would Bring Vampire Devices Out of the Dark".

7. Properly inflating automobile tires to manufacturer specifications - can save you more than $600.00 per year at the gasoline pump. Although older articles from the U.S. Department of Energy, at FuelEconomy.gov, really need to stay current with gasoline prices; you will get the idea after reading "Keeping Your Car in Shape".

8. Eating nutritionally balanced meals and avoiding artificial foods and beverages - can save your family $600.00 (per person) per year, in medical and dental procedures; as taught in the book "ABC's of Nutritious Cooking & Living a Healthier Lifestyle" .

9. Having at least one large yard sale per year and donating what doesn't sell to charity - can net you an extra $600.00 per year, in extra cash, tax write-offs, and get rid of all the extra clutter lying around your home and garage. Get great yard or garage sales tips in the article, "How to Make More Money with Garage Sales 1-2-3" from HomeBusinessCenter.com.

10. Preparing and filing your own tax return online - can save you at least $600.00 per year, in tax preparation fees, and charges incurred through fourth-party banking institutions, just to handle your money. Find out where to eFile your personal income taxes online for free through the Internal Revenue Service at IRS.com.

It is time to learn how to do things for ourselves, and enjoy all the savings that go along with it. Self-sufficiency skills can be learned at any age, and mastered, as long as there are suitable incentives to drive us on.