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brokestminimalist · 6 years

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Minimize your bills!

We have five bills. Here they are: Utilities, Phone, Internet, Car Insurance, Car Payment. That’s it. Those are the five things we pay every month. How did we achieve this? Partly, we’re just broke as shit and can’t afford any extras. Partly we don’t like extras. Extras take up time we don’t have and money we don’t have. Let’s go over a few common types of bills here and see how you can reduce how much money you are paying to various companies every month.

Rent/Housing payment: We are very fortunate to own our own house. It is paid for. If you do not own a house, paying rent or a house payment is unavoidable. There are arguments to be made in favor of both renting and buying. We like owning our own house because we can do whatever we want with it. Purple light bulbs? Totally. Glitter walls? You can’t stop us, motherfucker! The truth is that there’s not much you can do to reduce your rent or house payment, it’s just going to be there. Make sure to prioritize it over everything else; there’s no point having cable if you’re homeless.

Phone: We consider cell phones a necessity. Chuck out your landline and get a cheap pre-paid cell phone. We favor Boost Mobile but there’s also Virgin Mobile and a wide variety of others. Don’t get yourself locked into a contract, it’s way more expensive and you don’t need upgrades every year. If you don’t smash it or drop it in a toilet your average cell phone can last several years. Right now we have a Samsung Galaxy J3 that we bought in 2016 and it’s still going strong. We pay $30 a month. Even if you are currently stuck in a contract, it’s always worth calling to negotiate. Also eliminate extra stuff like app and ringtone purchases and any bs insurance plans attached to your line.

Cable: No. You do not need cable tv. If you must have shows to watch, look at Netflix or Hulu or Crunchyroll or a dozen other cheap streaming services. You do not need to waste 20 minutes per show seeing commercials; that is time out of your life that you will never get back. You do not need 3000 channels when you can only watch one at a time. Get. Rid. Of. Your. Cable.

Internet: We can say yes to internet because it’s so intertwined into modern society. You need it to fill out job applications, file a claim with your insurance company, to talk to loved ones across the country. In our state you need it to apply for food stamps. You don’t need to go broke for it, though. Find a reasonably priced plan at a moderate speed. Do not let anyone tell you that you need 150mbps to stream movies or play games. 10 is sufficient for SD, 25 for HD. (If you have a 4K device then you need to go find a different blog to read, Scrooge McDuck.) If you can’t afford it, there’s always the library and many fast food restaurants that offer free wifi.

Insurance: Whether it’s health insurance, auto insurance or homeowners insurance, you probably need to prioritize this. We are of the opinion that the young and very healthy can go without it for a few years, but when you hit your 30′s it’s a good idea to start doing the kind of preventive maintenance that comes with a health insurance plan. Auto and homeowners insurance policies vary a lot, so contact your company and see what extras you can cut out to shave a few dollars off your bill. If you drive an old beater, drop the full coverage and just hang onto liability. Your deductible may be more than your car is actually worth. (PS, one cool perk we do recommend is roadside assistance if your insurance company offers it. It’s often 3-5 extra bucks and they will come get you off the side of the road. Worth it.)

Vehicle payment: We can’t wait until our car is paid off. We were very lucky to have been given a car when we were 18 and we drove it until it just wouldn’t go anymore, and then we kept driving it anyway. From 2004 to 2017 we did not have a car payment, just liability insurance and getting the tags renewed once a week. It was beautiful! Right now we still owe about $600 on the used car we bought last year and life is going to be sweet again very soon. Driving for free is a great experience. To minimize this bill, pay extra when you can, put as much into your down payment as you can, and never buy a new vehicle. The subject of minimalist vehicles will get its own post later.

Life Insurance: We know for some folks with kids and grandkids this is a necessity, but uh... frankly there are none of our relatives who deserve to get a ridiculous sum of money in the event of our death. So let the state cremate us and auction our house off to the highest bidder. Whatev.

Utilities: Unless you’ve got a roof made of solar panels (and if you do, we applaud you!) you probably are connected to municipal electricity, gas and water. After rent this is going to be your second priority. You can see our post about conserving electricity and water to reduce this bill as much as you can. You can make a huge difference by doing simple things and most of them are low or no cost!

Cards/Loans/Debt: It’s always worth calling to negotiate interest rates. The bottom line is, you’ll just have to pay these as you can. We’ve been as broke as we can be for the last year or so, so we’ve got a credit card that was charged off because when you don’t have food to eat or heat in your house, you kind of don’t give any fucks about your old Visa card. We’re catching up though, and we’ll pay it. Don’t let yourself default on loans if you can help it, stay in touch with credit card companies and be straightforward with them about what you’re able to do. DON’T take out any new loans or cards.

Misc. Other Stuff: This is stuff like gym memberships and house cleaning service and that kid that mows your grass and walks your dog. You can reduce or eliminate all of these by going “Derp, I’m an adult who can do things for myself!”. Mow your own grass. It’s a great workout. Scrub your own baseboards, you’re burning calories. Walk your own freaking dog. If you’re wondering how you can pay your light bill then you do not need to spend money on things you can do for yourself. Grow a pair and do your own chores.

Childcare: This one is tough, and we admit we don’t know a lot about it. From what we’ve read, swapping childcare with a neighbor or friend is effective if you’ve got someone you trust. Don’t go cheap on this if you have to hire a sitter. The person caring for your child in your absence deserves to be paid well for their services. So if you can’t afford to pay that person what you would expect to get paid for the same amount of work, you need to skip that movie you were going to see and stay home. As far as finding daycare for while you’re at work goes, we will kindly ask our followers to chime in with suggestions.

There are lots of other types of bills that you might have, but take a day to go through your finances and see which ones you can do without or can trim down. Also give our post about Needs vs. Wants a look, maybe it can help you put things in perspective. We know this blog is only tangentially about personal finance, but consider minimalism a tool for every area of life. By reducing the bills you don’t want, you’ll have more to spend on the ones you do.

Links: Seven Common Bills

#minimalbills

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geek-and-nerd-are-not-the-same · 5 years

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“How can I lower my electric bill in an apartment? The tools + tricks + behavioral changes + you need for how to save money on electric bill in apartments.

How to save money on electric bill in apartment when you can't make the kinds of changes you could in a home? I keep hearing about unplugging electronics…but does unplugging save electricity?white desk with calculator and tape with text overlay "how can I lower my electric bill in an apartment?"

Owning a home yields many opportunities to increase overall energy efficiency. This is because even if technically a large corporate bank owns your mortgage, you are the master of your own domain and can change things and renovate on your Sims-like whims.

But what if you are one of the 39 million households in the United States that rent instead of own? You may feel like you don’t have a lot of control over making the changes necessary to lower your energy bill.

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However, there are many short-term and impermanent changes you can make to an apartment to save you money on electricity, water use, and gas use.

Psst: While you're here? You might want to learn my strategies for how to get a discount on apartment rent, even after signing the lease.

Table of Contents - Click and Stay Awhile!

How Much is a Normal Electric Bill for an Apartment?

Before we dive into how to save money on electric bill in apartment, you should probably know what to shoot for.

How much is a normal electric bill for an apartment about your size, and in your area of the country?

According to the Energy Information Administration, here's what apartment dwellers are paying in electricity costs:

Rented, Single Family: $1,918/year (or $159.83/month).

Per Family Member in an Apartment: $631/year (or $52.58/month).

Square footage also plays a major part in figuring out your monthly electric bill. Here's their estimates on what people are paying, based on amount of square feet:

Less than 500 Square Feet: $993/year (or $82.75/month).

500 to 999 Square Feet: $1,291/year (or $107.58/month).

1,000 to 1,499 Square Feet: $1,689/year (or $140.75/month).

1,500 to 1,999 Square Feet: $2,089/year (or or $174/month).

Etc.

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So, how does your own bill stack up to these?

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Note: your apartment might lump your water bill in with your electric bill, or something like that. If so, try calling the water company or the electric provider, and ask how much their particular bill was for your apartment unit (you could also try asking your landlord to see if they have a breakdown).

How Can I Reduce the Cost of Electricity in My Apartment?

Every tip and trick you'll find to reduce the cost of electricity in your apartment will fall into these three categories:

Electricity Plan Tips

Behavioral Changes

Tool Upgrades

I'll discuss all three with you so that you can pick and choose which meshes best with your lifestyle.

My overall tip for you? You'll want to choose suggestions from each of these categories in order to decrease your electric bill the most.

Electricity Plan Tips

If you live in an apartment, then chances are, you have to go with the electricity plan/provider that your landlord already chose.

Don't fret.

Psst: Find out how do you shop for electricity right here. You'll be surprised with the free tools available to make finding the cheapest plan a cinch.

What you'll want to do is make sure you are using that plan in a way that gets you any perks available.

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Call your electricity provider (you'll find the number on any electric bill you can find), and ask them the following questions:

Cheapest Times of Day/Night: Is there a cheaper time of day/night when I can use electricity? You want to use the most electricity (such as doing your laundry/running your dryer/running your dishwasher) during non-peak energy times, which might save you extra money.

Are There Free Times to Use Electricity?: Some electric plans now have promotions where something like nights and weekends are free. This is good info to know, as well as what hour this free time starts. You'll want to schedule any electric-using tasks during those hours, like running the dishwasher, using the water heater (showering), etc.

Are There any Extra Plan Perks?: Find out if there are any plan perks you might not be aware of. For example, do you get reward points to use towards gift cards for paying your bill on time, or for setting up automatic payments?

Do they offer a Free Energy Audit?: Ask if they conduct free apartment audits to reduce energy consumption.

Pssst: are you able to choose your own electricity plan? Awesome. You'll find more tips for how to save money on electricity by choosing the best one here.

Behavioral Electricity Use Changes – How Do I Keep My Electric Bill Down

No matter if you live in a dorm room, apartment, or a house, you can always make changes to the way that you use electricity in order to lower your costs.

Unplug When Not in Use (the Smart Way): Unplug your appliances when they are not being used because they still draw electricity from your outlets. The most convenient way to accomplish this is by plugging as much as possible into one or two smart power strips, and then unplugging the power strip before heading to work or going to bed (or hooking it up to your smartphone to do it from your phone).Not into unplugging? You can now do this digitally, by installing Smart WiFi Plug that you can control by your phone! Again, you can take this with you when you leave.

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Institute a digital-free evening or day: If you cannot go completely without television, cell phones, or anything electric (save for the refrigerator), then try television-free days or evenings. Pulling the plug on electronic communication and the digital information age every so often seems like it could have a wonderful impact besides saving money on electric bills. After half an hour or so of staring at family and friends perhaps we would be more inclined to engage in delicious conversation without the use of a cell phone. We could cultivate focus and presence, living in uncomfortable silence until it becomes comforting to us. Time to reflect, contemplate on, and absorb the world around us could lead to new ideas, thoughts, or explanations of things that have seemed off to us before. Perhaps we could make sense of our lives, more clearly see our next step, grieve for the things we have pushed aside, revel in being, and celebrate our love for those around us. It would also slow down the seemingly accelerated pace of time (just spend one afternoon in a rocking chair on your porch people or nature-watching and you will see what I mean).

Wash Clothes in Cold Water Only: This uses your water heater less.

Keep the Sun at Bay: Close blinds/shades before leaving for work during the summer months to decrease the internal temperature in your apartment. During the winter, shut the blinds/shades at night in order to keep heat from escaping. Another great idea? You can put up some thermal-insulated, black out curtains — pull them closed when you leave for work in the morning).

Maintain Your Appliances: Periodically vacuum your refrigerator coils clean, as well as move your refrigerator a few inches away from the wall to increase efficiency.

Pay Attention to How You Cook: Crockpots and microwaves use much less energy than does an oven. No matter which kitchen appliance you use, cook once and eat several times. I used to use the oven on average about three times per week and then heat up leftovers in the microwave, toaster oven or stovetop the rest of the time.

Use Refrigerator Thawing: Stop using the microwave to thaw your foods, and instead plan meals a day ahead so that you can defrost items over time in the refrigerator.

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There are many short-term and impermanent changes you can make to an apartment to save you money on electricity, water use, and gas use. CLICK TO TWEET

Tools to Purchase that You Can Move With You to Your Next Home

There are inexpensive products you can purchase to decrease your energy use within your apartment.

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The great thing is that these products are all transportable, so you can take them with you to your next home.

Note: Just make sure to keep all of the old parts you are replacing — you can stash them in a closet — so that you can switch everything back when you leave.

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Energy Efficient Light Bulbs: Change out your light bulbs to energy efficient ones.

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Buy a Water Heater Cover: Insulate your water heater (be careful when doing this, as your water heater may be hot to the touch if it has recently been in use).

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Buy a Low-Flow Shower Head: Install a low-flow showerhead.

Install Thermal-Insulated Curtains: Purchase thermal-insulated, black out curtains (or make your own), and pull them closed when you leave for work in the morning).

Use Dryer Racks: Purchase dryer racks and use them to dry your clothes. Note that you can also dry clothes on a balcony, but only if your apartment complex does not forbid this in your contract (all of mine forbade this).

Use a Draft Guard: Purchase a draft guard (or make your own) to place at the bottom of your door leading to the outside where temperature-controlled air can escape from your apartment.

Install a Low-Flow Aerator on Your Faucets: Check to see if there are threads on the inside tip of your faucet. If so, then you can install a low-flow aerator to decrease the amount of water flow. If there is already an aerator installed, check to make sure it is 2.75 gallons per minute (gpm) or less (the gpm should be imprinted on the aerator). If not, replace with a newer model.

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Adjust Appliances to Make them More Energy Efficient

You may not have a choice in the type of appliances at your disposal.

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Even if your appliances are from the pre-energy efficiency heyday of Friends, you can make adjustments in order to increase their efficiency and decrease the money leaking out of your bank account.

Increase the Temperature of Your Freezer + Refrigerator: Turn your freezer/refrigerator up a few degrees (just be sure that your refrigerator temperature is still optimal for slowing bacteria growth).

Turn Your Water Heater Down: Play with the temperature setting on your water heater by turning it down a few degrees until you find the point at which it is no longer hot enough for you.

Get Your A/C Filter Checked: Ask your landlord to check the filter on your heating/cooling system to make sure that it is being properly maintained. If you have a window A/C unit, you can typically find and clean the filter yourself.

Turn Your Ice Machine Off: If you have more than enough ice in your ice box, make sure to turn the ice machine off. Periodically you will run out of ice, in which case you can turn it back on until it fills up again.

Convert Your Toilet to Low-Flush: Okay…this one saves on your water bill, and not electricity bill. But every little bit helps! If you have an older toilet that uses a bowl full of water, try converting it to a low-flush toilet for free.

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I rented a total of four apartments after graduating college and before moving into our first home.

While I was very good with monitoring my electricity use, I wish I had put in the research to figure out other ways to turn my apartment into an energy efficient home while I was still living in them.

Think about how far ahead you'll be in energy savings using the tips above!

One last piece of advice: if there is anything on this list that you are unsure of, make sure you receive written permission from your landlord before making the changes. Better safe than sorry!”

#adulting #reference #save money #electricity #bills

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