There are many different ways to increase your disposable income or spending money. One of the easiest ways is to limit the amount of money that you spend on utilities and household maintenance. Here are some easy money-saving tips that don’t require much time or effort:
Refrigerator Cost Reduction
A refrigerator needs less electricity to cool objects than it does to cool air. A full fridge is cheaper to run. On this theory, you can fill your freezer with containers of water. If you try this for several months, your total electric bill can go down significantly. Rectangular containers and quart juice boxes work best and can be arranged in many ways. Round deli containers and any plastic milk jugs will work also. Be sure to leave room for the ice to expand. They will bulge unless you fill them in stages and brace them on both sides until frozen. Avoid paper milk and glass containers because they break. Make sure that all containers are covered. Uncovered containers may cause the automatic defrost to work overtime. You can move the ice containers in and out as needed to accommodate food.
Dryer Maintenance Besides cleaning the lint, periodically take the top of your dryer and vacuum out the inside. You would be surprised at the amount of lint you will get. This is especially important for older model dryers. It is also a good idea to check the dryer vent hose connection on the back of your unit to make sure that there is a good connection that’s free of holes.
The Old Water Trick For saving money on your water bill, here’s something that can really help. Fill a bottle or large heavy-duty plastic bag with water and put it in the tank of your toilet. Place it away from the working parts, so it doesn’t interfere with the ball. Flush the toilet first and then place the bottle or bag it the ideal spot while the tank is empty. It will take less water to fill the tank and you won’t notice the difference when you flush.
Creative Grease and Stain Remover Have you ever been wearing a brand new shirt and managed to get a huge stain on the front of it? Dry-cleaning is a costly option and the store products that are available don’t often work well. There is an alterative that works on everything from cooking grease to car or axle grease and it’s all-natural. The product is eucalyptus oil and can be found in the pharmacy section of most discount-type stores. It may seem a bit expensive but the bottle will last a long time and it never spoils.
Dusting Clothes Some people argue that the old-fashion way of dusting (furniture spray and an old rag) just pushes dust around and doesn’t really remove it. So many companies introduced dust clothes that seem to work well but are costly. You can get the same results of those expensive dust clothes with used dryer sheets. The static electricity and the fibers of the dryer sheet make it perfect for dusting. If you have any questions or comments regarding this or any other newsletter, I can be reached at jason@debtwave.com.
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