Lower At Home Expenses Today: 5 Easy Cost Cutting Areas to Scale Back
And How to Consolidate Debt
Household expenses can build up quickly and easily, leaving you with a shockingly large credit card bill at the end of the month. If you’re working to reduce credit card debt, are looking for the best debt relief options, or are simply looking for more ways to save money, we’ve got you covered. If you’re interested in debt consolidation, be sure to speak to your local banks, credit unions, and installment loan lenders for debt consolidation loans that can help, and read on for more information. Here are 5 easy cost cutting areas to scale back and lower your at home expenses today:
1. Track your spending habits
The first, and most important, step is to track down where all of your money is going. That’s everything from your daily morning latte, to your bills, to your weekly take-out meal. Tracking spending from 30-60 days is a huge eyeopener, so be sure to look at your monthly bank statements and consider downloading a spending tracker app that tells you how much money is going to needs versus wants—from here, you can adjust your spending accordingly.
2. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions
As nice as it is to have every movie and series at your disposal, do you really need Netflix, Crave, and Disney+? Is that magazine subscription really worth it? Review all the subscriptions that charge you monthly and reconsider their needs. When it comes to phone plans or cable bills, be sure to shop around and see if there are cheaper plans available with different providers.
3. Reduce electricity consumption
Of course, heating and cooling your home is essential and you need electricity for lights and appliances, but there are plenty of steps you can take to lower your bill. Don’t leave your computer running, turn lights off as soon as you leave a room, don’t run the dishwasher without a full load, air dry your laundry instead of using the dryer, turn down the thermostat and water heater, and so on. These are immediate, simple steps that will save you money every single month.
4. Prioritize sustainability
Not only should you consider saving energy and money for yourself, but you should also take the environment into account. A lot of these steps to save you money can be applied in combination towards sustainability efforts. Try shopping at thrift stores to save money and reduce the amount of clothes and other items in landfills, consider using public transportation or biking over driving every day to save gas and reduce harmful emissions, install energy efficient light bulbs, and so on.
5. Consolidate your debt
As mentioned, debt consolidation is another way to cut expenses. Monthly payments on your credit cards can take a huge chunk out of your paycheck, and the interest payments are likely very high. Debt consolidation allows you to combine multiple debts into one monthly payment, thus reducing interest payments, lowering monthly payments, and helping you work towards paying off your debt. Chat with your financial advisor to see if debt consolidation is right for you.