Have a Better Life

Guest Post

Every month, you surely receive promotional offers and monthly bills on your home mailbox. You may rave on the latest promos from retailers. But you surely are almost always ranting about your monthly bills, whether for utilities or insurance.

Nobody said paying up monthly obligations and balancing your household budget is easy, especially these days. When the times get tough, your logical measure would be to trim down or lower your regular household expenses. Doing so should never be an extreme sacrifice. Here are 10 ways on how you could reduce your monthly household bills.

1. Budgeting

Limit your spending on necessary items to just about 60% of your overall monthly income. This may mean exerting more effort on effective and logical budgeting. Carefully track your regular expenditures every month and try to adjust budget targets in every category. Your monthly expenses should not exceed your regular monthly income.

2. Electricity

According to the US Department of Energy, the average American household spends up to $250 or more annually just on standby power. Thus, you could save so much if you would always unplug appliances and devices that are not in use. Keeping your printer, television, or PC plugged in and on standby incurs small energy losses.

3. Telephone bills

Lower your telephone bills for both landline and cellphone. For landlines, switch to measured-use plans that may cost at least $10 each month for unlimited incoming calls and limited outgoing transactions. Use your mobile phone for emergencies and only if necessary. Switching to a prepaid mobile plan could help you save a lot as you may spend just about $20 each month on buying prepaid.

4. Groceries

Try to buy by bulk as doing so would help you save dollars. Also buy more when items are on sale. How about using discount coupons? Compare price tags on various supermarkets so you could determine where to find and get the best buys. Avoid frequent trips to the grocery, do your shopping list weekly or twice a month, and do not shop for your household supplies on an empty stomach.

5. Heating and cooling

Make your home weather-ready. Windows and exterior doors must be caulked so that air inside the house would not seep out when you are using your heater or air conditioner. Check your home insulation. It would be easier to keep a weather-tight home cooler or warmer during summer and winter, respectively.

6. Internet and cable

Have you already figured out that you could save a big amount of cash by bundling your Internet and cable television services? By doing so, you could possibly save up to $392 every year.

7. Water

Try to minimize your water bill as well. Be mindful of the way your household uses water every day. Do not leave the faucet running while you brush your teeth. Do your laundry weekly instead of daily. Repair leaky tanks and taps and fix running toilets. Try to take quick showers instead of lengthy showers.

8. Mortgage

Paying for your home loan is not actually part of essential spending for your household but since it is necessary to make payments, mortgages usually get into regular household expenditures. Do not stick to your minimum required payments; try to pay more than required each month so you could lower your principal and possibly shorten loan maturity. Remember, the longer your mortgage stays, the higher your interest payment becomes.

9. Home insurance

Seek discounts from your home insurance provider. If it remains costly, try to look around for cheaper policies from other insurers. Just be careful not to compromise the overall coverage and benefits.

10. Car insurance

Increase your excess charge (an amount you agree to shoulder before the insurance provider provides for claims). Doing so is a good way to lower your car insurance premiums.

Andrew has been working in the finance industry for several years, helping people with debt management and refinancing solutions.

Each time a birthday party date approaches the rush for the preparation begins. If you intend to buy all the decorations and birthday party invitations it might be easier and less complicated but keep in mind that you can make handmade ones.

There are decorations that can be made by recycling items we might have at home and that are no longer in use. Paper, whether it is from magazines, newspapers or others can also be used to make the invitations cards.

Beautiful and interesting things can be done by recycling or reusing so let’s start doing it instead of buying new.

Do you know you can recycle ink cartridges as well as toner ones? If you haven’t heard about it yet, keep in mind that there are special recycling programs to recycle canon ink cartridges as well as ink and toner cartridges from other brands.

Everyday different programs are created to meet the needs of recycling. Housewares appliances also have a special program as well as cork lids.

The efforts to keep special trash away from irregular trash continue in order to accomplish the goal to protect the environment from harmful trash.

Do you recycle your ink cartridges? What about your toner cartridges? If you don’t then you should. There are programs offering incentives when you recycle hp toner cartridges or other brands and cartridge type. Some stores offer a gift certificate on a certain amount if you return an empty original cartridge when you go to the store to buy a new one. Other programs offer an amount of money for each cartridge even if you don’t buy a new one.

Keep yourself informed of recycling programs and do your share. Recycle.

Image via Wikipedia

Generally it is just not possible to get away by the throw-away coffee cup. Of course, you can lessen the amount of waste by using regular ol’ coffee mugs or thermoses in spots for example your private home, in a vehicle, or perhaps at the job. The more substantial issue lies inside coffee shops and restaurants utilizing throw away coffee cups because of high customer demand. Switching to an eco-friendly throw-away coffee cup would drastically assist with today’s pollution problem, but at their costly price tag and poor construction, it might just not be simple for small businesses to order in large quantities.

Several merchants do use throw away cups made with 10% recycled materials, but are under the opinion that the good quality may be sacrificed with any bigger of a percentage, causing the product to leak. If you still favor using throwaway coffee cups, as opposed to a travel mug or thermos, because of the convenience, take a stab at the biodegradable cup. It could just be well worth your attention doing all your part. I have stumbled upon a couple of earth friendly throw-away coffee cups and want to tell you about the various options out there on the market.

One of the most popular eco friendly disposable Coffee Machines on the market is named the ecotainer(TM) also it comes from the combined effort of International Paper and Green Mountain Coffee. Whilst common throw away coffee cups use petrochemicals, the ecotainer(TM) employs a plastic lining created from plants to prevent leaking. They are utterly compost able, breaking down directly into organic materials when used.

GreenGood has presented their substitute for utilizing two disposable cups of Coffee Machines Ireland when handling hot coffee considering the AIR Insulated Disposable Coffee Cup. These cups have a couple of layers of walls that form a blockade of air in the middle, keeping the surface from changing into too hot and your coffee within hotter. Along with being revolutionary using this type of design, the AIR cup is made 42% of post consumer recycled materials. They also have a completely biodegradable and also compost able CPLA hot cup lid to go in addition to it. CPLA is usually a nature based plastic created from corn.

There exists a disposable cup along the way of being manufactured by the company Micro Green Polymers. Apart from being created from recycled plastic, this cup can even become a lot more durable, lighter weight and also heat-resistant compared to traditional disposable coffee cups out there. By using a technology that makes plenty of tiny little bubbles within the plastic, developing a honey-comb effect, can cause the item to create a high temperature resistance. We have yet to listen to on whether or not the product being produced can alone be reprocessed, but so far feels like a pretty good idea.

I continue to see people buying party invitations cards that are not made of recycled paper. Although I understand that there are beautiful invitations cards we can choose from, I prefer to buy them when they are made of recycled paper. Another alternative that I’ve been choosing lately is handmade cards. I buy recycled paper and print the invitations or even handwrite them. Whether you need birthday invitations or Halloween party invitations make sure you choose recycled ones.

Image by AaverageJoe via Flickr

If you’re taking a family vacation this year, there are smart ways to travel that will reduce your carbon footprint and make for a more sustainable traveling experience. Fortunately, our three simple suggestions are budget-friendly and won’t cut into the family fun you’re planning on this summer!

1) Transportation

One of the worst parts to traveling is the transportation. This increases carbon emissions, especially as families depend on vehicles to get them around. Instead, let your vacation take a different turn. If possible, take a train to your destination, which is the more affordable choice compared to plane tickets or fuel. And, kids can save 50% on their train tickets on some Amtrak lines, such as Amtrak Cascades that connects Seattle, Portland and Vancouver.

Another aspect to traveling green is to pack lighter. It’s recommended that families set out what they would like to pack and divide it in half. By over-packing, the additional weight requires more fuel, which produces more carbon dioxide emissions. Since it can be hard to manage everyone’s packing habits, provide each member of the family with their own moderately sized suitcase or bag. Allow them to bring what they want, as long as it fits within the bag. Also encourage kids to share their books and handheld devices.

2) Lodging

Many families stay in hotels during their travels, but don’t think this is the only option. If you plan your vacation in a remote location, consider renting out a family-friendly cabin. You can also enjoy the beautiful scenery by camping out under the stars. Not only do these rental lodges save money, but they are gentler on the environment.

If you must stay in a hotel, look for those that have recycling programs. Bring your own bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and keep the air conditioning off when you’re not in the room. If you’ll be staying in the hotel for a few days or more, treat the space like your own home. Turn off and unplug appliances for instance, and provide snacks that don’t contain wrappers such as fresh fruits and family-sized containers of raisins and nuts.

3) Dining Out

When families travel, it’s almost expected that they’ll have one nice meal out. This is especially true when traveling to new parts of the country where such foods as seafood are highly recommended. Avoid large food chains and look for restaurants that get their ingredients from locally grown farmers. Also choose restaurants that use a lot of organic and hormone-free products in their dishes.

While dining out is certainly fun, you’ll nearly deplete your pocketbook if you do so for all three meals. Bring along snacks for the family and shop at farmer’s markets to stock up on a few fresh foods for the duration of your trip. By taking the time to shop locally, you may even find exotic breeds of fruits and vegetables that are specific to the location.

When tourists push for Eco-friendly options during their travels, popular destinations will be more inclined to changing their own habits and offering a wide range of sustainable choices for travelers.

John is a fulltime environmental writer and interior decorator. He is in the process of designing a few dining tables for his home.