Waste
Check costs associated with recycling/trash bin sizes:
My Waste Service provider offers a flat fee for recycling. I used this to increase my recycling bin size and reduce my trash bin size for a savings of $60/year.
Electricity
You can call your utility company to ask if they offer free home energy audits, or they will often provide a breakdown of the costs associated with your energy bill
They should provide some insight on how you can spend less on your power bill but here are some available options:
- Adjust your thermostat or set it to turn on during lower cost times if available
- Adjust your refrigerator temperature (Freezer should be set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, Refrigerator should be between 34 and 40)
- Adjust hot water heater (120 degrees Fahrenheit is often considered the best for energy efficiency and safety to reduce scalding)
- Change or clean HVAC Filters
- Transition to LED lightbulbs
Power companies also offer rebates for making your home / apartment more efficient. From things like LED lightbulbs to Smart Thermostats and Insulation there could be hundreds to thousands in rebates that lead to continued savings due to lower power usage.
Water
Run full loads of dishes and clothes washing. I also removed whites from my wardrobe so I don’t have to worry about running a separate load just for whites.
It is not legal in all states, but you can look to see if using a rain barrel is an option in your location for watering plants.
All Utilities
Credit Cards like US Bank Cash+ offer 5% cashback on 2 categories that you select every quarter, one of which is Utilities. As utilities are a necessity, it makes sense to get 5% cashback as long as your utility services don’t charge a credit card fee. They don’t currently offer a referral promotion, but they typically have an ongoing promotion for an extra $200 if you spend $1000 within 3 months
You can also ask if they have low-income discounts or programs to help reduce your utility bills if you qualify.
Frugal Toolkit 