How do you reduce your bills?

Actually, mine doesn't need a filter, but perception is greater than reality! A way to tell how pure your tap water is, is to freeze it. The cloudier it is the more impurities are in it.

Make Clear Ice Cubes | Water & Air - Filter Systems News

BTW - my tap water does not produce clear ice.

 

Thanks. It's been bugging me for years how ice in restaurants are clear and mine aren't. I do have a filter for water in my refrigerator. But a reverse osmosis sustem is out of the question. I'll live with cloudy ice.

 

My ice (hand poured into trays, unfiltered, no automatic ice maker) is clear for 2/3rds of the way to the center. Not completely clear, but an enormous improvement over the spring water where I grew up.

Dad does have an automatic icemaker with standard in-line filter. His ice varies from white in the clean water season, to a translucent tea color in silt season. I can no longer drink that water most of the year, and now take several gallons of home water along when visiting.

 

I just don't turn the water flow on full blast. While the spouse needs the full force 2 gpm to wash her thick hair, she does turn it lower when not washing hair. My half-bald head is plenty happy at 0.6 gpm, allowing more time for the humidity to help clear the lungs.

 

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Probably the easiest way to reduce your bills is to live poor. And I'm actually being serious. Just because you make it doesn't mean you have to spend it.
My experience is that a lot of people spend money they don't have on things they don't need to impress people they don't really like.
Not too smart.
Last year we spent $23,502. Two adults, no kids, no pets.
I know because I write down every penny that is spent in a book.
Mind you, that included $2,845 insurance, property taxes, and HOA fees on a rental property that we own.
And it included $2,342 for tuition and books.
So for food, shelter, clothing, etc. we spent $18,315.
That is low - not our lowest every but it it low.
The biggest way to cut your monthly expenses - own your home. Seriously - how much would you save without a mortgage every month?
My number one expense last year was gasoline - $409/month. This year with the Prius C gas is running $286/month.
Still a lot less than a mortgage payment.
Number two expense is $285/month for home HOA. Probably should have avoided that one.
Have no debt (car or credit card).
Buy on sale.
Have a prepaid cellphone - mine is seven years old and I spend $10 each year to buy 35 additional minutes .
Take advantage of promotions from banks and credit cards.
Don't pay bank fees or ATM fees.
Shop multiple grocery stores for the best deals.
Don't set the thermostat too high in the winter or too low in the summer.
If it ain't broke don't replace it - our desktop is circa 2004 and the laptop is from 2010.
Be cheap.
Saving money is a game - play it for all it is worth and enjoy every minute of it.

 

I remember the first car loan offered to me was 11% for a Honda Prelude. I didn't take the offer but I remembered how adult I felt qualifying for a car loan with such a low interest rate. Now, I'm enjoying a 0% APR for my PiP. Wonder how long it takes for interest rates to go back up.

 

<<Bows to the Queeen>>

Thanks, nice tip!

 

My wife and her sister were both married in the parent's garden. The big splurge was the DJ

 

My wife invested in a French Coffee Press. $10 IIRC. I think it tastes poor, but what do I know -- I'm a tea drinker. I recently broke my habit of expensive tea bags, and now make a tea concentrate from bulk leaves that lasts about a week.

 

You are preaching to the choir. I *finally* convinced my wife to eschew plastic in favor of glass. *So* much better, on many levels.

 

Our home water is delicious since it comes from a deep community well that taps mountain run-off, although I presume it would freeze murky given the high mineral concentrations.

 

OK, I'll grant that you are a penny pincher

There is an interesting distinction between frugality and being a miser, although many of us have some characteristics of both. To me, frugality is a utilitarian approach that seeks maximum value while a miser is unhappy if the money hoard decreases.

My household these days is also mostly two adults, with three cats. The kids visit for a few months a year total. Our budget is $1984 a month, not including business related expenses. We spent overall more than our budget; I mention it to say that is our usual lifestyle. If we want something else (and *really* want it,) we buy happily. Net worth increased ~ 300k over the last 12 months.

Anyway, to add to JMD's request how I lower bills:

1. I learned simple DIY stuff. For me the main ones have been plumbing, basic car maintenance, and home renovation

2. I have hobbies that make money. E.g., I enjoy learning about personal energy conservation. Last year I made my own (reusable!) window insulation and I installed windows. I save much more on my energy bills than I spent in materials. Last month's electric bill was $15.53, a result of conservation and efficiency.

3. I Pursue a healthy lifestyle and preventive health. This is a HUGE money saver since it lets me save on health insurance and work until a later age. And by the way, you will enjoy the fruits of your labors more in retirement . E.g, I have hypertension. I pay about 12 cents a day for medicine out of pocket, and check my blood pressure to be sure of good control.

4. Our diet is simple, in the sense of buying mostly unprocessed food in bulk that is prepared at home. This works out to be about $5 daily per person. I'm looking forward to learning how to make fresh Tofu from beans.

5. I invested the time to help my kids become high achieving students. It has paid handsomely so far in terms of college costs they both have currently, and of course I hope they will have successful work-lives. My son nets about $5k a year after all costs (free ride + work), while my daughter has been able to attend a small private Liberal Arts school for 10k a year tuition.

6. I'm slowly getting better at taking care of my stuff. You know, like not leaving the bicycle outside in the rain ...

 

Whoa easy on the photos guy, didn't you get the memo?