FL is One of the Most Desirable Places to Retire

Retire in Florida - Check Out This Beach!Florida is usually one of the first states that people think about when they want to retire because it has so many benefits and opportunities for retirees. There are numerous communities built exclusively for the retired. This state is also incredibly diverse so that almost anybody can comfortably live here and experience the warm weather and amazing golf courses. If you are coming close to retirement, then you should definitely consider moving to Florida.

Consistent Temperature

One of the most attractive elements of Florida is its consistent temperature. While winters are obviously colder than summers, you will find that the temperature is almost always warm or hot throughout the year. Cold temperatures are a hassle to deal with, especially if it makes your joints swell and hurt.

A consistent temperature also reduces the likelihood of illness because your immune system won’t be taxed by the cold. Everybody loves warm temperatures, and Florida is always warm and sunny.

Pricing

Florida homes and condos range from surprisingly affordable to outrageously expensive, but it’s this diversity that attracts many people. If you are looking for sensible living arrangements so that you can easily subsist on your savings without getting a new job, then Florida has plenty of great places in your price range. If you are wealthy and you want to retire in the lap of luxury with a lavish condo, then there are also plenty of great places to look at.

“Florida is one of the few states that really caters to everyone’s needs”, says Steve Miller a frequent contributor for Assisted Living Today in FL a website dedicated to helping families find senior care. You should have no problems finding living arrangements that are perfect for your situation.

Golf Courses

Do you like golf? Many retirees enjoy this popular sport because it is relaxing, easy to learn and fun. You will also get a chance to socialize with other people, which allows you to form lasting friendships and bonds. Florida is great for golfing because there are many golf communities. Many of these courses are installed near condo and apartment complexes so that you can walk to the course in a few minutes.

Another advantage is that there are a few courses that are built exclusively for seniors and retirees. This ensures that you will be around similar company.

Water and Boating

Do you like the water and boating? Florida has a thriving beach and boating community. There are even many neighborhoods and condo complexes built right on the water’s edge. This is a benefit that almost every retiree is sure to enjoy. There’s nothing like fishing or boating throughout the day and late at night. Some communities are so close to the water that there’s a pier in their backyard.

If you would love to retire near a beachfront or waterside community, then Florida is simply the best.

Taxes

Perhaps one of the best things about Florida is its income tax rate. Unlike most other states, Florida doesn’t have income tax. You will owe absolutely nothing to the state whenever you earn income. If you want to save a lot of money, or if you just want to use the money on yourself without paying the state, then Florida is perfect. There are also no estate or inheritance taxes.

Quaint Settings

Though Florida is best known for its beaches and amusement parks, the truth is that there are many quaint and quiet areas that are perfect for retirement. For example, Dade City is an area with hills, oak trees and many antique shops. Many of these areas are known for friendly neighbors and a quiet atmosphere that is perfect for settling down in your golden years.

Legal Residency

If you want to enjoy the full retirement benefits of any state, then you have to become a resident. This is usually a lengthy process that can take years. Florida is one of the few states with lax rules about residency. You can become a resident by just establishing a home and making a sworn statement.

Conclusion

There are many great places to retire, but Florida is definitely one of the best. The temperature is warm and consistent, there are many different activities for you to enjoy and there are no income taxes to worry about. If it’s time to retire, then you should seriously consider heading to Florida.

Image credit: Sebastian Fuss

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Finding the Best Ticket Price isn’t Impossible

Ticket prices for boats, shows and planes always seem to be getting more expensive. At the same time, it’s getting easier to find cheaper prices if you know how to search for tickets. It doesn’t matter what type of tickets you are looking for. There are many tips that can help you find the best prices without searching for hours. If you want to get a great deal, then just keep these tips in mind when looking for tickets.

The Right Days

Searching for a ticket on the right day is essential to getting the best price. You might think that searching on the day of a sale is good, but it’s often better to look for tickets the next morning. For example, most airlines offer sales on Monday. It’s actually best to look for tickets on Tuesday morning because the other airlines should have matched the price. The sale might also get better because passengers want the best price.

If the type of tickets you are looking for are often on sale, then try looking for them the morning after to get great prices.

It’s also a good idea to be flexible about the tickets. For example, tickets are often the most expensive on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you buy tickets to see a show or take a trip on another day, then the price might be significantly cheaper.

Use Social Media

Most websites and businesses that sell tickets are on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. If you frequently buy tickets, then it’s best to follow their social media page. This is because most of these businesses will announce when they are offering sales. They sometimes offer very brief sales that just last an hour that you wouldn’t know about without following them.

If you want to catch sales as soon as they start, then be sure to add social media apps to your smartphone so that you can read new posts from the companies as soon as they are made.

Biding Time

It sometimes seems like a good idea to wait. Some ticket sellers will sell the tickets for a high price initially to make the most money. As fewer people buy tickets, the seller will decrease the price to sell the remaining ones. While you can sometimes get an amazing deal by waiting a few days or weeks, you should really think about this strategy before using it.

Ticket prices can increase or decrease as time progresses. Not only that, but ticket prices don’t decrease as much as they increase. For example, the ticket might go down by $30 or up to $200. You should only bide your time if the event still has plenty of remaining tickets because you don’t want to wait too long and then lose your chance to buy tickets.

Apps and Ticket Search Engines

There are various smartphone apps and online search engines for tickets that can help you search through many carriers at once to find the best sales. Two common examples would be Expedia and Travelocity. Not only does this save time, but you can immediately compare several different carriers at once to see which one is best.

Another good thing is that you can often get accompanying services for less than you would pay otherwise. For example, you can book hotel reservations at a discounted price so that you have somewhere to sleep after your trip.

Check the Carrier

While apps and search engines are great, it might be better to check the carrier’s website. Many carriers offer extra deals and discounts through their website because they can avoid third-party fees from ticket search engines. If you have a preferred carrier, or if one is consistently cheaper than the others, then search their website to see if you can get a better price.

Conclusion

There are many ways of finding cheap tickets, but you have to be diligent when you are searching. Don’t just jump on the first cheap ticket that you can find. Use all of these different tips to find the best price for tickets. At the same time, don’t wait too long because the price can always increase.

Author Bio

Kristine Connors is a local music junkie who uses Moby Ticket, http://mobyticket.com/ , to find updates on her favorite bands and events at local theatres.

This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

Finding Affordable Insurance

Save Money on Insurance

If you’ve spent any amount of time watching TV, reading a newspaper, or browsing the Internet, you are undoubtedly aware that there are a lot of insurance companies out there fighting for your business. Someone is always loudly proclaiming that they have the best and the cheapest insurance in the market. How can so many different companies have the cheapest? In reality, many of the claims that you hear in these advertisements simply aren’t true. How can you sort through all of this and make any sense of it?

Why It’s Important to Find the Best Policy

Finding an insurance policy that has low premiums is definitely a good idea if you are on a tight budget. However, there are some other factors to take into consideration as well. You also need to be able to save money when you get in a wreck or if you get a speeding ticket. Some insurance companies might have low premiums initially, but they raise them as soon as you get a speeding ticket or have a minor fender bender.

Some discount policies don’t even cover many different types of damage that you could experience in your vehicle. If you don’t take the time to read the policy that you are buying and find out exactly what it covers, you might end up holding the bag after something bad happens.

Shopping for Coverage

If you want to make sure that you find the most affordable and the best policy for you, shopping around is critical. You can shop online with companies online and get prices right away. For example, you can get 21st insurance quotes with just a few clicks of the mouse. By doing this, you can find out exactly how much it would cost you to get insurance with any of the companies that you are interested in doing business with.

When you shop online, it’s important to make sure that you compare all of the various aspects of the policy. Does the policy you’re looking at have comprehensive coverage? Does it offer rental car reimbursement? Does it have a $2,000 deductible or a $250 deductible? These are all things that you need to look at when you are shopping for a new insurance policy online.

Company Reputation

In addition to looking at the policy itself, you should also find out what type of reputation the company has. When you deal with a solid company, you won’t have to worry about whether they are going to stand behind you when you are in an accident. If you are working with a good company, you’ll know that you’re going to get a fair shot instead of being taken advantage of. There are countless horror stories of people not getting their claim covered because they went with a cut rate insurance company.

If you’ll do your due diligence, you can protect your financial interests and make sure that you get the best rate available. At that point, you can drive without any worries.

 

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Don’t Know How to Start Saving? Motivate Yourself With These Gift Goals

Save Money

Although it’s important to be smart with money, it’s also important to treat yourself from time to time. But if you’re cash strapped, saving up for a fun gift may seem out of reach. Maybe you’ve always wanted to go on a fabulous cruise or purchase a large screen television. Because these are high-ticketed items, it can take awhile to save for these purchases. And if unable to reach your goal, you might get discouraged.

Fortunately, there is a better way to save. Rather than think big, think of inexpensive items you can save for today. It’s much easier to save $500 than $1,000 or more. And if you meet a small savings goal, this can encourage you to reach bigger goals in the future.

What are some fun things you can plan for in the future?

1. Plan a weekend getaway: Maybe your budget doesn’t allow an elaborate or fancy trip. This doesn’t mean that you’re stuck at home. Check into local cities or popular tourist spots within driving distance of your home. Perhaps you can plan a weekend in New York City, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon or Miami. Compare hotel rates and browse attractions to determine how much you’ll need to save. There’s the cost of your fuel, hotel, food and entertainment – but you can easily complete a trip for $500 or less. To make the trip extra special, consider unique activities. For example, if you’re visiting Washington, DC, you might pickup Washington Wizards tickets.

2. Update your electronics. Are you behind on technology, but want to join the rest of the world in the 21st century? Cellphones and computer tablets are constantly changing. And if you update your phone every 10 years, you might miss out on useful features. The cost of tablets and cellphones can be a major turnoff, yet a motivating factor to save your cash.

3. Check out designer labels. The average person can’t afford to spend thousands on designer clothes, purses, sunglasses or other accessories. But if you’ve always wanted a particular designer item, why not treat yourself? There are plenty of high-end products priced under $500, and if you start saving your money, you can have your wish list item in a matter of months.

Tips to Save Your Money

Of course, saving money is easier said than done. You might think, “how can I save when I don’t have extra money?” A common concern, but there are tips to help you spend less and put cash away.

  • Brown bag your lunch: Sure, it’s easier and more fun to join coworkers for lunch. But if you spend $7 a day on lunch, that’s $35 a week. Bring your own lunch and you can save $500 in about three and a half months.
  • Reduce grocery bill. Food is a huge expense, but simple tricks can knock several dollars off your grocery trips. Use coupons, take advantage of saving programs offered by the store, inquire about double coupon days and give generic brands a try.
  • Pick up a little extra work. Whether you’re babysitting on the weekends or asking your boss for additional hours, the money earned can help you meet your savings goals. Earn an extra $75 a week and you’ll save $500 in about seven weeks – or less than two months.

Saving doesn’t come natural for some people. Getting into a habit not only increases your personal wealth, but teaches the importance of waiting and then rewarding yourself for hard work. Think of a fun gift that you’ll like to give yourself or someone else in the near future, and make this gift your motivation for saving your cash. 

 

Image credit: 401(K) 2013

This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

How to Save Money on Electronics

Save Money on ElectronicsSaving money on typically pricey purchases is just as important as saving money on your groceries. In fact, you could do your grocery shopping for a month with coupons and likely not save as much as you could on a major electronics purchase – but only if you play your cards right. So how can you keep $100 or more in your pocket?

Here are a few different methods I use to save the most money on electronics:

  • Coupons – yes, you CAN find coupons on electronics. They are rare, but they exist. In many cases, you can find store coupons for a percentage off your total purchase or a percentage off of a certain amount. Either way, it saves you cash, so use it! Even if it’s only a 15% off coupon, if you’re planning to spend $800 on a computer or television, that little piece of paper is going to allow you to keep $120 of that in your pocket. I’ve even seen an occasional promo code from Best Buy for 25% off of some items. Imagine the savings!
  • Watch for the sales and plan to shop them. There are several different times of the year that electronics go on sale at deep discounts. The holiday season is one of them, but don’t forget about tax season and the fall back to school sales. If you can shop the sale AND use a coupon to discount your price even further, you can often save several hundred dollars off the regular retail price on items like computers and televisions.
  • Check for damaged boxes, dents and dings. Every single one of these issues can lower the price, but only if you mention it and ask for the price to be reduced. If you don’t ask for the reduction, don’t expect it to be given automatically because that’s not likely to happen.
  • Ask how much the floor model is. If you’re purchasing an item that has been set out for display and there are limited quantities available, the store may be inclined to sell the floor model. Because it has been out on display and already used, you should be able to purchase it for a significant discount compared to a product that has never been out of the box. The same is true for returned items.
  • Are you in the military or a veteran? Be sure to claim your discount. Most stores offer at least a 10% discount for veterans, providing you are able to flash them your military ID card to prove it.
  • Using store loyalty cards or store credit cards also often result in an additional percentage off of your purchase price. These discounts often range between 2% and 10%. Don’t let these discounts go to waste if you have them on hand.

Put these tips to good use the next time you plan to purchase electronics. If you can combine two or more of the tips above, the savings can be significant.

Let’s look at a hypothetical scenario:

You’re a veteran that wants to purchase a brand new HDTV. You have the cash, but you wait for the sale to maximize your savings. The television you want retails for $899, but the sale price is $799. You find a coupon for 15% off your total purchase of $250 or more and you have a store credit card that will save you another 5% off your purchase. The store has the television you want in stock, but the only one left has a damaged box.

You put the item in your cart and find a store employee who you can consult regarding the damaged box. If the box is damaged, a typical consumer might feel that the item itself could have sustained some damage as well. Even though the product looks okay, whatever caused that damage might have jolted the product enough to damage it internally. Are you taking a risk? Yes, absolutely! That’s why you should not hesitate to ask for a discount due to the potential damage to your item. If you get it home, open it up and it doesn’t work, then you’re out the time, labor and gas money it took to get it home and back to the store. It’s not unreasonable to receive 10% – 20% off for this alone.

So the employee calls the manager, who approves a 10% discount. You take your product to the cashier. You obtain your 10% manager discount for the damaged box, use your 15% off coupon, use your military discount for another 10% off and then pull out your store credit card to save another 5%. Congratulations! You just saved almost 47% off of your electronics purchase! That’s a savings of $420!!!

Yes, now you all know why I’m addicted to saving money. It’s like going to the casino – but I always walk away a winner!

 

Image credit: Justpowers

This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

Easily Save Money on Your Mortgage

You Can Save Thousands on Your Mortgage with One Trick

Wish you didn’t have to pay so much interest on your home mortgage? There’s one little trick that can help you to eliminate thousands of dollars from the cost of your home – and it doesn’t require any special paperwork, refinancing or additional cash. In fact, you’ll pay out the same amount each and every month that you would normally.

The American Dream Often Begins with a Home Mortgage

As we all know, mortgaging a home means that you will be paying interest to the mortgage company.  As most consumers don’t have the kind of cash on hand to afford to shell out $100,000 – $600,000 on a home purchase, the interest is readily accepted. And why not? For most of us, home ownership is part of the American dream. How many individuals plan to finish school, begin a lifelong career, meet the man or woman of their dreams, purchase a home, start a family, raise children, enjoy all that life has to offer and retire comfortably? Most of the people I know have that dream. Home ownership means that you’ve accomplished a part of that dream and although a mortgage makes the dream attainable for many, it comes at a very expensive cost.

Breaking Down the Home Mortgage

Did you know that if you take out a 30-year mortgage, you will pay for your home almost twice before you actually own it? That’s quite a price to pay for a small piece of the American Dream! Consumers that choose ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) or a Balloon (Interest-Only Mortgage) risk even more. Interest rates constantly fluctuate and can rise to alarming rates at any time. In the case of the Balloon, a lump sum is due in order to keep the home at the end of the predetermined period. However, many a consumer has fallen into these mortgage traps in order to purchase “more home” than they could actually afford. Because of these factors, the fixed rate mortgage is often the wisest choice.

Even fixed rate mortgages come with costs that consumers may not initially realize. PMI (private mortgage insurance) is a cost that is associated with mortgages taken out for more than 80% of the home’s value. The rate can be as little as .5% to as high as 1%.  For a home loan of $200,000, this would result in an additional $2000 spent in interest. This is, of course, on top of the fixed rate mortgage interest, which currently averages 4.00% for a 30-year mortgage and 3.375% for a 15-year mortgage for those with good credit.

If you are thinking about buying a home, you can avoid PMI insurance by ensuring that you make a 20% down payment on your new home. However, that’s not the only trick that you can use to save thousands on your home mortgage.


How to Save Thousands on Your Home Mortgage

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Sure, what kind of trick could save me so much on my mortgage?” Right?

The thing is that what I’m about to tell you is really so simple that anyone can do it. It requires no special training, no paperwork, no extra cash and no use of super powers. I promise. All it takes is the will to do this one little thing twice a month, and that is make half of your mortgage payment.

Yes, by breaking your mortgage payment into two bi-weekly payments, you can save a thousands on the cost of your mortgage over the course of your loan. Why? Because you are beating the interest down with each payment. When you make payments bi-weekly, the result is a significant savings on interest. Don’t believe me? Check out this mortgage calculator to see the breakdown.

I’ve done the math on a $90,000 mortgage at the average interest rates I mentioned above. The savings would be $2,552.00 over the course of a 15-year mortgage and $10,098 over the course of a 30-year mortgage. That is extra cash that you can put towards your retirement plan, a college fund for your kids, a rainy day fund, Christmas fund or even household bills.


Is Saving Money on Your Mortgage Not Enough of an Incentive?

If the monetary savings isn’t enough to influence you to make bi-weekly payments, here’s something else to think about. Not only will you save thousands of dollars off the cost of your home during the life of your mortgage, but you’ll also be able to pay it off sooner! It’s true. A 15-year mortgage will be paid off a year and a half earlier and a 30-year mortgage will be paid off 4 years and 1 month earlier!

Now, think about how much money you would save if you could make bi-weekly payments and manage to make the equivalent of an additional 2 months worth of mortgage payments each year. It’s easier than you think and I’ll explain it in a future article.

Have another trick you use to save money on your mortgage? Share it with us in the comments section below!

 

Image credit: 401k on Flickr.

This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

7 Easy Ways to Save Money on Credit Cards

Saving Money Requires More Than Coupons and Sales

During financial troubles, many people rely on credit cards to make purchases. However, the interest rate on credit cards is high. Therefore, it could cost you a significant amount of money down the road. Here are the top 7 ways to save money on credit card interest, so that you’re not strapped for cash forever!

1. Obtain Your Credit Report

The higher your credit score, the easier it will be to get better interest rates. Contact a credit bureau and ask for a copy of yours. You should look over your report and correct any inaccuracies. If the report contains a mistake, it could lower your credit score, so you need to do it ASAP before some bank or credit card sees that.

2. Contact Creditors

Contact each of your creditors to ask them what you can do to lower your interest rate. If you have paid your bills on time, you might have some negotiating power. Credit card companies are very competitive, so they want to try to keep your business. If the credit card company is not willing to lower your rate, you might want to consider switching companies – you can likely find a great introductory deal.

3. Compare Companies

If your current credit card company is charging you a high rate of interest, compare offers to see if you can find a lower rate. You might be receiving enticing offers in the mail but have just chucked these aside? It might be worth it to take look at what the company is offering. You could find a great deal!


4. Claim a Hardship

If you are to a point where you are really struggling to pay your bills, you need to call the credit card company and explain your situation. Credit card companies want to be paid, so they might be willing to work with you, so they can get their money in the long run (a few months or even years is nothing to them). If you file for bankruptcy, they will not get any money from you, so it’s in their best interest to negotiate.

5. Pay Off Credit Cards

The main way to save money on credit card interest is to not have a high balance in the first place! Collect all of your credit card bills and compare interest rates. Pay off the high interest rate cards first, and quit charging on those. It might help to create a budget and make a plan too.

6. Transfer Balances

Many credit card companies offer deals to entice you to apply for their cards. One of the deals that might be offered is a 0 percent interest rate for a certain amount of time. If the balance transfer fee is low consider transferring your balances on a high interest card to a new card. However, keep in mind that the introductory period will expire at some point, so you need to try to have the card paid off before the introductory period is complete.

7. Get a Home Equity Loan

If you have several different credit cards with high balances, you might consider getting a home equity loan. After receiving it, you can pay off all of your credit cards. These loans offer much lower interest rates than credit cards, so shop around to find the best one. Then, cut those cards up!!

Have another trick to save money on credit cards? Let us know!

[box_light]This is a guest post written by Jill Ramone. Jill  likes to save her family money with Life Insurance Quotes. [/box_light]

Image courtesy of marsmet543.

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This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

How to Create a Money Saving Budget

Budgeting Can Help You Save Money

When you hear the word budget, chances are you cringe just a little bit. Living within a budget is one of those things that is necessary for most people. The best way to think about it is not as a horrible chore or as depriving yourself of things that you enjoy, but rather as a necessity that in turn will help you get your money in order to live a comfortable life for years to come.

A family budget is important as it offers a way to save money and not become inundated with debt. A good household budget will remain realistic, allowing you to do things that you enjoy, but at the same time not spending over what you can afford.

How to Create a Family Budget

The first step to making a budget is to understand your cash flow. The backbone of a solid household budget is to know how much you spend each month on both your needs and your habits. A family budget will require you to track your personal cash flow, meaning how much comes in and how much goes out.

Figuring out your monthly income is the easy part, tracking all of your spending is what will take a bit of effort. You will need to collect all of your bills. This includes credit card statements, grocery bill receipts, gas receipts, and anything that you use cash to pay for. If you have not been keeping records of your spending, or do not have access to some of these receipts, you may need to track every dollar that is spent for an entire month before you can set up an accurate budget. You can use a notebook or an online program such as Microsoft Money or Quicken. These programs will make your budgeting much easier and are definitely worth the investment.


Once you have determined your spending habits, you then need to divide them into fixed costs and variable costs. Fixed costs include things such as your mortgage payment, car payment, and loan payments. Variable costs include things such as food, clothing, and entertainment.

Set Your Goals

The next step to setting up a family budget is to set your goals. Once you know what you are spending each month it becomes easier to determine the costs that you can trim from your spending and which ones that you cannot. Setting small goals is a great way to stay motivated and on track with your budget. For example, take the $2 you spend on coffee every morning and put it into a piggy bank or a jar. By the end of the month you will have a tidy little amount of money that can be placed into a savings account or money market account. Remember, budgeting does not have to be hard, but you do have to motivate yourself to do it.

Image Credit: 401K

Do you have budgeting tips that you would like to share?

 

This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

Ten Ways to Save Water

When it comes to ways to save money, one thing that people tend to overlook is how to save on their water bill. Water conservation is extremely important. Best of all, you can lower your monthly bills easily by taking a few simple steps.

Here are ten easy ways to save water and money:

1. Dishes: When you are doing dishes by hand, do not let the water continue to run while you are rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one sink with the water to wash the dishes in and the other with rinse water.
If you have a dishwasher you should only run it when it is full of dishes. This can save almost 500 gallons of water a month. Purchasing an energy efficient dishwasher can help lower the amount of water that you use as well.

2. Laundry: When doing laundry, make sure to only run the washing machine when it is full. Consider purchasing an energy efficient washing machine as well.

3. Drinking water: Instead of using the tap to get your water, keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. This will ensure that there is less water running down the drain every time you get a drink.

4. Bill: Monitor your bill. Watch your water meter as well. An extremely high bill is a signal that you may have some type of leak.

5. Appliances: When you go to purchase new appliances choose ones that have load and cycle adjustment options. These types of appliances are typically more energy and water efficient.

6. Showers: Spend one or two minutes less in the shower and you can save as much as 150 gallons of water a month. Invest in an energy efficient shower head.


7. Toilets: If you have older toilets, upgrade to newer models that are more energy efficient.

8. Food Preparation: When rinsing vegetables, use a bowl of water instead of running the faucet. You can use the extra water to water your plants.

9. Water Barrels: Use water barrels to collect rain water. This water can be used for watering your garden, landscaping and grass if necessary.

10. Water Timers: If you use sprinklers or irrigation systems for your yard, make sure to set timers for them. Only run them for a short amount of time and only when necessary.

When it comes to water conservation, there are many simple things that you can do to help save water. Just by simply thinking about how often you turn on your faucet and how much water you use, you will come up with all sorts of ways to start saving on your water bill.

Have something to add? Tell us how you save money on your water bill!

 

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This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

Crowdtap – Have You Joined?

Sometimes I feel so out of the loop! I’ve been hearing about Crowdtap here and there for a few months now and I kept telling myself I would eventually get around to signing up. Well, today I finally did it – and you know what? It took all of about 30 seconds!

Crowdtap makes the sign up process easy. You can sign up in a snap with your Facebook account and start earning points immediately, which is a HUGE bonus because the points you earn are not all that hard to get. Answer questions, participate in activities and just get social – that’s pretty simple, right?

So what do you get for joining? You earn points that you can cash out for Amazon gift cards and other cool stuff. I totally dig getting stuff for free, so I’m all about it. If you think it’s something that would interest you, then tap in and let me know in the comments what you think about it :-)


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