Ways Chicago Consumers Can Save Money on Everyday Expenses
Ultimately the holiday season is just one big juggling act. We strive to find a balance between work and home, between friends and family and - maybe most importantly this year - between spending and saving money.
Fortunately there are simple ways to counteract all that spending we seem to be doing, say Chicago bankruptcy attorneys. And if you can find a way to limit your purchases this year, you won't only come out even when January rolls around - you might actually come out ahead. How? By lowering the costs of some everyday expenses.
Take energy for instance. Sure, we all know that we can save some cash by sacrificing comfort and keeping the thermostat low. But how about dropping the temperature on your water heater to the minimum - about 130 degrees? Or what about taking the occasional hot shower - but keeping it on the short side? Speaking of water, using cold instead of hot in the washing machine - and opting for gentle, or shorter, cycles in both the washer and dishwasher - can lower your water bill significantly.
If it seems like your phone and cable bill keep getting bigger, you're not imagining things. Comcast hiked its prices for the fifth year in a row this summer, while major cell phone providers did away with unlimited usage programs. But you don't have to roll over and pay. Many folks automatically pay for TV because it's what our parents did, but the Internet is changing our entertainment options for the better. Thanks to Hulu.com, you can watch many shows online for free. Or download your favorites a la carte with iTunes or Netflix. As for phone service, magicJack customers pay less than $20 a year (what some of us pay monthly for our home phone). And you always have the option of eliminating your land line altogether and relying on your cell.
All in all, you can save more than 100 bucks a month by making the aforementioned changes. Stay tuned for more small ways to save, as well as information about the biggest way to lower your bills when you're deep in debt - bankruptcy. Right now, filing for bankruptcy with DebtStoppers is just $300 - that's right, three hundred bucks may be your ticket to stopping foreclosure, eliminating tens of thousands of dollars in debt and finding that fresh start. Still unsure? Learn more about bankruptcy at absolutely no cost when you try a free personal debt analysis with a Chicago bankruptcy attorney.