5 Easy Ways to Save Money Without Leaving Your Home

Nobody would say no to having a few extra hundred dollars in their wallet — but earning that? Another job taking up time and adding stress; someone poking you with a needle to sell blood plasma; wasting a Friday night at someone’s house watching their kids while they enjoy a fun night? No thanks.

But what if you could be closer to that dream vacation without even leaving your home? Follow these tips and you can save up to $1,000. Spa day, here we come!

1. Use Natural Ways to Control Temperature

This change may seem a bit primitive at first, but if you think about the amount of energy and gas you spend each season to keep your home comfortable, you’ll be happy you made the switch. The cost of gas and electricity has been rising slightly over the years and will more than likely keep going up as demand for the resources keeps growing.

When incorporating this small change into your home, consider the times when you or your family members will be home. If you’re relaxing by yourself with a book on a cold winter night, that may be a good time to light a fire and turn the furnace down. Another good time to use the fireplace instead of a furnace: When the family is together, sitting around watching a movie near the fireplace.

The same goes for summertime; instead of keeping your air conditioning blasting all summer to emulate an ice box in your house, natural air can do just as good of a job. Plus, you won’t have to worry about cleaning your ducts out as often.

That being said, you don’t have to cut out furnace and air conditioner use altogether. Just don’t crank it all the way up — and watch your savings soar over the seasons! Plus, you can feel good about helping to positively impact the environment by using less electricity, as your house will be more energy efficient.

2. Hang Up Your Clothes to Dry

It’s no secret that dryers use a ton of electricity to dry your clothes quickly, and with the number of high-tech devices that are normally on at all times throughout the day, your electricity bill is most likely feeling it.

Hang your clothes over a banister, shower rack, or make a clothesline from room to room. Get creative! You’ll also find that your clothes last longer when they aren’t being thrown in the dryer after every wash. It may take a little bit longer to dry your clothes, but the savings you’ll see on your utility bill every month will make it worth your while. An independent study was conducted on dryers, showing that you can save up to $1 per load on electricity just by hanging your clothes to dry. Most people do at least 200 loads a year on average (with families doing much more); imagine the savings!

3. Use Candles for Lighting

Candles are a great addition to any home. While you don’t have to use them in every room, they can help cut the cost of replacing light bulbs every few weeks, as candles are much cheaper. Using more candles instead of lightbulbs can also cut costs on electricity!

As a bonus, there’s just something magical about walking into a candle-lit room. They leave a nice scent that usually sticks around for hours, plus the natural light makes a room feel much cozier.

4. Cut the Cable Cord

It’s no secret that online streaming services have improved significantly over the years and offer a cheaper solution to your binge-watching needs. With the rise of Netflix, Hulu, and HBOgo, there’s really no need to keep paying that high cable or satellite bill.

Netflix costs range from $8-$12 a month, depending on how many devices you want to use it on, and comes with no contract. On the other hand, your cable or satellite company most likely charges you more than $50 a month and keeps you locked into a contract, charging extra to view popular movies and TV shows.

Plus, with Netflix’s new original series, you have plenty of binge-watching material. I, for one, couldn’t get enough of the Netflix original series Stranger Things and watched the entire season in one weekend!

5. Read Your News Online

Let’s be real. Who really has a paper delivered to them every morning to read anymore? There are much more cost effective ways to have your news delivered to you. And you can help save the environment while still keeping up with current local and world events. (Plus, if you get bored of reading the serious news, you can always switch over to YouTube to watch your favorite cat videos.)

One of my favorite news subscriptions is theSkimm. I get the latest news ‘skimmed’ and directly in my inbox every morning. It’s part of my routine to read theSkimm before I roll out of bed and start my day, plus it’s 100% free! (Editor’s Note: The Betches’ SUP is equally as wonderful and entertainingly informative!)

Elizabeth Bindert is on the content team for Dynasty Partners. She enjoys decorating homes in her spare time and spending time with her family. Her husband and two children like to ski, hike, and travel in their free time.