Greetings from Sunny California

I just got off the phone with my little sis in California, and she had some great news for me. She told me all about some smart ways she has come up with to save a pretty penny every month. These are things just about anyone can do, and they are certainly well worth the effort. Even if you think that there is no possible way you can cut expenses, a little creative thinking can almost always turn up some golden cost-cutting opportunities. I’m so proud of my little sis! Here is what she has done (so far!):

1. Her home phone bill is $68.00 per month. She is getting rid of her home phone (land line), and adding a third cell phone line (with her hometown’s prefix), for $9.95 per month. Savings: $58.05 (I think phone company charges are pretty high myself. Ever since we moved to Texas we have been using Vonage, which is $20.94 per month, and that covers any call made anywhere in the U.S. Of course, you do need a DSL Internet connection to take advantage of this, but since we were paying for that anyway (for my husband’s various Internet endeavors) we thought we might as well really get our money’s worth from it).

2. My sister is a very busy gal, what with work and three kids. She told me that she hardly ever has time to cerf the net the way she used to. She said she was looking at her home computer the other day, and realized it spent most of its time sitting by itself gathering dust. So, she decided to ditch her monthly Internet Service Provider. She still has plenty of Internet access options: she has a Blackberry, public libraries, and family members. Savings: $39.95

3. My sister loves to watch TV, but again, she just doesn’t have lots of time to do it. And I do know that whenever we talk about our favorite TV shows, they always seem to be shows offered by local stations. So she kicked her Premium Package to the curb. Instead of paying $78.00 per month for cable, she now pays $29.99 for the Family Package. Savings: $48.01

4. My little nephew goes to daycare an hour before school starts because my sister and her husband have to be at work so early. She was recently able to change her schedule to start her day an hour later (and work an hour later), thus eliminating the need for before-school day care. Savings: $116.00

5. She didn’t tell me how much she saves every month with this one, but it’s good to mention it. Her husband is a claims adjustor with a major insurance company. They save 10% on their coverage with his employee discount. Be sure to check if your company offers any employee discounts. My husband’s company offers lots for many different companies, not just the one he works for. We take advantage of a 17% employee discount offered by his company for cell phone service. Because of that savings we are able to provide a cell phone for my parents.

Wow! That is a savings every month of $262.01 or $3,144.12 per year! That is real, actual cash that she no longer pays out every month. That savings can have a real impact on many different areas of the budget: groceries, vehicle expenses, utlities, or even savings (my favorite). All of the above are things that people just about everywhere have to pay for. If you have to lay out cash for it, it’s worth investigating if there’s a way to lay out a little less.