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- Switching energy suppliers could reduce your electricity rate and save you money. For example, for the next six months, a major electric company in Maryland is charging 10.106¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) compared to 8.8¢ per kWh from another provider—a difference of 13 percent. The nationwide average residential bill is $104.52* a month or $627.12 for six months. With the 13 percent difference, you would save $82.
*Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
- Stretch the cost of cat litter. Buy a less expensive store brand and add a small box of baking soda. The baking soda eliminates odors and costs only $1. A 20–lb. bag of store-brand cat litter costs about $5; the same size name-brand litter costs about $10. By adding baking soda to a store-brand litter, you can save around $4 per bag.
- Carpet manufacturers recommend a professional cleaning every 12 to 18 months, which can get costly. One way to save money is to buy a carpet cleaner and clean your own carpet. A good quality carpet-cleaning machine costs $330. The average price for one professional cleaning session for a 1,000 square-foot home is about $300. You'll save $270 after just two do-it-yourself cleanings.
- Don't miss out on a rebate check or gift card by forgetting to submit the required paperwork before the expiration date. For example: A professional-quality photo printer priced at $380 is reduced to $280 after a $100 rebate. A helpful way to remember is to keep your rebate forms and receipts in a separate file and mark the expiration date on your calendar.
- Cooking indoors can generate extra heat and increase the temperature in your home. In turn, your AC will work harder and your energy bills will be higher. You could save between 10 and 25 percent on your energy bills by grilling outdoors or serving chilled meals as often as possible.
- Time your buys right and save big. Buy an air conditioner in January instead of July, and pay nearly half price. July is the best month to buy tires. If you're in the market for a new car, gas grill or lawn equipment, the best time to make your purchase is in the fall. Knowing when to buy certain items can save 25 to 40 percent.
- Save on energy costs by replacing your home's traditional incandescent light bulbs with new compact fluorescents. These new bulbs use 75 percent less electricity and last up to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent bulbs cost more initially—about $5 each—but you'll save on your electricity bills.
- Depending on the size of your family and the amount of washable laundry you take to a dry cleaners, you could spend anywhere from $15 to $40 per week, or $780 to $2,080 per year. Washing, drying and folding the laundry yourself at a laundromat or at home could cost you only about $260 a year.
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- Comparing checking account features, telephone and cable bills and eliminating services you don't use will save money. When you bundle your Internet, cable and phone bills, you'll pay just one bill and save between $30 and $60 per month. Or, save as much as $165 per year with a credit union checking account rather than a bank's. Check out the benefits of a Tower Regular Checking Account.
- Wrap your water heater with an insulating jacket and save $18 to $30 each month on your heating bill. Deposit the money you save to your Tower Holiday Club account and you'll be able to buy your loved ones gifts they can enjoy all year long.
- Got a leaky toilet? Replace the flapper valve in the tank that lifts up when you flush and lets the water flow through the bowl. The part costs only $3 to $5, but a plumber will charge you $70 or more.
- It's important to drink water every day. But the money you spend on bottled water adds up quickly. Purchase a filter for your faucet instead. The upfront cost is about $34—but if your family consumes 12 gallons a month, you'll save about $15 per month.
- Are you paying too much for phone and cable? Review your service plan and cancel the features that you rarely use—like premium cable channels, call forwarding or extra calling minutes. You could save as much as $500 a year.
- Even in sleep mode, computers and other electronic devices still draw electricity. Put as many electronic devices (TV, DVD player, computer) on the same power strip as you can, then flip the switch off at night. Or use an energy-saving power strip to do it for you.
- Replace your old shower heads and save about 15,000 gallons of water per year. Plus, save over $150 on electric heated water or $60 for gas heat. The money you save can be deposited into your Tower "New Appliance" Club account.
- Turn your thermostat down if you're going to be away from home for several hours. For every degree you lower your setting, you can save 3 to 5 percent on each monthly heating bill—adding up to $15 or more per month. Lower the temperature automatically with a programmable thermostat. Most cost less than $100 and will pay for itself in less than a year.
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| Entertainment / Shopping |
- Paying for medication for your pooch or kitty can be costly, especially for long-term treatment. Save money by submitting your prescriptions at an online pharmacy. For example, a pet owner paid $86 for thyroid meds at the vet. An online pharmacy sold the same drug for $26—a savings of $60.
- A large pharmacy chain offers a loyalty card program where you can earn quarterly cash rewards with purchases. The rewards are printed on your receipts to be used toward your next purchase. A customer earned $20 after using the card for three months. Use a smartphone app to store all of your loyalty cards so you'll never leave them at home or miss out on savings.
- Install a bar code scanning app to your smartphone and use your phone's camera to read the item's code. Chances are the same item may be sold elsewhere for less money. For example, a top-rated digital camera in an electronic retail store costs $400. An app found the same camera online for $350—a savings of $50.
- Many colleges and high schools offer discounts on software for your Mac or Windows computer. For example, a copy of the student version of a popular software suite that includes word processing, spreadsheet and design programs costs $80, compared to $500 for the professional version. That's a savings of $420.
- Do you need a new pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses? Comparison shop before you make your next purchase and you could save a pretty penny. For example, according to a Consumer Reports survey, the median price for a new pair of eyeglasses at a large discount retailer is $157 a pair compared with $212 at an optometrist.
- Visit google.com/alerts and sign up to receive an e-mail whenever an item on your wish list hits a desired price point. Simply enter the information you are seeking on Google's Web site and click create alert. A recent alert for a pair of Nike® running shoes originally priced at $85 was priced elsewhere at $34—a savings of $51.
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- Looking for a good book? Check out your local library instead of shelling out money for a new paperback. The average cost of a paperback is $7. If you normally purchase one book a month, you could save about $84 a year. Or, save yourself a trip. Visit your library's Web site to see if the book is available as a free download to an MP3 player.
- Don't go to the mall when you're in a lousy mood. Research shows that people who are feeling depressed when they shop spend an average of 30 percent more than their cheerier counterparts.
- Entertaining the family during the summer can be costly. A trip to a popular theme park for a family of four costs about $50 per adult and $35 per child—a total of $170. For a low-cost alternative, take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer. Visit a local park and hike, have a picnic, fish, and kayak or camp under the stars.
- Men spend an average of $160 on Valentine's Day. Women spend on average about half that amount. Why not save some dough and make homemade gifts or treats for your sweetheart? Save even more—create your own e-cards online and send them for free!
- Do you own shoes you love, but think you have to discard them because of worn down or broken heels? Instead of spending an average of $200 to replace four pairs of damaged shoes in a year, have the heels replaced for about $15 a pair—a savings of $140.
- It's nice to rent a DVD movie and watch it from the comfort of home. But spending an average of $5 a week can add up quickly. For $1 a night, you can rent a DVD from Redbox kiosks at your nearest grocery store or fast food restaurant and save about $16 a month or $192 a year.
- Love seeing the latest movie on the big screen? Catch a matinee and save. A regular adult ticket for an evening flick is roughly $10. If you and a friend see a movie every week, that's $1,040 a year. Matinee tickets cost about $7.50 each, or $780 a year—a savings of $260 for seeing the same movie at a different time. Add your savings to a Tower "Rainy Day" Club account to chase away the clouds.
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| Food / Dining |
- Like the taste of coffee from the local gourmet coffee shop, but dislike paying $3 or more per cup? Save on cost, but don't skimp on taste. For half the price, buy your workday coffee at a convenience store and perk up the taste with gourmet-flavored syrups from your grocery store. The syrup costs about 6 cents per serving. At under $1.50 a cup, you save $374 a year.
- Stop drinking bottled water and instead buy a filter for your faucet. The filter costs about $34, plus $25 for replacements. If your family consumes 12 gallons a month, you save about $15.
- Rather than going out for lunch five days a week, pack a brown bag. Bringing your lunch to work every day can save you about $2,340 a year. Add your weekly savings to a Tower Club account, and your savings will pack a wallop in no time.
- Visit restaurant.com and save money by purchasing restaurant gift certificates. Search for a favorite eatery by state or zip code. You could pay just $40 for a certificate valued at $100, a savings of $60.
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- Grocery shop once a week. The more trips to the store, the more likely you are to buy on impulse. It is estimated about two-thirds of grocery purchases are unplanned, so always take a list and stick to it.
- Cut your grocery bill. It makes sense to save money on your grocery bill by using coupons every time you checkout. You can save between $5 and $10 a week by printing coupons of your favorite brands from a Web site like RedPlum.com. That's a savings of up to $520 a year.
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| Travel / Auto |
- Filling up with premium gas if your owner's manual specifies using regular fuel doesn't mean more efficiency. The national average price for premium gas is $3.93 per gallon versus $3.64 per gallon for regular—a difference of 30 cents per gallon. If you fuel up using only regular gas, your engine will still run the same and you'll save about $234 a year.
Savings is based on average gas use of 15 gallons per week for 52 weeks.
- If the check engine warning light on your car dashboard lights up, it could indicate a common problem—your vehicle's oxygen sensor has failed. A broken oxygen sensor could result in as much as a loss of 40 percent in gas efficiency. By making repairs right away, you'll save about $958 on gas annually.
Savings is based on a fuel price of $3.07 per gallon with average gas use of 15 gallons per week for 52 weeks.
- Gas prices can vary as much as 20 percent. Visit a Web site like gasbuddy.com to find the best deal in your neighborhood or along your commute. A 20-cent difference on 60 gallons of gas per month adds up to a savings of $12 per month or $144 per year.
- Keeping your tires at the proper inflation could save you between $100 and $200 a year on gas, depending on how much you drive and how under inflated your tires may be. Deposit the money you save into your Tower "Emergency Savings" Club account.
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- Reduce your gas consumption and save money. Get rid of items in your trunk like extra tires (except for a spare), lawn, camping and recreational equipment before driving. You'll save about $30 annually for every 100 pounds you remove from your car.
Savings estimate is based on a gas price of $2.75 per gallon and typical vehicle use of 12,500 miles per year at 21.5 miles per gallon.
- Raising your auto insurance deductible from $250 to $500 could save you 7 percent on your premium. Increase your deductible to $1,000 and you'll save 14 percent.
- Getting your car washed costs about $5 at a gas station, or as much as $15 to $50 if you choose a thorough hand-wash, vacuum and detail package. When you do the job yourself, it only costs about 30 minutes of time in your driveway.
- Turn down extras at the car wash. Say no to paying for additional services at the car wash. Spending extra money for services like clear-coat rinses and waxes will not make the wash last any longer. A car wash with all the extras costs about $25. Pay about $10 for a basic wash and save $15.
- Purchase your flight and hotel accommodations together and save big. Travelers who do this using Expedia.com, for example, save an average of $220 per trip. Deposit the money you save in a Tower "Summer Vacation" Club account.
- A fuel-efficient car can cut gas costs dramatically. Driving 1,200 miles a month in a car that averages 18 miles per gallon costs $233 (at $3.50 per gallon). Switching to one that averages 25 miles per gallon only costs $168 every month—a monthly savings of $65. Put aside the savings in a Tower "Road Trip" Club account.
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