The recent economy has impacted everyone in various ways. Some have lost their jobs, while others are struggling to maintain their mortgages, and some are even dealing with bankruptcy and starting over. Whether you’re a homeowner or a young adult trying to save on monthly bills, it’s essential to pay attention to the tips shared in this article.

These tips can benefit you in many ways. From reducing automobile expenses by carpooling to saving on heating fuel costs by purchasing from affordable suppliers like Brothers Oil and Brothers Mechanical, implementing just a few of these suggestions can lead to significant savings. We’ve divided the tips into two sections: one focusing on automobile expenses and the other on energy-related savings, so you can choose which area to focus on based on your needs.

Automobile expenses.

If you have own a car, you would need to spend on car insurance, maintenance, repairs and gas to keep it running as a commodity. Here are ways on how you can save on automobile expenses:

• Instead of using your own car to drive to a nearby store, go to work or for shopping, you can just hop on the next bus downtown and spend less. If these establishments are nearer, you can just walk (and you could use the exercise), or even make it a morning routine jog.
• If you have one vehicle just sitting in your garage, then you could earn some extra cash by selling it. That’s one car out of your insurance platform and you can pocket some cash along the way.
• Take advantage of carpools whether for your kids or for your trips to work. You can even make your own car a carpool! If you have colleagues willing to share a ride with you for a fee, then go ahead and try it. It will save you time plus you can use the carpool lane at speed.
• Improve your gas mileage by properly inflating your car tires once a month. This will save you at least 1% of your mileage and your car would function better.

Energy Bills.

For homeowners, this recurring expense can be hard to control, especially if you share your home with more than one individual (plus kids!). We use more and more technology that requires electricity. Not to mention heating and cooling our homes has become more expensive than ever. Good thing we have a few energy-saving tips that can help you save on your energy bills:

• Check out these tips by Surner Heating on how to optimize your thermostat to reduce heating bills. One of their top tips is to use a programmable thermostat so you can automatically control your air conditioning even when you are not there, ensuring it isn’t wasted. To make sure your HVAC appliances are working smoothly, you may also want to take a look at minneapolis air duct cleaning services to have your air con cleaned out, as it can’t be efficient if it is getting clogged up and working extra hard, which may raise your bills.
• Install CFLs or compact fluorescent lighting. These light bulbs have longer life span, with less electrical usage. By replacing your light bulbs with CFLs, you can save as much as $.66 per kilowatt hour per bulb!
• If your electrical panel is old and defective, it can draw a great deal of current. You might want to call an electrical company like In Phase Electric & Air (https://inphaseelectric.com/electrical/circuit-breakers-and-electrical-panels/) that can inspect and advise you what to do. If it comes to an upgrade, it may cost you upfront, but can save you money over time.
• You had probably heard this more than a couple of times already but unplugging unused electrical devices can help you save on your electrical bills. Even when not in use, electrical appliances incur a phantom charge which you will be charged per month if left plugged in.
• Use timers and power strips to further regulate your electrical usage. Power switch timers can turn off any electrical device that is plugged into it, eliminates the phantom charge and switches it off completely at certain times when you are not in your home or at night when you’re sleeping.

If you can control your monthly bills, then you will have more money to invest on your savings or something else that might be useful around your home.
Irina Webandyou is a finance writer for many popular websites. She contributes towards Payday Ninja UK website. She loves covering news about personal finance, debt, taxes, investing and many other business things.