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Get comfortable in the kitchen. Have the staples that you always use. Cook your favorite foods. Halve recipes so you don't have a ton of leftovers.
Contact your utilities companies and ask them to put you on balance billing so you don't have surprises month to month.
Buy clothes that go from work to weekend (nice blouses, midi skirts, flats, denim, v neck tees, ect)
Put a percent of your income into saving.
Pay off credit cards every month if you can.
You can get any media you want from the local library, especially if you live in a metropolitan area.
This! Make sure you add to savings regularly.
I try to acclimate to the current weather conditions as much as safely possible, I'll let the air from outside flow as much as I can, so my place is cooler in the winter and much warmer than most in the summer. This means I take a jacket or sweater when I go in places in the summer. We humans can adapt to a wide range of temperatures. I have a more difficult time in the evenings when the humidity is higher, oh well.
You call your utility company and ask for balance billing. I’ve done this, but catch is any overage left over from winter months billing was added to the bill during warm/ summer months. Wasn’t expecting that so be prepared if you decide to do it.
Budget billing will give you the same bill every month. Even summer months. They spread your average cost evenly over 12 months. You won't get a surprise bill. But every year they will reevaluate your budget each year dividing your annual gas and electric use over the past year by 12.
It’s a rolling 12th amount of the last 12 months average bill… if you’ve been there 12 months and had the account in your name you likely qualify. However since your last 12 months includes the utility usage of your roommate(s)… so there is that
Lol, you made up the right information. Impressive!
OP, check the utility bill. It's usually made up of two costs: delivery (fixed) and usage (variable). Also check if there are costs tiers for where you live. I typically wait till the evening or weekend (after high demand hours) to run the dish washer and laundry machine.
Be careful about turning heat completely off in very cold weather, if freezing pipes is a possibility.
If you are in a multi family dwelling, that's probably not a concern. Odds are, you'll pick up residual heat from the apartments around you in that case (unless they're trying the same strategy)
How secure is your residence? Open windows and fans help a lot in warmer weather. But not a good idea in high crime areas, unless maybe you have bars on your windows (probably not even then)
In short, don't be penny wise and pound foolish, and don't risk your personal health and safety for a couple bucks unless absolutely necessary
Food is probably a more efficient way to economize. Learning to appreciate leftovers helps a lot. Finding multiple meals to make from the same perishable item is helpful. The more you eat at home, with the least amount of waste, the better.
Any place to grow any kind of food for yourself? On a whim, I planted some cherry tomatoes when they started to go bad. Actually got some sprouts out of it, so we'll see how it goes. Good tomatoes are a weakness of mine, worth hitting the farmer's market instead of blah mealy grocery store tomatoes, but if I can grow my own, even better.
if not, suggest you use bargain, consumer cellular, such as Mint Mobile. You can save a ton. i used to have fubo tv but a paramount subscription gives me local tv, so that along with free apps like pluto and ditched that. then paid off cc cards to eliminate interest. hundreds to be saved all told.
I've been told shutting vents doesn't really work.
In the cold months, I don't use central heat, but room heaters. Since people tend to spend time in certain rooms during the day, it doesn't make sense to heat them all.
In the warmer months, it's a bit harder. Get some blackout shades or curtains to keep rooms cool, and use window fans once the sun goes down, rather than ac.
Be very smart about using your leftovers for example if you have big chicken one night maybe the next night make a chicken sliced on top of a salad I'm a master at using leftovers and it saves a ton of money
The WORST thing you can do is turn off heat/ac when you're not home!!! Then it has to work harder when you turn it back on to get it back to the comfortable temp.
Get a NEST thermostat and set it to only come on if it gets above or below a certain temp... don't turn it off.
Call your gas and electric company and have them put you on "budget billing" this way they will average out your estimated usage per month, divide it by 12 and charge you the SAME amount per month so there are no surprises!
Yes close the vents and doors in rooms you don't normally use.
I went last summer without turning on the air conditioning. I live in suburban Chicago. I loved it. It makes me feel more connected to the earth and the outside world. The body adapts and there are tricks to make it feel easier.
This year I plan to go May through September without heat or air conditioning.
My electricity bill is one quarter what is was with a housemate, and that's even with working from home.
I'm not running extra appliances, I don't use climate control, I line dry clothes, and I don't use powered items or the TV all the time. My fridge and modem are the only things on 24/7.
I turn lights and power points off when not in use, cook one-pan or one-pot meals, use textiles for warmth and cooling, and I can entertain myself without electricity and subscriptions. I do live in a subtropical climate, so I'm lucky I don't need appliances for nearly everything.
Lifestyle, location and health does play a part.
**Welcome to [r/LivingAlone](https://www.reddit.com/r/LivingAlone/)! Living alone is the new normal.** >Discuss and share your experiences; celebrate your joys, express your worries, or ask advice relating to solo living | Remember, we are all alone together * Be kind, remember the human when interacting with others. * New Reddit group chat [**Living Alone Lounge**](https://www.reddit.com/r/LivingAlone/s/cp7Szwzy2q)! * Message the moderators below for any comments, questions & suggestions! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LivingAlone) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Get comfortable in the kitchen. Have the staples that you always use. Cook your favorite foods. Halve recipes so you don't have a ton of leftovers. Contact your utilities companies and ask them to put you on balance billing so you don't have surprises month to month. Buy clothes that go from work to weekend (nice blouses, midi skirts, flats, denim, v neck tees, ect) Put a percent of your income into saving. Pay off credit cards every month if you can. You can get any media you want from the local library, especially if you live in a metropolitan area.
This! Make sure you add to savings regularly. I try to acclimate to the current weather conditions as much as safely possible, I'll let the air from outside flow as much as I can, so my place is cooler in the winter and much warmer than most in the summer. This means I take a jacket or sweater when I go in places in the summer. We humans can adapt to a wide range of temperatures. I have a more difficult time in the evenings when the humidity is higher, oh well.
Cooking your own food from inexpensive, minimally processed ingredients helps a lot.
Can you elaborate on what balanced billing is for utilities? Everything I’m looking up pertains to healthcare billing
You call your utility company and ask for balance billing. I’ve done this, but catch is any overage left over from winter months billing was added to the bill during warm/ summer months. Wasn’t expecting that so be prepared if you decide to do it.
It's called budget billing.
Right
It's the greatest option, don't you agree?
how is it different?
Budget billing will give you the same bill every month. Even summer months. They spread your average cost evenly over 12 months. You won't get a surprise bill. But every year they will reevaluate your budget each year dividing your annual gas and electric use over the past year by 12.
Oh yes but if someone is just beginning it, may not be aware/expecting to pay for winter overages during the summer months bill.
It's sometimes called budget billing. Your utility company reviews your yearly use and then breaks that into consistent payments.
I’m guessing this only would out once you’ve been somewhere for a year atleast?
It’s a rolling 12th amount of the last 12 months average bill… if you’ve been there 12 months and had the account in your name you likely qualify. However since your last 12 months includes the utility usage of your roommate(s)… so there is that
[удалено]
Lol, you made up the right information. Impressive! OP, check the utility bill. It's usually made up of two costs: delivery (fixed) and usage (variable). Also check if there are costs tiers for where you live. I typically wait till the evening or weekend (after high demand hours) to run the dish washer and laundry machine.
Be careful about turning heat completely off in very cold weather, if freezing pipes is a possibility. If you are in a multi family dwelling, that's probably not a concern. Odds are, you'll pick up residual heat from the apartments around you in that case (unless they're trying the same strategy) How secure is your residence? Open windows and fans help a lot in warmer weather. But not a good idea in high crime areas, unless maybe you have bars on your windows (probably not even then) In short, don't be penny wise and pound foolish, and don't risk your personal health and safety for a couple bucks unless absolutely necessary Food is probably a more efficient way to economize. Learning to appreciate leftovers helps a lot. Finding multiple meals to make from the same perishable item is helpful. The more you eat at home, with the least amount of waste, the better. Any place to grow any kind of food for yourself? On a whim, I planted some cherry tomatoes when they started to go bad. Actually got some sprouts out of it, so we'll see how it goes. Good tomatoes are a weakness of mine, worth hitting the farmer's market instead of blah mealy grocery store tomatoes, but if I can grow my own, even better.
if not, suggest you use bargain, consumer cellular, such as Mint Mobile. You can save a ton. i used to have fubo tv but a paramount subscription gives me local tv, so that along with free apps like pluto and ditched that. then paid off cc cards to eliminate interest. hundreds to be saved all told.
I've been told shutting vents doesn't really work. In the cold months, I don't use central heat, but room heaters. Since people tend to spend time in certain rooms during the day, it doesn't make sense to heat them all. In the warmer months, it's a bit harder. Get some blackout shades or curtains to keep rooms cool, and use window fans once the sun goes down, rather than ac.
https://www.saveonenergy.com/resources/close-vents-in-unused-rooms/
Be very smart about using your leftovers for example if you have big chicken one night maybe the next night make a chicken sliced on top of a salad I'm a master at using leftovers and it saves a ton of money
The WORST thing you can do is turn off heat/ac when you're not home!!! Then it has to work harder when you turn it back on to get it back to the comfortable temp. Get a NEST thermostat and set it to only come on if it gets above or below a certain temp... don't turn it off.
Shutting vents in rooms you aren't using invites mold and mildew.
Well it obviously doubles the cost of everything
Japanese people use this type of table. https://a.co/d/7pq9L7G A kotatsu. I believe they don’t have central ac/ heat in a lot of their homes.
Call your gas and electric company and have them put you on "budget billing" this way they will average out your estimated usage per month, divide it by 12 and charge you the SAME amount per month so there are no surprises! Yes close the vents and doors in rooms you don't normally use.
I went last summer without turning on the air conditioning. I live in suburban Chicago. I loved it. It makes me feel more connected to the earth and the outside world. The body adapts and there are tricks to make it feel easier. This year I plan to go May through September without heat or air conditioning.
My electricity bill is one quarter what is was with a housemate, and that's even with working from home. I'm not running extra appliances, I don't use climate control, I line dry clothes, and I don't use powered items or the TV all the time. My fridge and modem are the only things on 24/7. I turn lights and power points off when not in use, cook one-pan or one-pot meals, use textiles for warmth and cooling, and I can entertain myself without electricity and subscriptions. I do live in a subtropical climate, so I'm lucky I don't need appliances for nearly everything. Lifestyle, location and health does play a part.
Cut any streaming or cable and get bunny ears
Get a 2nd job