At Home

Set your air conditioning thermostat at 78 degrees in the summer (82 when your’re away from home) and 68 degrees or cooler in the winter(and 65 at night or when you’re away). Also , clean or replace the filter in your air conditioner every month.

Don’t rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher your can save $100 a year. Also use the energy-saving cycle to shorten the run time and save water

Wash clothes in cold water . About 90 percent of the energy needed to wash clothes goes into heating the water. Always use a cold rinse. Also, adjust the water level to matcj the load size especially if you feel you need to use hot water.

Unplug Tv’s – Especially large TVs and plasmas which produce heat and make your air coinditioner work harder. Use surge protectors with a flip switch, and flip it off when they are not in use.

Turn off the lights install new LED bulbs they cost more initially but last longer and use 75 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs.

Keep your pool clean, you can save $100 a year. Run the pump no more than six hours a day in summer, four hours a day in winter.

Combine your cable, Internet and telephone service. Combined service costs less and offers the convenience of a single bill, you can eliminate long distance service if you don’t use.

Pay bills Online. You’ll save on stamps and envelopes, trips to the post office and late fees.

In your Car
With gas at $4 a gallon, filling the tank is painful. Trading your SUV for a hybrid – a popular suggestion on those lists of money-saving tips – may not be practical, especially in the short term. Two other favorites – doing your errands on foot and biking to work – don't really work that well in different cities.

Maintain your vehicle. A car that runs smoothly uses less gas. Change the oil and air filter regularly – a clean air filter can improve gas mileage by 7 percent – and perform other routine maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer.

Don't buy hot gas. Gas expands in the heat. Fill up in the morning when it's cooler and you'll get more for your money.

Pay cash for gas. You'll know exactly how much you're spending.

Avoid rush hour. Stop-and-go driving is one of the worst ways to waste gas. If you can't telecommute, try to go to work early or arrive late to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

Do all of your errands at one time trip instead of making lots of one-item trips.

Don't idle. It wastes gas. If you're going to be idling for more than a minute, turn the car off.
Easy does it. Driving the speed limit is more fuel-efficient than speeding. Ditto for accelerating and braking gently. And use the cruise control – a steady driving speed improves fuel economy.


At the supermarket

Make a list before you go shopping and stick to it.

Never shop hungry. You'll actually spend less – and stick to your list better – if you have a good meal before shopping.

Shop when the kids are in school. They won't ask for treats – and you won't have to feel guilty for giving in or for saying "no!" a million times.

Try generic or store brands.

Buy staples in bulk. Trash bags, toilet paper, laundry detergent, diapers and similar items aren't perishable and you save twice: large-volume packages cost less per unit/ounce and you don't have to shop for them as often.

Also, try to buy staples in one big trip per month. And use your list here too – resist impulse buys. You're only saving money if you were going to buy that item anyway.

Use coupons. Some 21st-century tips: Use online coupons, available on many supermarket web sites and from sites such as www.gabbadoo.com. Use a mix of online and print coupons to maximize savings. Check the websites of your favorite brands for online coupons or mail or e-mail offers. "Stack" your coupons. Use a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for the same item, or use a manufacturer's coupon on items the store offers at two-for-one. Some supermarkets double or triple coupons on certain days. Check your local stores and shop on those days.

Learn to love water, especially the kind that comes out of the tap. It's cheaper than soda, Kool-Aid, bottled ice teas or bottled water. And definitely cheaper than Mom and Dad's beer and wine. Water is healthier too.

Brown-bag your lunch. If you can't do it every day, at least try it a couple of times a week.

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