Unless you’re lucky enough to have a fruitful money tree growing in your back yard, chances are you probably look for ways to cut costs around the house without sacrificing comfort or other conveniences.  And hey, why not!  No one wants to pay or give up more than they have to, especially when you could be saving the difference for one or more special purposes.

So, to spur you along in your pursuit of getting maximum return from what’s already yours while saving some added coin in the process, here are 8 useful tips you’ll want to implement right away.

1. Use a pencil to get the last drop of toothpaste from the tube. Wrap the end of the almost empty tube around the pencil and roll up until you get that last bit of toothpaste out.

2. Sponges are great at soaking up messes, and your money. Get twice the life out of your sponge by cutting it in half.

3. An older toilet uses an average of 3.6 gallons of water per flush. Not only is that wasteful, it increases the amount of your water bill. So if you’re not in a position to switch to a low-flow or dual-flush toilet, you can still flush smarter by placing a brick or full water bottle in the toilet tank.  That one simple step will raise the float arm and trick the tank into filling itself with less water, but still enough for flushing purposes.

4. Get more use out of your disposable razor by sharpening it with the underside of a leather belt.

5. Dirty, dusty coils can make your refrigerator work harder than need be to keep your food and beverages chilled to perfection. Use the crevice attachment on your vacuum to remove accumulated gunk and improve your refrigerator’s energy efficiency.

6. Have old, torn hosiery or socks laying around? Instead of tossing them in the trash, slip one on your hand and use it to dust and buff dusty furnishings, wooden trim, lamps, and accessories.

7. Tired of getting irked by your spouse or children for leaving empty milk or juice bottles in the fridge? Thank them! Placing empty containers in a half-full fridge can actually increase the circulation of cold air and lower your energy bill.

8. Stop buying costly pot scrubbers to cut through the grease on your pots and pans. Instead, take the mesh bags that onions and other produce come in, cut and fold the bag into your desired size, and stitch the ends closed with rug yarn.

Here at Excel Electric, we offer numerous solutions for saving money on your electricity bill, too.  In fact, start by replacing any remaining light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescents.  While the latter cost more initially, you can operate 6 to 10 compact fluorescents for the same cost as incandescent bulb.  Plus, compact fluorescents offer 10 times the shelf life. Contact Excel Electric today and let us know how we be of service.