Is the cost of daily living getting too much for you to bear? Do you suspect that you could probably cut down on your expenses by a little, or maybe a lot, but you just don’t know where to start? Check out these simple was to snip your monthly expenses and start having right now:

Turn the Temperature Down

Did you know that the cost of heating three average American’s home is responsible for 14 percent of their energy costs within the home? That’s a lot and in many cases it’s totally unnecessary because you can easily turn the thermostat down by a few degrees without really noticing a difference, snipping a little cash from your outgoings each month.

Take Public Transport

I know some of you will be horrified at the very thought of leaving the car at home, but it might be worth giving it a try because the average cost of taking the bus or riding the subway to work each day will often be less than the cost of driving, where you have to pay for gas, parking and maintaining your car. If you live in an area where it’s feasible to ditch the car completely, then you could save hundreds of dollars every month!

Consolidate Your Debts

Are your monthly debt repayments getting out of hand? It might be time to think about consolidating them into one manageable monthly payment, which is lower than the amount you’re paying out at present.

Upgrade Your Air Con

On average, it costs between $0.30-0.40 per minute to run an air conditioning unit, and if your unit is older and less efficient, it could be much more, especially if you always have it running, taxing it to its limits. By getting a new, modern air con from Academy Air, you could, then cut your energy bills down significantly, especially in the summer. If buying a new air conditioner is out of the question, giving it a clean might have similar, if not quite as effective, results.

Switch to LED Light Bulbs

Using LED light bulbs instead of incandescent ones might not seem like it would make a big difference, but it could actually save you as much as $500 per year!

Use Coupons

You don’t have to take it to the levels of some of the people who appear on ‘Extreme Couponing’ but making an effort to find and use coupons for your groceries will certainly help to snip your grocery bill each month. Some serious coupons have even been able to get whole carts of food for free in the past!

Invest in a Programmable Thermostat

You might think that upgrading to new air conditioning systems and thermostats isn’t so smart when you’re looking to save money, but once you have them in place, they will cut your energy bills for years, perhaps even decades, to come. Having a programmable thermostat which can automatically adjust the heat of your home even when you’re not there, in particular, can make a huge difference to your family’s energy consumption.

Cut the Cord

Exchanging cable for a subscription to Netflix, Hulu or Amazon will ensure that you can still enjoy all of your favourite shows, you just won’t have the huge price tag to deal with each month.

Swap with Family and Friends

Instead of paying for new clothes so you’ll look good at that job interview or hire a babysitter so you can have a much-needed date night, swap with friends. Hold a clothing swap event, or swap your gardening skills for their babysitting and you will notice that your bank balance is a` lot healthier come the 31st of the month.

Learn Stuff

Learning how to do DIY or look after your car yourself might take a small investment in a course or a few good instruction books, but once you’ve absorbed the knowledge you need, you’ll be able to do many more things for yourself, thus saving money in the cost of contractors and other professionals.

Cook Your Own Meals

Instead of eating out or ordering take-out food, start buying food in bulk and preparing it yourself. You can make big batches and freeze them for convenience if you must, but stop paying over the odds for pre-prepared meals, and you will have more money left over each month than you did before.

Plant a Garden

Another good way to cut down on food costs is by planting your own vegetable garden. Once it’s up and running, you’ll be able to enjoy lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs fee from the garden.

Have you managed to cut your monthly costs? How did you do it?