"I can't pay my bills."

Have you ever been so frustrated at the cost of your bills every month, that you felt like not opening any mail you received? I wouldn't blame you. They're expensive. The very first month I lived in non-inclusive living, I was smacked with a $180 electrical bill. I was in shock. I could believe it. So, my roommate and I had a serious conversation about how we would be changing that. We did.

So, I've created an outline of how I changed my habits to lower our bill to an average of $42 per month. That's right, we're only using $42 of electricity every month in our 860 sq foot apartment. That means that on average, we're paying $21 per person. Sometimes it's even lower than that.

Here's what to do:

1. Under absolutely no circumstances is anything left "plugged in", in the kitchen. If you need to use something, you plug it in then, and immediately unplug it when you're done. You are charged for having things plugged in because it still uses electricity.
2. Only have one light on in the room you're in. Place a wall mirror near the light, if you need more light in the room. If you aren't in the room, do not have anything plugged in or turned on. Absolutely nothing.
3. If you are cold, put on socks. Put on flannel or fleece pants. Put on a sweatshirt over your tank top or t-shirt. If you get free water or share a water bill with the other people in your apartment complex (how this works: the complex will charge all tenants a fraction of the use from the entire building), you can turn on your shower to the hottest it will go, for about 30 minutes. Leave the door open, and this will heat a small area near your bathroom. It is much easier to get warm then to get cold.
4. Do not leave the charging port for your laptop plugged in when the computer is not charging. Do not charge your laptop until you see the battery symbol turn to red, or get a warning that your computer will die without getting charged.
5. If you can, wait until there is snow on the ground before you use heat. Or, if you live in an area without snow, and a location that does not have the humidity of Florida, don't turn on your air conditioning until it's 80-85 degrees outside.

That's how I save a sweet penny every month on electrical bills. For more advice on how to save money on monthly bills, click here, and you'll see our entire bills help guide. Thanks!

Yours frugally,

Alicia