Even if you budgeted perfectly for your first apartment, expenses can add up over time! If you’re looking to cut your bills, here are a few quick and easy places to start with, to save you some money without sacrificing your lifestyle.
Gym & social memberships
Look through your bank statements to ensure you’re not paying for memberships that you aren’t using!
The gym is a great place to start – identify all of the “health” resources you’re spending money on each month and narrow down what you need! A friend of mine looked through her bills to find that she was paying for a fitness app, a meal tracker app, a specialty yoga membership AND a gym membership. This is pretty common as we sign up for different things and can forget to cancel. Check out your expenses and eliminate where possible! If you’re stuck in a contract, try to negotiate a lower rate or transfer your membership to a friend that’s interested in joining… doesn’t hurt to ask!
Also consider other social memberships like online dating websites, sports leagues, sorority or fraternity fees, golf or other sporty memberships… check out what you’re spending on and see if you can eliminate any of them! If you’ve already paid up for the year, call the provider to see if they can give you a pro-rated refund (so you get paid back for the months you don’t use – which may not work, but is worth a try!).
Estimated savings: $30 – $100/month, $360 – $1200 annually
Television / movies
The way we watch TV may be changing, but the desire for entertainment is as strong as ever! Talk with your friends and family to see what services they use to watch television and movies! See if you can partner up and split some of those expenses with a family account. YouTube TV, Netflix, and Hulu all have family plans that are easy to add users to. Think over if you really need also an account with HBO or Showtime. Then, split the bills!
You can always consider cable as well. Call your provider and work with them to identify a plan that makes sense – and don’t forget to ask for a discount if you bundle cable and internet from the same provider!
Pro tip: You can also cut television and movies completely for a month to see if you miss it or not. This is great to try right after a move before you get accounts set up with the different providers.
Estimated savings: $50/month, $600 annually
Music
There are so many great options for music streaming. If you’re paying for music, consider cutting this bill for a month to see if you miss it! Spotify and Pandora both have a free version, and while you will have to listen to ads, it’s a quick way to eliminate excess spending if you need it.
Estimated savings: $10/month, $120 annually
Climate control
Now, when you’re in your apartment itself, you can also cut those bills! Go easy on your air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter. Here are some great guidelines… and remember that you can always layer up or get outside to save some money here. This will adjust month to month, but not being too heavy-handed on the thermostat can add up over time.
Estimated savings: $10/month, $120 annually
Plus, there are some great apps to help you get ahead of your bills. How else can you cut expenses fast?! Let us know in the comments.
