Each week for 52 weeks, I'm sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you'll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you're already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.
One great way to save a significant amount of money is to use a programmable thermostat. Here’s what Melody emailed in and said:
We save quite a bit of money by using my programmable thermostat wisely!
They say you can save about 10% off your heating bill by lowering the temp 3-4 degrees (this applies to your cooling bill in the summer, too). Of course, we keep our programmable thermostat cooler at night and during times we are out of the house, but I also have another trick I use for all day when I’m home. I keep the thermostat set for 62 degrees and then give myself permission to bump it up if I’m too cold.
I find about half the time I don’t even notice that it’s set so low, and if I do, it’s often in the afternoon so it’s only set higher for an hour or two. By starting at 62 degrees instead of 68 degrees I estimate that in our cold climate we save well over $100 a year! -Melody
Want to lower your house temperatures, but don’t want to feel freezing all the time? Here are some simple suggestions:
1. Stay Active
Clean your house, chase your kiddos around, do some jumping jacks, or walk up and down the stairs a few times. Get your heartrate pumping and you’ll forget that you turned the thermostat down!
Door Sixteen shows you how to make a homemade door stop to keep the draft out.
2. Drink Hot Tea
I love a cup of hot tea with a splash of milk and honey! And it’s a great way to warm your insides up on a cold day.
3. Bake Something
Spend some time baking something yummy in your kitchen and you’ll warm yourself — and your house! — up in the process. Plus, you’ll have some delicious, fresh-from-the-oven food to eat, too! 
4. Wear Socks
Anytime we’re cold, my first suggestion is to put some socks on. If your feet are warm, it usually helps the rest of your body to stay warm.
5. Put on Extra Layers
Instead of turning the thermostat up, put another layer on. We all have hoodies that we wear in the winter — often over another two layers — and it’s amazing how warm these keep you!
I loved this idea from Jody who blogs at Because I’m Me:
For a long time, I’ve been on my kids to turn the lights off, unplug things we’re not using, close the doors, take shorter showers, etc. They were tired of hearing it and weren’t listening.
One day a light bulb went on in the brain and I presented my children with the following offer: Each month the electric bill was below $190 they’d get the dollar amount the bill was below $190 (i.e.: if the bill were $180 they’d get $10). That money would go towards a party, be it candy, ice cream, cake, pizza, chips, whatever they could buy with that money. I never buy food like that, so it would be a real treat for them.
The first month the bill was still up there around $200, an encouraging improvement but not what they needed.
By the second month, the bill was only $162. Yup, almost $65 less than usual! Not too shabby. And it gave them $28 to blow on junk food. I never expected them to get it as low as that!
In addition to a lower electric bill, my children were able to learn valuable lessons. For example, how to budget that $28 to get the best bang for their buck while pleasing all six kids.
They opted to purchase store brand soda, inexpensive ice cream, lots of buy one, get one free items, use coupons, and to pass on some items that were just too expensive. When all was said and done they managed to have enough junk food for one fine party and many days of treats afterward, and they contributed $10 to a dinner of Chinese take-out!
Last week one of my sons said he wished we’d get an electric bill every day so he could keep track of the amount of the bill throughout the month. I wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity for a “teachable moment”, so out came the electric bill, an explanation of how to read the meter and a brief “field trip” to the side of the house where the meter is. Now he can check every day, do the multiplication and addition and see if we’re staying on track.
We are now four months into this deal and the interest has not waned! -Jody
Related: 7 Tips to Reduce Your Heating Bill
How do you keep your heating bills lower? What are your best tricks for staying warm without turning up the heat?
photo source
The post 52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Use a Programmable Thermostat {Week 43} appeared first on Money Saving Mom®.
A number of you have written in to say you’d love to get a copy of my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, for Valentine’s Day.
I mentioned this in a team meeting last week and my husband, Jesse, and my manager, Brian, both exclaimed, “We’ve GOT to find a way to make it really easy for men to get this book for their wives/girlfriends!”
The wheels started turning in their heads and pretty soon, they came up with the snazzy idea to have a form that women could fill out to email their husbands/boyfriends to let them know that this would be the perfect gift for them for Valentine’s Day.
Brian was like, “Do you know how much easier it would make my life if I just got a simple email that told me exactly what my wife wanted? I’d LOVE that!”
So gals, if you’ve been wanting to get a copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode and think it might be a great idea for a Valentine’s gift for you, here’s all you need to do:
1. Fill out the form below with your address and your husband’s/boyfriend’s email address.
2. Verify the email we send you to give us permission to send an email to your husband/boyfriend.
3. As soon as you click to verify the email in your inbox, your husband/boyfriend will get a friendly email from me letting him know that you’d love a copy of my book and telling him where he can purchase it. He’ll only get one email from me, one time. That’s it!
Hopefully, this will make it really easy for your husband/boyfriend to bless you with this book for Valentine’s Day! Jesse and Brian have promised me that the husbands and boyfriends are going to love this!
The post Psst! Wishing You Could Get a Copy of My Book for Valentine’s Day?? appeared first on Money Saving Mom®.
Guest post from Miranda of WAHadventures.com
Many women who are seeking ways to make extra money online are looking for typing based home jobs. Most commonly searched are data entry positions. However, legit data entry jobs are few and far between. Even so, the genuine companies often have a timely waiting list.
As a work at home blogger who has been sharing money-earning advice with women for over 4 years, I suggest turning to transcription.
Transcription is an excellent way to make money in your spare time and many have been successful creating online careers with full-time incomes as professional transcriptionists. These three companies do not require you to have previous experience or schooling to start working as a transcriber.
QuickTate
QuickTate is one of the most commonly known legitimate online transcription companies. They hire even the inexperienced to transcribe short audio files into text.
Although the work doesn’t pay much — $1 for every 400 words — it is a great place to make some extra pocket money.
QuickTate has been around for many years and has a long-standing history of always paying their transcriptionists on time. Keep in mind, QuickTate is best utilized as an extra income site rather than a way to make an income. Workload can be spotty with plenty of files to transcribe one week to nothing at all the next.
TranscribeMe
TranscribeMe offers a great way to get your foot in the door as a transcriptionist. They offer short audio files to be transcribed at a rate of $14 per audio hour — with potential to earn up to $20 per audio hour.
Notice it is per audio hour — meaning your speed and efficiency will determine your overall hourly rate. This pay is well below the standard for a professional, experienced, transcriptionist; however, it is a great way to become qualified for higher paying transcription careers.
Again, TranscribeMe is not reliable as work is not always available.
Tigerfish Transcription
Tigerfish is another transcription company that is known for hiring people without experience.
The pay at Tigerfish is a bit ambiguous but others have posted online they were able to manage as much as $15 per hour, or $60 per audio hour.
While this information is likely coming from someone with experience and speed – it is a nice indicator that Tigerfish may pay slightly better than the other two companies mentioned above.
What You Should Know About Becoming a Virtual Transcriptionist.
Most every online transcription company worth working for will require you to pass an entrance exam.
If you do not have formal experience as a transcriptionist, they will be looking for the skills needed to complete the job. It is important to have a typing speed of at least 60 words per minute, with 100% accuracy. Being a successful transcriber means you must be fluent in English with a detailed knowledge of correct grammar and punctuation.
Additionally, having exceptional listening skills is required. Transcription generally requires no distractions in order to excel. Listening to the audio files and typing what you hear verbatim requires all of your attention and focus.
Miranda Grimm — The creator of WAHadventures.com – has many passions in life, including the Lord, her family, and blogging! Miranda is living out her dream, working from home to be with her children while actually making money doing something she loves!
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