13. SEAL DRAFTS
Add weather stripping around
doors and windows, recom-
mends Wise. Sealing up an
older house can save you as
much as 20 percent on heat-
ing and cooling bills.
16
SWA P O U T
YOUR BULBS
FOR LEDS “While more
expensive up front, LEDs
consume far less energy and
the life span is exponentially
higher,” says Wise. Chang-
ing just fi ve frequently used
bulbs should save you about
$75 a year.
15. TRANSFER CREDIT
CARD BALANCES Got a
solid credit rating and a plan
for paying down your balance?
Apply for a new card with a
promotional rate of zero per-
cent, says Sandberg. If you
transfer a $5,000 balance
from a card with an APR of 22
percent and pay it off within 18
months, you’ll save a whopping
$1,600 on interest fees.
19
HANG UP YOUR
LANDLINE Do you
really need to be paying two
phone bills every month? “If
you haven’t received a call on
your landline in a few weeks
or more, that’s a good sign you
don’t need it,” says Sandberg.
17. TURN UNUSED
SPACE INTO CASH Whether
you have an extra room, park-
ing space, or even attic storage,
renting it out can generate
income you wouldn’t otherwise
have, says Wise. Check out
Airbnb, Craigslist, and park-
ing apps like SpotHero to see
going rates in your area.
20
GIVE UP
A SMALL
REGULAR EXPENSE
Odds are, you regularly spend
money on some small, un-
necessary item. “I don’t buy
bottled water anymore,” says
Sandberg. “If I save a buck or
two a day, that’s at least $30
each month.”
14. LEVERAGE BRAND
LOYALTY Many national re-
tailers off er loyalty programs
that give you discounts, cou-
pons, free shipping, or other
benefi ts. “Think about the
Amazon Prime program,” says
Adams. “It gives you two-day
shipping, 5 percent back at
Amazon and Whole Foods with
their credit card, unlimited
video streaming, unlimited
cloud storage for photos, free
e-books and audiobooks, and
more for just $119 a year.”
Balance: MONEY
SPR I NG 2019 / DI A BETIC LI V ING 25
18. DON’T PAY FOR
MORE THAN YOU NEED
“Check your cable and phone
bills to make sure you aren’t
paying for features you don’t
use,” suggests Cagan. Do
you really need all that data?
Are you paying for premium
channels you never watch?
GETTY IMAGES; RAYMOND FORBES / STOCKSY; ADOBE IMAGES
