25 Easy Swaps to Lower Your Monthly Bills This Fall
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- Are your monthly bills creeping up this fall? 🍂 Don’t worry - I’ve got you covered with some super easy swaps to help you save money without sacrificing comfort!
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From energy-efficient tips to smart shopping hacks, these budget-friendly strategies will keep more cash in your pocket as the temperatures drop. 🏠💰
In this video, I’ll share my favorite ways to reduce expenses, whether lowering your heating costs, saving on groceries, or finding creative ways to reduce your utility bills. You’ll discover simple changes that add up to big savings over time, all while keeping your home cozy and your wallet happy.
So grab a warm cup of coffee (or iced tea if it's still hot there), get comfortable, and let’s dive into these money-saving tips for frugal living this fall! 🍁🤑
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About Sara:
Sara is a wife, mother, and creator of Frozen Pennies. With a degree in English, a former teacher, and a Certified Financial Coach, there is no better place to learn about debt freedom, budgeting, and overall frugal living.
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Years ago, my husband was a buyer for one of our major chains and he still has connections. His comment is that generics are often the same BUT it depends on the category! For instance, a dairy processing plant will not waste time and money to stop production and clean out all their equipment just to change from the branded plain yogurt to the generic or Aldi one (had lunch with someone who worked at such a plant and confirmed exactly that - same premium, branded, plain yogurt was pumped into Aldi packs). Sometimes though, especially with canned goods, processing plants will put lesser grades of product into 'bright cans' or unlabelled cans which will then be labelled with various generic labels as required. This is especially true with large facilities. A friend imports products from around the world under his own label and he goes to the plants to actually taste test and inspect the batches that will be labelled for him so he can ensure the high quality he wants. He's servicing the Australian market so he's not a huge customer for his suppliers but he can still select from their production runs to ensure he protects his brand's reputation. Another way of checking is to look at the list of ingredients because that is highly regulated - if the ingredients are the same and listed in the same order on branded and generic labels that's a sign although they do try to disguise this by putting ingredients into categories like 'artificial flavours' where they won't have to specify exact details for the generic label. Bottom line is to check and then try. Hope this is of interest and helpful!! Cheers from Oz!
Ty
Makes perfect sense 😊
Exactly! This is the same way processing plants operate in the US. The tomatoes may be canned in the same location but the same quality of tomatoes are not being used. Food brokers buy produce, etc, for companies buy on individual specs for that company. Store brands are not always the same quality. Everyone should purchase based on their own budget and tastes.
@@kimhelms3669 It gets complicated but it's not. Tomatoes are in season for a period of time. The growers will have commitments to the factories because they need to sell their crops in advance. Weather is one factor in the end quality. When the tomatoes are ripe the factory has to can the whole lot - they can't just park them until it's convenient. They can them, grade them, and then sell them to their customers and we consumers are at the end of this long chain and we take it all for granted when we shop! And that's just tomatoes!! It really is amazing how food ends up on our plates. Cheers from Oz!!
My husband doesn't like leftovers . I freeze them and use later or as you mentioned use the meat for a different meal. He doesn't know he is eating leftovers
He'd soon like leftovers if there was nothing else to eat! What is his issue/logic?
😂😂😂. Kinda like pureeing vegetables your kids don't like and hiding it in something you know they will eat😂😂😂
Or give the leftover meat to pets if you have them?
I use a can of crushed tomatoes .80 plus a can of paste .50 and add water n spices. Beats jarred sauce and cheaper.
Great tips! Be careful of using a vinegar solution for cleaning as the acetic acid is very corrosive. We just had to refinish our sink fixtures because the finish was completely stripped and discolored from vinegar solutions. It will also eat away the seal on grout and tile, which will cost you more in the future to replace.
Too funny. 106° today. My way of tricking myself ....is too wake up super early in the mornings, about 2:30am when it's 60° and shut off the AC. I can open the window next to me and turn on the fantastic fan. Creates a nice cool breeze until 9am. I can look at all the dead leaves on the ground and pretend its Fall. Saves me almost 7 hours of AC everyday.😂
In connection with the pumpkin: Excellent chocolate muffins: 1 box Devil's Food cake mix (cheap at Aldi) and 1 can pumpkin (not the pie filling, the regular pumpkin.) Mix and bake at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean. That's it - two ingredients and yummy!
We make those all the time. My kiddos LOVE them!!!
If you want to refresh your holiday and halloween decor, get together with a few friends and swap decor items. A few fresh-to-you items will be more of an update than you may expect.
... When you pack a work lunch also pack a small snack for when you leave work, having a snack before you commute takes the edge off your hunger and lets you avoid buying fast food on the way home.
I laughed about the toaster! I unplug it and my husband said he would throw it out if I keep unplugging it!
Some store brands are made by the same companies as name brands, but may not be the same ingredients. I discovered that chicken sold at Aldi is from Tyson, I just happened to be there one day when they were stocking the chicken counter and it all came in boxes distinctly labeled Tyson.
I worked for a warehouse years ago and we stored French's, etc. along with generic. The owner said they just take the excess name brand and package it in the generic packaging.
I have got excellent workout equipment at the thrift shop! 💪
That is awesome!
My mom, in the 50's, worked for a local tomato producer and they run a national brand ketchup than the same recipe run a off brand 😮😊. Thanks for sharing 👋🏽👋🏽😃
I save about a dollar and a half a day on my commute by driving in a little different manner. It takes me 3 minutes ekstra on a 50 min commute. (I live in Scandinavia and our gas prices are pretty high, so it might be less for you)
I love outdoor winter activities. Of course I enjoy all activities the seasons have to offer. I always compare generic and on sale name brands. Generics usually win out! They taste good too. As always great content. Thank you ❤
We once purchased a Walgreen's brand heating pad which was half the price of the Sunbeam and the tag on the heating pad had "Sunbeam" written on it. Aldi is a great place to save on some things. I can get a mocha coffee in a half gallon container for $3.75 in my area, which is less than the cost of 1 mocha at a coffee shop and I didn't have to make it! I am I guess what you would call elderly (I don't feel it) and handicapped so my heat is staying at the same temp all the time. I may move it down or up 1 degree is it feels too cool or too warm but basically it is unchanged and I am home most of the time. For that reason I will not cut the cable either. It's too much for me to figure out how to get all of the stuff I want from different places. My cable bill is HUGE but it's my entire form of entertainment and I watch a whole lot of TV but not a ton of network tv so everything is on a cable channel of one kind or the other. I have 3 subscription services but when I finish watching everything I want on the service, I will end that service for a while until the next season starts and that may be several months. It costs nothing to start and stop them. Right now I have three but it's usually 2 - Britbox and Acorn as I so enjoy British mysteries and other programming. I have Masterpiece right now until the current seasons of the 4 shows I watch are over. I don't bowl or golf or do any other hobbies that cost me anything and I am pretty much housebound so an important thing to consider is how a bill affects your life. Is it worth it to have it? As long as I can still afford it the answer is going to be yes. I am a recent widow - less than 3 months- so I have to figure out a new budget at less than 50% less income. Thus far it is OK but I have to watch it for everything else so I can have cable. Aldi is a huge money saver for me as well as shopping store sales. Last week I got a whole round watermelon for $1.99!!! I gifted some to friends and still had a nice big bowl for myself. Seasonal sales are the way to go. I agree with you to plan meals around sales and specials. I quit all magazines. So much is just common sense and basic know-how. If you know that horseradish and ketchup makes cocktail sauce you never have to buy that again, and that mayo or miracle whip and pickle relish makes tartar sauce, you can save a lot of money.
I'm so sorry for your loss. However congratulations on the watermelon! That's a bargain!
I love British tv as well and switch off britbox and Acorn. Love masterpiece as well. Great shows on all of those streaming services.
I've been seeing canisters of summer drink mixes in clearance bins. Campfire snack ingredients are in there too. Stock up. Chocolate is chocolate, 😅 ..
Light bulbs are one thing I will not change. Years ago we bought store brand soda. The metal cap had Ma's on it. I have bought pre made foods at the deli counter because I didn't want to cook. It was cheaper than eating out and I got more food.
I dislike the new type of light bulbs and will try my best to find the old light bulbs in the stores. I save by not turning on lights when not needed!
It’s been cool enough here in Maryland at night - I have not turned on my A/C for the past several weeks! I crack open the windows at night and it cools the house down enough to keep the house cool enough to not warrant turning on the A/C during the day. It helps to keep the blinds and or curtain closed during the day on the sunny side of the house.
Just buy a tracphone zero monthly fee. Qvc phone includes 1500 mins texts and some internet
My hubby and I use tracphones too. Not fancy, but reasonably priced.
Hey Sara.I'm from NY as well!🙂
I use an AT&T annual prepaid plan. It's a $300 charge once a year and I get 16gb/month. I can stream all I want with that much data! Works out to $25/month.
Lynne is that a prepaid card?
No, it's an annual prepaid cell plan from AT&T
I already had my phone, just needed a plan with loads of data!
I use a “ No Spend” days on my calendar, each day I don’t shop and use what I have I put a N/S on that day on my calendar, last month I had 12 for the month is kind of a challenge and I save !! You can make your specific rules,
I love your videos and good common sense. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I appreciate you!!!
Thank you so much, Sara! I love your channel and all of your inspiration!
Hi! We are also in upstate NY. I love summer best but everyone loves this time of year.🍁 I love not turning on the ac or heat!😂
Same issues here with me unplugging appliances or turning off power strips. My husband hates it, oops!
I’m so excited for the Adirondack balloon fest! 🌅 my husband is a huge car guy too.😊 thanks for the tips & God Bless!
LED don't last a lot longer they also put out a yellow light not a white light. It makes it harder for the elderly to see by. Instead, take out one of the over head lights in your ceiling and unplug one of your lamps you don't use often. Toaster ovens and toasters pull a lot of electricity mine is in the hallway closet, haven't used it in years, it's cheaper for me to stab the toast and hold it over the open gas flame. Don't let stores fool you like Kroger doing a buy one get one free, the week before that sale the jack the price up, so legally they can do a buy one get one free. The worst one is the small hormel pork roast, they will have those as a BOLO get two for 9.99 they aren't even a pound of meat your actually paying 4.00 a pound for pork. It's cheaper to buy a boston butt, cook it on the weekend and freeze what you don't eat.
I bought one yesterday 😂
Led lights come in different temperatures that create different colored light,from soft yellowish to bright operating room-like white! Be sure to check and ask when you buy !!
Thank you so much for that tip about finding the subscriptions we’re paying for in our Apple phones! 😮 I was able to cancel my next renewal on something I didn’t want to renew. But I love that I can still use it until the renewal date is up. 🙌🏼
Tfs Sarah❤ I love your thought process on all this😊
In the EU labels are much more regulated than in the US, and they all have to say where the product has been made. You'll find that many store brand products have been made in the same factory as the name brand 😅
It is not a rumor. I work in a food manufacturing company. We pack herbs for many supermarkets and the only thing that changes is the label.
As a widow, I use my toaster oven more than I use my regular oven.
If you have or can find a wide mouth pint jar and a canning funnel, they work great for putting leftover soups, stews, etc in, then dumping that in a bag. I use sandwich bags.
New Subscriber! TH-cam suggested your video in my feed. Looking forward to following along with your channel. 💕
My thermostat allows A/C temperature and heat temperature. My A/C temperature is 80 degrees except during highest cost per kWh it is 82 degrees. My heater temperature is 65 degrees daytime and 60 degrees nighttime.
Great video. My husband wants to turn on the heat way before I do. I try to hold off until Nov. 1st. The house is as energy efficient as possible. I try to use the sun to my advantage ( open and close the blinds). Your area might be a bit colder than northern Indiana. I wear sweats, socks and a hoodie if I get cold. In the past 2 months I've increased my gas mileage with my well maintained 2008 Saturn. I've started intentionally coasting to red lights. Also, my cruise works at 35mph so use it whenever possible. My gas mileage has gone from 17 mpg to 22.9 mpg. It's a game for me and yet I'm saving a bit of money.
I read a resource for the store/name brand equivalents lately, but it was about Europe.
I just found out today that one of my favorite stores is actually closer to my home than I thought so I don't have to go on the other side of town to shop there
112 degrees in So Cal today! Summer is just starting here. Late summer
My husband worked in the beverage industry. They manufactured store brands as well as produced their own brands. Different formulas but they did produce the store brands.
They also delivered their brand along with generic brands
We live in an old house with window air conditioners. When you said to unplug things not in use, I went and unplugged all of them. We should not need them till Indian summer in a couple weeks or maybe not at all. I am not sure how much that will save me but it is a good reminder. Why be wasteful?
Plastic razors are very wasteful and bad for the landfills.
If you scan the upc code of Aldi standard ketchup - it says Heinz
Sara ❤❤❤ Great job 😮😮😮😊😊😊
thanks so much!!
I've been putting my razors in oil to make them last longer and by soaking in alcohol for 15 minutes to sterilize them
Some of my LED light bulbs are still going strong after 15 years.
Appreciate your videos.
Where is this wonderful balloon festival held? I still haven’t had a vacation this year and I would love to find some cooler weather.
Albuquerque NM, not sure when. Colorado Springs over the Labor Day weekend.
Queensbury, NY is the one she is talking about.
Gas buddy tells you where cheapest gas is where you live
We have the same apps here in Oz and they can save you significant money. It's nuts here - gas/petrol can be .30 cents cheaper per litre between 2 'service stations' that are less than a kilometre apart!
Here in ìowa þrees are not turning colors yèt
Get solar panels and you don't have to pay for electricity 😊 I have had solar for the past ten years.
Swapping my big house for a much smaller one. 😅😅 Like hey, go big or go home. (Or go small perhaps lol).
Seriously tho. I’ve been planning this for a long time yet and I’m just now getting some traction. I calculated my electric and property tax over 30 years (on this big house I live in currently) and O.M.G!!! Do people even realize how big that number really is? This isn’t even including all the other house expenses. The grand 30 year average total for those two alone comes to $180k. 🤯🤯 Just a bit of fun math I did to remind myself that mega downsizing my home is truly a great idea. 😬 (The estimated savings I calculated was abt 70% which comes to approx $126k).
I picked 30 years Bcuz it is a typical mortgage term and Bcuz I figure I may have about 30 years left on earth…give or take.
But really I just see it like whatever I have to repair or remodel or fix on a much smaller home is going to be a lot more manageable and affordable than on any larger home. Makes perfect sense to me. Plus the time and energy savings and a much more financially secure feeling.
Concerning entertainment- buy tickets to see / listen to a “Tribute” band! Many are very good and significantly less expensive than the national acts! And, you will be supporting local and or live entertainment/ musicians!
My husband uses my blow dryer but when he’s done with it he will leave it plugged in it irks me 😩 I tell him to unplug wiener he’s done but it goes in one ear and out the other 🙄
Little typo… 😂
Gently inform him he is being lazy! And- if that hair dryer is anywhere near a sink ans accidentally falls into the water- it’s dangerous.
Our bank Money Market you have to have $25,000 in it. Anna In Ohio
LED lightbulbs are crap. They're expensive and they don't last. Luckily, I have enough incandescent bulbs to last me until I'm 157.
Of course the store brands are made by major name brand manufacturers and labeled with the store brand label. Can you imagine how many factories Wal-mart, say, would have to build and staff to produce their on Great Value version of every single item they sell in their store? They're a merchant. Not a manufacturer.
I disagree with the first one. Using incandescent bulbs would waste more energy than the cost of an LED bulb. Donate them.
Try old fashioned remedies on your ankle: ice, ace bandage, ben gay, naproxen to take pain swelling down, keep leg elevated. Worked for me!!
That's just about what Im doing. It's getting better. It just seems to be taking a lot longer than I would like for it to be 100%. I'm at the 4-week mark.
Keep your hair short looks very good on u
I can get delicious Wegmans brand spaghetti sauce for ninety-nine cents it cost more 5hen ninety-nine cents buy can tomatoes tomatoes sauce