If you feel like you’re being drenched by utility bills, you may be looking for ways to cut your monthly costs. While utilities like internet and cable TV may seem like obvious targets, your water bill can also run much higher than necessary. Missing water bill payments could also eventually hurt your credit score. While most utilities don’t report on-time payments to the credit bureaus, many will report accounts that have gone into default or collections, which will cause your scores to take a hit. The... read more

Replace your light bulbs Traditional incandescent light bulbs consume an excessive amount of electricity and must be replaced more often, which leads to higher yearly expenses. Popular compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), Halogen incandescent bulbs, and light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) use 25-80% less electricity and last up to 5 times longer than traditional bulbs. Although energy efficient bulbs are more expensive off the shelf, their efficient energy use and longer service lives mean that they cost less in th... read more