Money-saving tips come in all shapes and sizes, some are relatively simple (toss your spare change in a jar and watch it add up), and others are a bit more complex. In this post, we’re going to discuss some rather intricate money-saving ideas involving your housing situation. Now, these obviously aren’t things you can do in a day or even a month, but perhaps you can print these out and set them aside in case your housing situation is going to change in the next year or two.

Downsize

Kids grown up and out of the house? Got empty rooms you’ve turned into a gym or sitting room? If your home isn’t paid off, consider selling and moving to a smaller home. Generally, less space means less cost and if your home has served its usefulness you could save thousands a year by relocating. We’re not just talking about mortgage payments, but smaller utility bills (less space to use heat and light means lower cost), lower maintenance costs and generally a lot more money saved every year, perhaps even enough to do all those things on your bucket list.

Live where you work

Or at least close to it. This would especially apply to apartment dwellers. If you’re in an apartment with a thirty mile or longer commute, give some serious thought to relocating closer to your job. A similarly priced apartment less than 20 miles from your place of employment will save you more than fifty percent in fuel costs. It will also cut down on automobile wear and tear, saving you hundreds more.

Refinance

You’ve heard that interest rates have never been lower - It’s true (18% in 1981!). But did you know a 6% mortgage refinanced at 4.25% will save you almost two thousand dollars a year on a hundred thousand dollar mortgage? That’s over 150 dollars a month!

Choose a good contractor

If major repairs are needed on your home, don’t take the first contractor’s offer. Take their bid and call another and ask if they will beat it, then tell them you’ll call them back and call another (or the first one) and ask if they will beat that offer. When you reach a point where they refuse to go any lower, that’s the best price you’ll get on the job. We’re willing to bet it’s a few hundred dollars less than that first bid. You can save money on a title loan too. Check out CASH 1 Loans and we’ll show you our competitive fee structure on car title loans online in Arizona or Nevada. No one else will give you a better rate, or better service.