WiseDollar

Everybody would love to get rid of their bills. In fact, it would be ideal to get rid of all of your bills ? but that just isn?t going to happen. What you can do, however, is reduce the number of bills you have to pay each month in order to lessen the total expenses that you carry. Even by eliminating a few small bills you can wind up saving thousands of dollars over the course of a year.

Here is a list of six bills that you might be able to cut and to save you money every month.

#1 ? Gym Membership

When was the last time you used that gym membership? If your gym ID card is gathering dust in your wallet, you probably don?t need to keep paying dues each month. However, that doesn?t mean that you need to give up on physical fitness at the same time. There are plenty of ways to exercise for free that can help you stay in shape while saving you money along the way. Seeing as the average American wastes $39 per month on gym memberships?this is an easy bill to cut.

#2 ? Redundant Entertainment

Everyone enjoys having some form of entertainment available to them, but there is no sense in paying for the same thing from different providers. For example, if you have cable service in your home but also pay for a streaming service like Netflix, you are spending more money than you need to each month. Take a close look at the services and decide which one can be cut back or eliminated. Chances are it’s the cable bill that needs to go. When you combine services like Netflix or the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00GDQ0RMG” locale=”US” nw=”y” tag=”wisedollar-20″ cart=”y” popups=”y”]Amazon Fire TV Stick[/easyazon_link] you can likely save a significant amount of money each month.

#3 ? Grocery Bill

Obviously you can?t eliminate your grocery bill, but you can certainly go a long way toward reducing it. A large portion of your monthly budget is directed toward food, so shopping smarter and saving 10-15% could reduce your total expenditure dramatically. Shop for sales and don?t waste food and you will quickly find that your grocery costs have come down.

#4 ? Subscription Services

The Internet has led to a boom in subscription services, whether it is information such as a digital magazine or physical goods that are sent to your house each month. While they might sound like a good idea when you sign up, these subscription services almost always cost you more money than they are worth. Cancel your subscriptions and only buy things when you need them ? that is the best way to control your budget.

#5 ? Cell Phone Bills

This is another expense that you probably can?t get rid of because cell phones have become an integral part of modern life. However, you should be able to lower your cell phone bill by shopping for a plan that is suited to your needs. More and more providers are offering customized plans, so look around for a deal that meets your demands for minutes and data while also fitting your budget. You can even get service for as low as $5 per month with Republic Wireless – that’s tough to beat!

#6 ? Utilities

Are you good about turning off lights when you leave a room? How about setting the furnace so that you are only heating the house when you actually need to? Simply by optimizing your use of utilities, you can save a relatively good amount off those expenses every month. It might not seem like a lot at first, but you will be surprised at how much of an effect these good habits can have in the long run.

Have you already cut these bills? How did you cut them? What are some other bills you think can simply be cut each month?

Photo courtesy of: Will Luo