As a Servicemember there are some different ways you can help to save money. Every dollar that you can save you can invest toward having the kind of retirement that you have always wanted to have, and some of the methods you can use are really elementary, but will save big in the long run. Remember, every little bit can make a big difference. Here are a few ideas you may try for yourself: Heat And Cooling- Set the setting on your thermostat to 68 degrees during the winter months. In the summertime, set it at 78 degrees. Even these little changes can mean big savings on your fuel and cooling bill. Some people also try a programmable thermostat, and some even go so far as to program lower settings at night, such as 62 or 64 degrees. But even setting it back to 68 degrees will amass considerable savings for the average family. Private Mortgage Insurance- How long has it been since you purchased your house? If you have at least 20 percent of your home value accrued in equity, you may be able to discontinue any private mortgage insurance, your equity will insure your house if more than 20 percent of value.
Life Insurance- You should review your life insurance every two or three years anyway, but you should get a new quote and compare it with your current policy. You may consider a individual policy if you have a Veterans Group Life Insurance policy, an individual policy may offer better rates and a more attractive deal. Deductibles- Give some consideration to raising your auto and home insurance deductibles, if you can afford to pay the first part of any loss it may be an advantage to raise them. Raising them will result in a greatly reduced premium rate.
Television-If you have cable Television, and most homes do now days, cancel the channels that are premium channels. You will likely see the shows you want eventually on the non-premium channels, and otherwise you can rent them at a much lower price than the price you pay for these channels. Telephone- Examine your phone bill, do you really use caller ID and Call waiting? Sometimes you will find other options like three way calling, or individual rings, many of these services cost and you may not even use them, so get rid of the services you don’t need or use. Books-The library is free, unless you really need a book as a reference, visit the library and borrow books for free. And if you do purchase them, buy them used.
