Buying groceries is just one area you can save a bunch every month and if you're using coupons and buying in bulk you're on the right track. Next in line for saving a ton of money is on your household expenses. We all have them, some more than others of course, and unless you're a very close relative of Bill Gates we could all use a few tips to save some money on household expenses every month.

Trade out your standard bulbs for those new energy efficient light bulbs. They look a little funny with that spiral shape but they're actually fluorescent bulbs that put out the same amount of light for a lot less wattage. In my humble opinion they're easier on the eyes too. They may cost more at purchase but in the long run they'll save you quite a bit of money. They last longer (much longer) and they use less electricity. When you consider how many bulbs there are in your house you can get a pretty good idea how much you can save in a years time.

Try not to run the air conditioner or heater unless you absolutely need to. It's pretty common to just turn it on and leave it going out of habit regardless of the temperature outside. Of course since it requires more energy to bring your house up or down to comfort level than to maintain it, this is only practical if you can go a few days in a row without having to turn them on at all. It just makes sense that you're going to save money by doing this. Plus, it always helps to get some fresh air, that is, unless you live near downtown Los Angeles or some other smog-filled area. You could also dress warmer and turn the thermostat down in the winter and vice-versa in the summer.

During winter, you could easily get by with setting the thermostat between 68° and 70°. In the summer, set your air conditioner to between 75° and 78°. These are just guidelines so don't suffer needlessly, set it to whatever temperature you can get by at comfortably.

While we're still on the subject of heating and air conditioning, it's also a great idea to buy some extra ceiling fans or table fans to help with cooling your house in the summer. Circulated air just feels cooler and fans don't use near as much energy as an air conditioner. You might also consider purchasing a few space heaters for the winter. Make sure you get the ones with safety features built in like a tip over kill-switch. Never use any that might run the risk of putting out carbon monoxide.  Even in the winter the ceiling fans will help keep heating costs down. By running them in reverse they pull the warm air down from the ceiling and circulate the air eliminating cold spots. Put an extra blanket on everyone’s bed in the winter and just pack away those heavy comforters during the summer.

Next, give a great deal of consideration to your large appliances. These can be your worst energy wasters. Look at your washer and dryer for instance. Are these two items using more energy than necessary? Older models sometimes run longer than they need to. You'll save money in the long run if you buy an energy efficient washer and dryer. If you have a large family you might want to get a washer and dryer that will hold more. You'll be running fewer loads, using less electricity and/or gas which will definitely save you some money every month.  If you don't have the cash on hand to purchase new right now then you at least want to keep what you have in good repair.  The same thing applies with all your appliances; a newer, energy-efficient model is certainly better for your pocketbook in the long-term.

Some dryers have a damp clothing setting. Be sure it's turned on and then when the clothes are only damp, the buzzer will sound. Stop and take the time to pull out all shirts and slacks to be hung up before they wrinkle.

Go ahead and hang these up, but hang them on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom. If you have a drying rack, place them on there. Then put the rest of the clothes back in the dryer to finish drying. They'll take less time to dry now that there aren’t as many clothes in the dryer. It’ll won't take but maybe an hour or so for the clothes on hangers to dry and you can just hang them in the closet from there.

Even though it doesn’t take much electricity to iron, it does take some and it takes up time. If you hate ironing as I do here's a tip to eliminate some of it. If you’d like to save some time, but also save a bit of electricity in the process, here’s a tip that works for pants. Clothes pin the pants at the waist to a clothes hanger and hang from the shower curtain rod or some other place where it can hang overnight without being bothered. Take a handful of clothespins and put clothespins on the bottoms of the pants leg. About five or so are good. Do the pockets need ironing too? Put five or so clothespin on each pocket to weight it down so that it hangs straight. After about twenty-four hours, your pants are nice and stretched out and look like they’ve been ironed.

During the fall especially, make it a habit to go around the house and check your windows and doors for leaks. Fill gaps and holes with caulking, place towels around windows if need be, and draft dodgers at the bottom of doors will help keep cold air out and warm air in. Also check to be sure the amount of insullation in your walls and attic is sufficient so that you're not experiencing any heat loss there.

A few other tips for saving some money around the house:

• Turning off lights that you don’t need.
• Open the blinds or curtains to bring in natural light instead of using lamps.
• Try and condense your cooking to one pot to save on electricity when using the stove.
• Conserve water by filling a small cup with water to rinse with instead of letting the tap run while brushing your teeth.
• If you tend to fall asleep with the TV on, set the timer to shut it off at a certain time so it won't run all night.
• Make sure that the seals on your refrigerator and freezer are in good shape and doing their job. If not you might be losing energy here.

Just little things like turning off the computer when you're not using it can add up and save you a few dollars each month. Make it a game to go sleuthing about your house and find little ways to cut back and save. Be sure to plan a reward for your family at the end of the year for their frugal efforts with some of the money you've saved!

Tags: budget, frugal, frugality, household expenses, living frugally, money tips, save, saving money, saving tips