Balance out your utility costs

Gas and electric costs vary wildly throughout the year. According to government sources, these costs will be even higher as natural gas and electric prices increase. This can turn an already tight budget into a catastrophe, or at least a very lean winter. Who needs bigger utility bills near Christmas time? I sure don't.

The easy solution is to adjust your bills and save the difference. You can call your electric/gas company and just ask over the phone if you don't have your statements for a full year, how much it cost you each month. Add them together, divide by 12, and you get an average cost of these utilities throughout the year. This becomes your monthly payment. During the months where your bill is lower than your average, the excess goes into a savings account. During the months that it is higher, the shortage comes out of that account.

This stabilizes your budget and any increases in cost (or accidental overuse) can be more easily managed.

Also do whatever you can to lower your consumption of course.