In today's economy, finding ways to save money on anything is essential. Right now so many things are focused on going "green". Cutting back on your utilities will not only save you money, but it will be better for the environment as well. Paying roughly $141 a month on utilities for 10 years will add up to be roughly $17,000. That is a lot of money to spend on water, gas, and electricity. Here are some simple things you can do to cut back your utility expenditures.

First, replace all your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Pretty soon incandescent light bulbs will no longer exist as the government has mandated that only energy-efficient light bulbs will be produced and sold. These bulbs are those weird spiral looking things that are dim until they light up. They also have CF bulbs that put out less heat so they will reduce your AC load in the summer.

Second, get a programmable thermostat. When you are at work or out of the house for a specified amount of time, you can dial back your heating or air conditioner, then, before you come home, program it to return to a normal level so the house is cooled or heated before you return home.

Third, if you have good water pressure in your home, consider installing low-flow toilets and shower heads. Low flow shower heads use half the amount of water and allow you to still take as long of a shower as you normally would. If you hate having a low flow shower head, reduce your shower time by at least 3 minutes. Reducing your shower time will cut down on the excess water waste. Low flow toilets are becoming more popular. Instead of using 5 gallons per flush in wasted water, you will use 1.5 to 2 gallons per flush. Some of the newer toilets also include air systems that push the water through the pipes. Using a new toilet will drastically reduce your total water usage. You can create your own water-efficient toilet by placing a brick sealed jar or jug of water in your tank. The water will be displaced and cause the toilet to use less. This is not recommended as older toilets were designed to hold 5-7 gallons of water and do not have the pressure systems like the new toilets.

Fourth, install new faucets or install aerator screens on all of your faucets. Many of the newer houses will have aerators on the kitchen and bathroom sinks, but not the laundry or utility sinks. The aerator screen increases the power of your water stream as it comes out of the faucet and it causes you to use less water because you will not be turning up the faucet to full pressure.

Fifth, look at your sewer bill and determine if it is tied to your water usage. If it is, get a separate water meter for your exterior hose bibs and irrigation system. Most water utility companies will allow you to have dual meters, one that is billed for the sewer service and the other for your outdoor watering. You shouldn't pay money for water in the winter when you aren't using it.

Sixth, balance your home temperature. Many homes tend to be cooler in the downstairs than in the upstairs, this is usually due to poor insulation in your attic. During the summer, the heat from the attic can leak into your upstairs, causing you to turn up the air conditioner. The same philosophy happens in the winter, the cold air from the attic leaks through to the upper level, causing you to turn up the heat. Properly insulating the attic will greatly diminish the problem and allow you to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home without turning up the heat or turning on the air conditioner.

Seventh, look at your air vents. A common problem for many home owners is balancing the temperature in their homes. During the summer, close many of the air vents downstairs, or leave them half-way open, allowing more cool air to regulate upstairs. This will keep a balanced temperature in your entire home. Then, in the winter, use the reverse philosophy and open the vents in the downstairs and open the ones upstairs half-way. Never leave all the vents in your home wide-open if you want to maintain a regulated temperature.

Eighth, weather strip your doors and windows. You can purchase weather stripping from Wal-Mart for $3.00. A small ¼ inch gap along the bottom of your door will allow your cool air to seep outside and vise-versa. If you have an older home, consider replacing all the windows. If you cannot afford to replace the windows, cut plastic about 1 inch larger than the length and width of the windows and cover the entire window. Tape the plastic to the wall to prevent warm or cool air from escaping outside. You will notice the plastic will swell during the winter as it is stopping the cold winter air from entering your home.

Ninth, insulate your garage. The room above the garage and right next to the garage will lose heat or air conditioning if your garage is not insulated. By insulating your garage or at least the door, you can control the temperature in the room above or next to the garage.

Tenth, landscape your yard with trees. Trees provide shade to the grass and cause you to use less water on your lawn. Trees also provide shade to your home and can keep your home much cooler in the summer by blocking the sun from bearing down on your home.

Eleventh, use fans to cool your home in the summer. Set your fans on the shady side of the house to draw in the cool air and circulate this air to the warmer areas of your home. Turn off all the lights in your home since they radiate heat (unless they are the energy efficient bulbs). Install ceiling fans throughout the house to regulate the air temperature in the summer and the winter.

Twelfth, turn off the lights and television. When you are in the den, you don't need the light in the kitchen to be on. Be sure to turn off lights during the daytime and open the blinds. Turn off the television when you are not using it. Leaving the television on is the number one electricity waster in the world. Turn off the television before you go to sleep and never leave it on when you are not home. Unplug all your appliances from the wall when you are not using them. Leaving your CD player, mixer, toaster oven, and other appliances plugged in will draw small amounts of power throughout the day and night.

Thirteenth, try to avoid using a clothes dryer and hang your clothes to dry. Dryers use up a lot of electricity and greatly increase your utility bill. Try to do your laundry during off-peak hours as many utility companies will give you a discount or a reduced rate for washing and drying your clothes at 3 am versus 3 pm.

Fourteenth, check all your faucets and spigots to make sure none of them are leaking or dripping. A slow dripping faucet can accumulate over 2 gallons of water per hour. Contact a plumber to inspect and tighten your pipes to prevent leakage.

Fifteenth, avoid watering your lawn during the day. You should water your lawn in the early morning hours 2-8am, as this will help to prevent evaporation. Try not to water your lawn everyday, instead switch to watering your lawn every other day to save on water costs. If your lawn starts to brown, use some fertilizer to bring it back quickly. You should consider re-seeding your lawn if you live in a dry, desert-like environment. There are some special lawn seeds for areas that are prone to higher temperatures, direct sunlight, and less water.

Sixteenth, set your temperature at 68-70 degrees in the winter and keep it there. Get used to wrapping up in blankets and wearing sweats around your home, as it will save you a ton of money on your gas bill. Time to make hot chocolate, tea or coffee!

Seventeenth, turn down the temperature on your water heater. Most water heaters will allow you to turn up the temperature to 180 degrees, but do you really need your water to be that hot?

Eighteenth, take a look at your phone bill and determine when you are placing calls and who you are placing calls to. You should contact your current phone provider and discuss different phone options to determine if you can save money on long distance or other charges. If your current provider is unwilling to negotiate a new price, start comparing the prices of other phone providers. Use a calling card for all your long distance calls instead of calling collect or long distance.

Finally, always pay your bills on time and in full. Utility companies love to charge fees for late or missed payments. You will not only get your gas, water, electric, or phone line suspended, but you will charged for the cost to re-activate your line and a fee for the late or missed payment.