In December, I offered up 11 great and easy ways that consumers could save money in 2013. These ideas ranged from paying off your high-interest credit cards and buying generic brands all the way down to customizing your health plan and eliminating your checking fees.

But yesterday, my grandfather lost his battle to cancer, and today I honor his memory by sharpening my pencil and dishing out an additional 10 ways that you can save money, right now, without significantly altering your living habits.

Getting a great deal
My relationship with my grandfather was built upon jokes. Literally, joke after joke, with perhaps the only serious moment coming when the check at the restaurant we’d meet up at came due. If there was one thing he truly loved, it was in knowing he was getting a great deal. The family quip between my dad and me when he wasn’t around was that we were “going to sharpen our pencil” when we we’re in search of a good deal on something. 

Here’s some fresh ideas inspired by my memory of my grandfather that could help save you money.

1. Refinance your mortgage
This is an easy one that I completely overlooked last time. What on Earth are you people with mortgages rates at 5% or higher still doing paying your loans? Stop trying to second-guess the next move in interest rates and be happy that we’re trudging along at a seven-decade-low in lending rates. A family with a 30-year mortgage at a 5% APR will pay nearly $280,000 in interest over the life of the loan. The current 30-year rate of 3.625% will lower your interest payment by roughly $87,000 over the life of the loan! That’s not chump change! Also, be decisive but picky when looking for your loan or a refinancer, as you can occasionally obtain lower costs by shopping around.

2. Stop living like you’re in the tropics
Unlike you Floridians and Southern Californians, I live in Seattle where we get these things called “seasons.” Seasons, for the remainder of the country, mean a noticeable use of the thermostat in the winter and summer. The key here to saving money is to reduce the extremism to which we utilize the thermostat. In the winter there is practically no need to set the needle at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, nor is there a need to peg the household temperature at 68 degrees if its 106 degrees outside. The California Energy Commission states on its webpage that every degree above 72 that you place your thermostat at in the summer will save you 1% to 3%. I tried this out myself and lowered my thermostat to 68 degrees from 70 degrees and noticed a nearly $50 cumulative reduction in my energy bill over the course of two months.

3. Buy LED lights
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance