Money isn’t easy to earn, so you should waste as little of it as possible. You could unwittingly be parting with your hard-earned dollars each month just by not paying attention to some basic cost-saving measures when it comes to your utilities.

Take a look at these bad habits or ways to trim costs to see if you can find some extra wiggle room in your budget.

On-Demand Water Heaters

With traditional water heaters, your heater is constantly keeping a supply of water all hot and ready to go on the off-chance you’ll need it. But with tankless, on-demand water heaters, the process is different. Nothing is heated up until you need it. That means they can save in the neighborhood of 40 percent more energy than traditional water heaters.

Installing this type of water heater will pay for itself over time, and after that happens, you’ll be saving money each month.

Turn Down the Heat on Your Washing Machine

Your clothes will look just as clean when you wash them in cold water as they will when you wash them in hot water. And better yet, washing in cold water helps you protect the color of your clothes longer. It also eliminates the need to separate whites from dark fabric because the colors won’t bleed nearly as much with cold water.

Using cold water when washing your clothes requires far less energy than using hot water does. And less energy being used means less money being spent.

Turn Off That Computer

Yes, it can be a bit inconvenient to always turn off and on your computer. It’s annoying to let it load up when you want to use it. But you need to decide if the extra convenience is worth the money you’re paying to always have it ready and waiting.

At the very least, you should turn it off overnight when you’ll be sleeping anyway. First thing in the morning you can turn it on and let it load while you’re in the shower. It’ll be ready to go by the time you’re out.

Take Care of Those Drafty Windows

If you can feel a breeze coming through your windows during the winter, it means you’re letting money get sucked right out of your pocket. While replacing windows is a good option, it does require a lot of money upfront and it’ll be quite a while before you see a return on your investment.

Another option is weather stripping. It’s super easy to use and it will cut down on those bone-chilling drafts.

Don’t Forget to Lower That Thermostat at Night

In the winter, you can lower your thermostat by many degrees right as you’re going to bed each night. Bundle up with an extra blanket and you won’t even notice the difference. But your pocketbook will notice the difference that very first month.

You can potentially save 5 percent on the cost of heating your home for every single degree you drop down in the 60- to 70-degree zone.