Looking for some great ways to save money in your household this time of year? There are always ways that you can cut down on your expenses so that you can finally get that utility bill under control! For starters, how do you do your dishes? Do you wash them by hand? Do you stick them in the dishwasher?

Studies have shown time and again that using the dishwasher saves more money. But then again, there are also other factors that play into this. For example, if you live alone, it may make more sense to wash your dishes by hand rather than wait for them to accumulate so that you can do a cycle in the dishwasher.

If you choose to wash your dishes by hand, get a stopper and stop up the sink. Let some warm water run, filling up the sink. Allow the dishes in the sink to soak for anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. Using the water in the sink, wash the dishes with soap and then rinse them off, turning the ta on only when you need to rinse the dish. This is a great way to save water and energy. How about the shower? Do you prefer to take showers or baths?

Again, studies have shown that taking baths saves people significantly more money than taking a shower. If you still prefer a quick shower to a longer soak, bring a stopwatch into the bathroom with you. Keep your showers to 10 minutes or less.

Every minute that you stand in the shower, that's just another gallon of water going down the drain. If you haven't done so already, inspect your showerhead to see if has an eco-friendly water flow cap on it. These types of shower heads only allow a certain amount of water through and subsequently save you from wasting water.