Each month, you can count on two things arriving in your mailbox: the latest round of promotional offers -- and bills.

Paying all of those monthly obligations and balancing the household budget can seem like a full-time job, especially when times are tough. But there are some simple ways to cut back on expenses without making too much of a sacrifice.

Here are simple ways to save hundreds of dollars each year on five major household bills:

1) Electricity

The fix is really quite simple: Unplug devices that aren t in use. "They re small energy losses, but they add up quickly, says Jennifer Thorne Amann, a senior associate with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit focused on energy efficiency.

For more tips on how to cut a gadget's power drain, see our guide.

2) Groceries

Stock up on the grocery staples that you always need -- like the kids favorite cereal and value packs of chicken breasts -- whenever they re on sale, even if you re not running low that particular week. Sale cycles are slow, with most items popping up in your supermarket s weekly flier just once every three months. Pair it with coupons culled from the Sunday paper and online coupons and save even more. For more tips to cut your grocery bill, check our savings guide.

3) Cable and Internet

Bundle your services. A Comcast subscriber in New Jersey would save $458 over the course of a year by subscribing to a package of cable, phone and Internet, rather than purchasing each service separately (and presumably, from multiple providers). Even just bundling cable and Internet saves $392 a year. As an added bonus, you only have to worry about paying one bill at the end of the month.

4) Heating and Cooling

Seal up your home. You re paying good money all year for heating and air conditioning, but much of that pricey air leaks out through cracks around your doors, windows and even electrical outlets, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit consumer education group that focuses on energy efficiency. Buying caulk and weather-stripping costs less than $50 at your local hardware store, and pays for itself within a season, she says. Over the course of the year, you could see heating and cooling bills drop by up to 30%.

5) Telephone

For more tips on how to cut phone costs, read our story here