Did you recently buy a new home and are still trying
to get your finances in order? Are you
looking to find ways to save money in your new home? Whether you just moved or you’ve been in your
home for a while now, it never hurts to save some money. There are several ways to do this that you never
thought of. Whether it is on bills,
cleaning, food, pets, or more, there are various ways for you to save money in
your home.
Water
Bill
It’s undeniable that water bills can definitely be a
blow to your finances every month and you may not know why. You may wasting water and paying for it
without realizing it. There are ways to
conserve water and lower your water bill.
When brushing your teeth, washing your face, or washing the dishes, turn
off the water until you need it again. Also, check for and fix any leaks that
may go unnoticed.
Electric
Bill
It’s understandable that there are days when you
just need the AC on because the heat is too unbearable but to save money on
your electric bill during the hot months, take a break from the AC and draw the
blinds half way leaving enough light in but still minimizing the amount of sun
rays entering the windows. Also, open
the windows a bit and put in a circulating fan to suck out the hot air from the
home.
When you go to the store and look at the light bulb
section, you’ll notice that there are quite a few options. Choose the energy efficient light bulbs to
reduce the cost of your electric bill.
Replace any old incandescent bulbs throughout the home with the energy
efficient ones. Also, be sure to turn
off lights and electronics when not in use.
You can also take an extra step to save some money by unplugging
anything that you’re not currently using such as lamps, phone chargers, fans,
etc. Although they may not be turn on or
in use, the plug in the socket is still using some energy, meaning more on your
bill.
Save money on your electric bill on other sources of
energy in the home such as your dryer.
Instead of putting your washed clothes in the dryer, hand dry your
laundry outside.
Don’t
Be Afraid to Argue
Arguing isn’t pleasant but sometimes it’s what it
takes to save money on your home bills.
You may qualify for a lower monthly payment on things like your cable
and phone bill. Call your provider and
try to get a lower price.
Gas
Bill
During the colder months, turn down the thermostat a
few degrees and compensate by layering up on the clothing. Throw on some warm slippers and a wool
sweater, cuddle under a thick blanket, light some candles throughout the home, and
start a fire in the fireplace. These are
great ways to not only save on your gas bill but also to create a warm homey
ambiance.
Lower Oil Prices
If your
home requires oil for heating during the colder months, check with your oil
company to find any details on locking in lower rates by pre-paying seasonally
for oil. This way, you won’t have to
worry about increasing prices when temperatures drop and you may even get a
discount if you pay in cash!
Phone
Bill
You may be thinking, who has a landline
anymore? Especially in this day and age
of technology. You may be paying for a
phone bill at home and not even realize it since you only pay attention to your
cell phone bill. Many companies may bundle
a landline service with your cable and internet and you aren’t aware of
it. Give your provider a call and have
your landline canceled.
Home
Improvements
Major repairs can definitely lead to major
costs. Stop small repairs from becoming
large and money consuming by fixing any minor problems.
Food
for Thought
There are different ways to save money in the home
when it comes to food. Planting a garden
can help save money on produce as well as reassure you that your food is safe
and healthy to eat. Plant fruits,
vegetables, and herbs such as tomatoes, basil, parsley, cucumbers, peppers,
berries, lemons, zucchini, rosemary, and more!
When it comes to grocery shopping, buy in bulk. Not only will you save more when buying in
bulk but also when you cook in bulk.
Utilize your freezer by cooking enough meals to place some in the
freezer for later in the week. This will
also help to save you time, assure that your family is eating a home cooked
meal every day, and will help prevent those spontaneous dinner stops at a fast
food restaurant.
You may open your cupboards and pantry and say to
yourself that there’s nothing to eat for dinner. Well, you’re wrong. Reorganize your cupboards, pantries, and refrigerator
to see what you actually have. Get
creative and use what you already have.
Homemade
Cleaners
Save money on cleaning supplies by making your
own! This is a great way to make sure
that you’re using safe and effective products in your home to keep your family
safe. Use products like baking soda,
real lemons, orange peels, natural oils, vinegar, and more to create safe
cleaning products. Research recipes and
ideas to help find one that you like.
Restore
the Carpet
Rather than letting your carpet and rugs endure
years of stains, dirt, and germs, leading to them having to be replaced, rent a
steam cleaner instead. Restore your
carpets on a regular basis by renting a steam cleaner for little cost from your
local grocery or hardware store. This is
an excellent way to save money from having to replace your carpets and rugs.
Rearrange
and Refurbish
Often you’ll get bored with your home décor and
furniture, driving you to want to replace it all with something new. Instead of reaching into your wallet and
spending money on something brand new, rearrange and refurbish what you already
have. Sometimes all it takes is a
rearrangement of a room to give it a fresh new feel. If something is old or unappealing, go into
your garage and find materials and paint to refurbish what you have. Adding new knobs to drawers, taking out
drawers and replacing with baskets, sanding down rough edges and painting a
fresh new color, or adding a simple design to a surface will all give a brand
new feel and look to what you already own.
Clean
and Sell
Rather than buying and bring in, clean and take out
what you already own. Do a great Spring cleaning
of the home and hold a rummage sale or sell things online. This is a great way to lighten the home will
putting money back into your wallet.
Also, try trading home items with friends and family
members. Instead of spending money on
something from the store, find something that you can do without and trade it
with something that a friend or family member wants to get rid of. This is a nice way to give your home a nice
facelift with new items without spending any money.
Save
the Planet
It’s great to recycle and it’s even better to get
paid to do it! Take your recyclables to
a local center that will give you money back for your plastics, paper, and
glass.
Clip
and Save
Spend less money on a Sunday paper subscription than
it costs to buy one in the store. This
way, you’ll conveniently have the Sunday paper sent to your home, sometimes
even with a free Wednesday paper, saving money than if you bought it every
week. The Sunday (and Wednesday) papers
have coupon and ads in it. Take some
time to clip coupons for groceries to save money and use any discounts and
coupons in the ads for your favorite stores to shop at.
Reduce Unused Expenses
Lighten
your stack of bills by figuring out what you are paying for every month and
trying to minimize that list. You may be
paying for things that you are unaware of, that you have forgotten about, that
you don’t use, or that you rarely use. This
includes gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, and online automatic account
renewals.
Whether
you are settling into a new home and are facing expenses galore or you are
looking to save money in an already established home, there are various ways to
save money at home. Try different ways
and see what works best for you and your family.
