Saving money is something we should all prioritize. When we have savings put to one side, we can relax a little, knowing that any emergencies that might come up are covered. We can look forward to things because we know we can afford to pay for vacations, day trips, and other exciting events. Plus, there is the sense of accomplishment that saving gives us – when you look at your pot of money building up, bit by bit, you can be proud of what you’re doing.
Yet saving isn’t easy. Or rather, it doesn’t always seem easy. The truth is that, once you get into some good habits and you understand more about how to save, it does present much less of a challenge. Read on for some useful tips in that regard; they will help you save money at home in easy ways that anyone can do, and once you get started you may even find your own ways to save more money – saving is a skill that will help you hugely throughout your life.
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Have An Ongoing Shopping List
Going to the grocery store to stock up on your weekly shop can be a real chore. Not only is it a physical effort, but it’s also a mental one; you need to remember everything you need to buy, you need to be adding up as you go along (assuming you have a budget to stick to, which you should do if you want to save yourself money and not be shocked at the checkout). Plus, it’s very easy to spend money on things you don’t need, either because you don’t have a list, or because you see something on special offer that you then buy just in case you’ll need it, even if you actually could easily do without. You’ll be spending more money when you do this, but also producing more food waste because you won’t be able to use everything you buy.
One of the best ways to get past these issues is to write a shopping list, but it shouldn’t be one that you quickly throw together when you know that you’re planning to go to the store because a rushed list is just as bad as no list at all, and plenty will be forgotten and missed out. Instead, you should make the list throughout the week. Pin a piece of paper to a noticeboard so that everyone in the household has access to it (or create a shared document online if you prefer). When you’re running low on something, write it down. When you know what meals are going to be cooked, note down the ingredients. In this way, the list will be complete and you know you don’t need to buy extra items. You’ll also have a good idea of how much you’ll need to spend before you get to the store.
Drink Water
Do you know how much you spend on beverages each week or month? When you add up all the money you spend on coffee, tea, and soft drinks, the figure could surprise you. Rather than spending this money, you can instead utilize the free water from your tap. Not only will this save you money, but it’s incredibly good for you; there is nothing like water to rehydrate and help keep you healthy. You can even take this beverage with you when you leave the house, and there are plenty of reusable bottles available online for that very purpose.
If you do like to have some coffee or tea in the morning, try cutting down from your current intake. You’ll be able to make your money go further, plus, as above, it will be better for you.
Look For Deals
Although we mentioned that buying items just because they’re on sale, or you can get two for the price of one was a bad idea as it would lead to wastage, if the deal in question is linked to something you were going to buy anyway, it’s a good idea. When you’re in a store, keep a good lookout for signs and information that tell you about any deals going on, and if you can make use of that deal, do so (it’s even better if you can add up all your savings using a percent off calculator and then put what you would have spent into a savings account. You won’t miss the money because you were going to spend it anyway, and it will boost your savings nicely).
You can also search online for deals if you’re making a one-off purchase. By taking the time up front to do this research, you’ll be able to find the best deal for you. This might not be the cheapest price, however; remember that you’ll need to factor shipping and any warranties and guarantees into the price too. Start with a list of the things that are most important to you, and find something within your budget that ticks as many of those boxes as possible.
Borrow
We’re not talking about borrowing money – that isn’t a good way to save at all, and will often have the opposite effect once you add in the interest charges and set up fees for some loans. Instead, we’re talking about borrowing items that you only need to use once, or very rarely, rather than buying them and wasting money.
Take baking, for example. You might want to bake a big birthday cake for someone, and to do so you need specially shaped baking tins or ones that are larger than you have at home. Perhaps you need an icing set, or some scales, or any number of other products that you don’t have because this is not something you regularly do. Or what about decorating your home? You might need a wallpaper pasting table, or a nail gun, or some paintbrushes. All of these things are going to cost money, and if you only use them once (or very rarely), it seems like a waste.
This is where borrowing can come in. If your friends or family members have the items you need, ask if you can borrow them. As long as you return them quickly, in good condition (and cleaned if need be) then this shouldn’t be a problem and it won’t cost you anything at all. Or you might reach out to the local community through social media; often there will be someone nearby who has what you need and will be willing to lend it to you, and even if you have to go and collect it, you’ll still be saving money.
If you really can’t find anyone to borrow from and you do need to buy the items, look for used deals that will save you money, and, once you’re done with the piece of equipment, you can sell it on. You might not make a profit, but you won’t lose quite so much money.
Use A Lower Wash Temperature
Doing laundry is important – no one wants to wear dirty clothes. Yet you might be able to make some changes to how you do things that will save you money and make your home more energy-efficient. One way to do this is to lower the temperature at which you’re washing your clothes. Washing machines will usually have different temperatures you can choose to use, but it might surprise you to find that clothes that are only slightly soiled can be washed on a cold wash and come out perfectly clean. This will save you a lot of money over a year, especially as you don’t need to separate the clothes into different colors – in a cold wash they can all be laundered together.
Another idea is not to wash clothes quite so often. Many items of clothing, as long as they are clean to look at, can be worn at least two days in a row. Underwear is a different matter, but outerwear may not need to be washed quite as much as you think.
