No matter how you feel about your finances, even if they’re causing you huge amounts of stress, you need to remember one thing: it’s always possible for anyone to turn their finances around. It may take a while, it might be hard at first, but it will be worth it in the end. Take a look at these great tips on saving money around the home, and see how much difference you can make to your bank account by the end of the month.
Turn Appliances Off
If you’re in the habit of leaving your appliances on standby or always plugged in, then it’s time to get into better habits. By turning everything off at the socket, you can save on your electricity bill, plus it’s much better for the environment. The same is true for lights around the home; if you’re not in the room, don’t leave the light on.
Watch Less Television
We all tend to fall into the habit of watching too much television. It’s a good way to relax in the evening, of course, but if you find that you can’t sit in your living room without the TV on, or you automatically switch it on first thing in the morning, then it’s worth trying to stop. Take up a different hobby such as reading, word searches, or knitting, for example. You’ll exercise your brain, and you’ll use less electricity while you’re doing it. You could even find that you’re able to downgrade your cable subscription or stop paying altogether.
Tune Up Your Furnace
As with any big appliance, it’s important to get your furnace checked over to make sure that it’s running as it should. With a seasonal furnace maintenance and heater tune-up you’ll be able to heat your home for less. It can save you money on costly repair bills should something go wrong, and you can save money by making your furnace more efficient in general.
Keep To The 30 Day Rule
We’re so used to the option of buying whatever we want whenever we want it that we end up spending a lot more money than we really should on things that we don’t really need. Instant gratification can be a terrible thing for the bank account, and for trying to save money. If you see something that you want, try not to buy it straight away. Instead, wait for 30 days. If you still want it after that time, if you still think it’s worth the money, go for it (it may even have decreased in price if you’re really lucky!). However, most of the time the urge to buy will have passed, and you will have saved money. This is also useful as it will give you a better perspective on what is needed, and what is simply wanted.
Stick To Your List
We’ve all been there; you head out to the store to pick up supplies, and you come back with dozens of things you don’t need (and you’ll often have forgotten the one thing you really had to get). To overcome this problem, always make a list. Take your time over it, and ensure that everything on it is something you need to buy on that particular day. When you get to the store, don’t be tempted by offers and items that look good because unplanned, impulse purchases will increase your bill. Stick to your list, and you’ll easily save money, as well as wasting much less food.
Invite Your Friends Over
Everyone needs some time to relax with their friends now and then, but going out to have fun can add up. Instead of going to a bar, restaurant, or the movies, why not invite your friends over to your house? You can keep your budget relatively intact, and enjoy their company at the same time. Simply sitting and talking is a great way to pass the time, and you’ll probably enjoy it more than a noisy club or a film where you’re just staring at a screen.
Transfer Your Credit Card Balances
Do you know what your interest rate is on any credit cards that you have? If not, it’s a good idea to find out because it might be higher than you think. If it is high, you can see if you can transfer your credit card balance to a different card with a lower interest rate. You might even find one that has a special offer of zero percent for balance transfers, which can save hundreds of dollars.
Drink Water
Drinking more water is something that everyone needs to do. It’s much better for our health than soda! Drinking more water has a financial benefit too because, of course, it’s free! You’ll find that you feel fuller if you drink a big glass of water before each meal, which in turn means you may end up eating less and spending less on the food bill.
Prepare Food In Bulk And Freeze It
There are some foods such as curries, casseroles, pasta sauces and more that you can cook in larger batches, portion out, and freeze. When you need a quick meal, you won’t have to turn to expensive microwave dishes, or even order a take-out pizza; you can simply heat up a delicious meal from the freezer which is healthier and cheaper. If you’re going down this route, you can also prepare by buying your ingredients in bulk, which often gives you another chance to save.
Price Comparisons
Thanks to the internet, and the amount of choice we have in the real world too, it’s easy to carry out price comparisons on any goods you might want to buy. This means you can shop around for the best deal on anything from vehicles and appliances, to groceries and clothing. Find out where you can get the best value for money without cutting corners, and shop there. It may be a different store each time you want something, but that’s okay; a little inconvenience is much better than paying far too much.