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9 Tips to Save Extra Money Around Your Home

Fortunately, it’s not too much of a challenge to save extra money around the house. But it does require that you change how you shop, adjust your lifestyle a little, and try not to waste unnecessarily. Here are some quick and easy tips to get you started.

Teach the Kids to Look After Devices

Electronic devices are essential for your kids’ modern life. Most schools now require electronic paperwork, essays, and submissions, both personal and educational. While some schools let your kids borrow devices, they usually aren’t that great. And with COVID around, it’s probably best they have their own. But kids generally don’t understand the value of these devices and toss them around, so you’re probably no stranger to iPhone screen repair. But laptop repair is another story and can get really expensive, really quickly. So teach the kids to respect devices.

Borrow Specialist Equipment Rather than Buying

There are many things you rarely use. BBQs, car tire pumps, and carpet cleaners are common examples. And these are very expensive. However, you probably know a close friend or relative who would be more than happy to let you borrow theirs. Of course, you could offer some money for the privilege, but most people are willing to lend you something valuable if they trust you. All you need to do is look after it and return it in the same state you received it. And if you do this, your friend will trust you more. Which is handy for when you need to borrow something else.

Save Extra Money by Using Food Differently

Cooking is a skill that you continue to learn. Yet one of the most common food issues is wastage. For the most part, it’s not your fault. Supermarkets take advantage of customers by offering food in higher quantities than needed, which forces you to spend more money. As a result, over $400 billion of food waste ends up in the bin each year. A simple solution is to prepare meals in batches or portions of your produce. For example, most meals can be prepared and frozen. And you can divide packs of meat into freezer bags for when needed.

Switch to Generic Supermarket Brands

Further to food management, you can save tons off your shopping bill by switching brands. Some of the premium brands you buy include advertising, packaging, and brand identity in their pricing, which is why they cost more. However, most people aren’t aware that the same brands offer the services of their manufacturing plants and produce to supermarket producers for generic brands. So you are getting the same product at a much lower price by switching to store-brand items. And this extends to medication, hygiene products, and some gadgets.

Use Your Car Properly

One of the significant subjects of price increases is the cost of oil. And this cost is passed to you in your vehicle gas bill. Filling up your car seems to get more expensive each month. But you could be using your vehicle in the wrong way, causing you to use more than you should:

  • Drive appropriately with smooth acceleration and braking.
  • Maintain a reasonable speed by anticipating traffic.
  • Remove excess weight from your cars, such as stuff in the trunk and car seats.
  • Fill the tank to the top rather than halfway for more economical use.
  • Keep your tires inflated to their recommended pressure.

Using your car effectively is excellent for fuel economy. But it’s also better for the environment when you use less than you need to. So further to making some changes, you could consider walking or taking public transport for short trips, with a view to getting an electric vehicle later.

Fix Things As Soon as You Spot a Problem

You can save money by addressing issues as soon as you notice them, rather than leaving something to get worse. For instance, a leaking pipe could indicate a severe problem will soon happen. And getting a plumber to fix it now is much cheaper than calling that plumber to rework an entire burst pipe system in your home. And this goes for pretty much everything. It’s easier to fix something before it becomes a major headache. It helps if you can save some money for emergencies. It is recommended you save between $500 and $1,000.

Wash Clothes on a Lower Temperature

The latest laundry detergent ads tell you about the new cleaning products that wash your clothes at low temperatures. But these are a little misleading. The fact is that almost all detergents have always been able to do this. All but the most stubborn and DRIED stains are a challenge to remove. Even red wine will come out if you wash it immediately on a cold wash. So don’t be fooled into spending more than you need to on gimmick products. And you will save a tin by not using more electricity than necessary on a hot wash that you don’t need.

Use the Sun to Save Extra Money

If you are lucky enough to have outdoor space, you know how great your own yard can be. The sense of freedom alone is worth buying a home with a garden. But you can also save a lot of money by using your outdoor space for drying clothes. You might even have a new washer and dryer. But it isn’t necessary to use it all the time. And they cost a small fortune to use regularly. While a washing line costs the same as a couple of coffees, the Sun and air provide you with all you need for drying. Then, all you have to do is keep an eye out for rain when you hang it out.

Switch Off Things You Don’t Use

You’ve probably heard it hundreds of times, but switch off or unplug electrical items you don’t need. Even on standby, some devices use almost as much energy as when you are using them. Additionally, some devices draw “phantom power” even when they’re switched off. Smartphone chargers are a terrible culprit for this. If there are some things you need to be left on, such as digital TV recorders, you can install smart strips. Smart strips let you turn sockets on and off individually for when you need them. And you can control them remotely with an app.

Saving money is a priority. And luckily, it’s not as hard as you might think. You can save by borrowing things you rarely need. And you can cut your food bills by switching to generic brands and managing portions. You can also save on gas by using your car more efficiently.

Cher

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