Saving Money in and Around the House

Homes are expensive to buy, and more often than not twice as expensive to run, however this doesn't have to be the case. There are lots of ways you can save some money in and around your house. Even with just a few small changes in and around your home, you could notice the reduction in your outgoings.

• 1. Change all of your light bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs. Saving a few pence or cents every month soon adds up.
• 2. Get adequate roof insulation. Having an inadequately insulated roof could end up costing you thousands in the long term, when you think about how much heat and warm air is seeping away.
• 3. Get adequate wall insulation. Stores and shops often have insulation for walls on offer, meaning it doesn't have to cost you the earth to get your walls insulated. Good wall insulation over the long term will help reduce your heating/energy bills.
• 4. Switch your Energy provider, or switch the tariff you have with them. As my father showed me recently there are good deals to be had, even with your existing provider! so make sure you are on the best energy tariff. Switching providers or tariffs could save you lots of money in both the short and long term.
• 5. Use draught excluders. Lots of heat is wasted through gaps under doors, so make or buy some draught excluders to ensure you keep the heat in the rooms where you need/want it.
• 6. Turn off light, plugs and sockets when they are not in use. Something as simple and as easy as this could save you a few cents or pennies every day.
• 7. Have a timer on your shower. Having long showers wastes money and energy, so monitor your energy usage when having those everyday showers.
• 8. Batch cook. Cooking in bulk say once a week and then freezing the cooked goods for later reheating is a good way of saving both money and energy. How often do you cook something in the oven on its own? All that spaces left is just wasted money. So, make use of the space in your oven, and cook your food in bathes.
• 9. Use and stick to a meal plan. Lots of money in wasted in your home on food, money that doesn't have to be. To overcome this, only buy what you will need and use. The best way to do this is to create a weekly meal plan, and then to go shopping with your meal plan in hand.