Some days, it can feel like there’s not enough money to go around. After the heating bill, mortgage, groceries, and all the other bills come in, there’s hardly enough left for savings, let alone vacations or emergency expenses, such as a broken refrigerator. If you feel like you could use some help pinching pennies, you’re not alone. However, there are dozens of ways to easily save money around the house. We discuss four of them here.
Save on Heat
Much of your utility bill each month goes towards heat. However, you lose money every month on your heating, because too much of it escapes from your house. If you have old or poorly installed windows and doors, they may be warped, buckled, or shrunken, creating cracks that let out heat. Instead of keeping your family warm, your heat is literally flying out the window. Besides holes and gaps, you’re also probably losing heat through an improperly insulated house, especially in the attic. To save on heating bills each month, fill the cracks around your windows and doors, and talk to an insulation company about getting your attic properly insulated.
Save on Food
You probably spend more on food each month that you should. It’s easy to grab a frozen meal that’s already prepared and ready to go, but you’ll save your family a couple hundred dollars or a month, depending on the number of mouths you feed, just by cooking more meals from scratch. It’s not hard to chop veggies in a food processor, cook a great dinner in the crockpot, or spend a Saturday creating freezer meals. Fresh food is not only healthier for your family, you can start saving every month by cooking from scratch.
Save on Appliances
Some families, when an appliance bites the dust, go straight to the store and pick up a new one. That might be the only option in some cases! However, sometimes an appliance should be repaired instead, especially if you go with a company that offers warranties on the new parts and service. In those instances, you know your appliance is in good hands. A repair lets you keep your appliance longer, save money, and rest peacefully at night, knowing you have a warranty, in case that problem happens again.
Keep Track
Sometimes, you come short on your monthly bills accidentally. If you ever find yourself wondering just where that money went, start keeping track of your spending. Start budgeting extensively, only spending this month what was left over from last month. After you’ve taken care of the staples, you can avoid making any other purchases, unless you have the money. Keep track, and stay on top. You might find that you’re spending too much on snacks, impulse buys, or eating out. Knowing where you’re putting your income will help you know where you need to cut back. Your money will stop disappearing once you start keeping an eye on it.
