No matter our income, it’s always a great feeling to save money. This is especially true of saving on essentials, as these expenses make up a very large proportion of our monthly income. Our homes are one of the biggest expenses we have – from mortgage payments and rent to utility bills and upkeep, our homes require a lot of capital to keep them going. So wouldn’t it be great if we could cut down on this essential expenditure? Well, we have the answers.
So whether you’re saving for something special or just looking to reduce your outgoings, use these easy tips to save money on your home expenses and reap the benefits in no time.
Close up
Utility bills are one of the largest expenses when it come to our homes. But you needn’t be paying as much as you are – there are plenty of quick and simple ways to reduce these bills and save yourself a lot of money in the process.
It’s the simplest trick there is to save energy: closing doors. Before you turn the heater on, check whether there are doors – even wardrobe doors – you could close to avoid losing heat. Putting down draught excluders will help even more. Improvise some for free by rolling up towels and laying them at the bottom of your doors.
On the subject of doors; another important door to keep closed if you want to reduce your bills is the one to the fridge. Instead of standing in front of it wondering what to eat for dinner, plan what you need to get out of it before opening the door. When you open and close the fridge door regularly, this makes it work harder and use more energy. You can make your planning even easier by keeping an up-to-date list of the contents of your fridge stuck to the front of it.
Clean up
Simply cleaning certain areas of your home can drastically reduce your utility bills.
Cleaning the metal surface under your hobs can help reduce utilities costs. When food splashes or something spills, clean the reflector pans. They’ll reflect more heat when they shine, increasing efficiency.
More light shines through when you keep dust off your lamp shades, light fixtures and bulbs. This means you need to turn on fewer lights saving on electricity. You can also increase light reflection by putting lamps in corners, so that the two walls reflect more light back into the room.
Unclogging your dishwasher’s drain and cleaning out the food particles will mean your dishwasher is more efficient, so uses far less energy.
The filters in your vents get clogged with debris and make your cooling system work much harder. Replace them once a month (they’re incredibly cheap and easy to replace!) with new, clean filters to reduce your bills.
Scrub up
Utilities aren’t the only place you can save money at home. Cutting down on the cost of cleaning products – and essential expense – is very simple, using items you can find in your kitchen. It’s also an environmentally-friendly way to clean, getting rid of chemicals in favour of natural cleaning solutions.
You can use lemon juice to disinfect surfaces and get rid of unpleasant odours. Simply rub surfaces with lemon juice, leave to stand, then clean off with a damp cloth. You can even cut a lemon in half and use it as you would a sponge.
Leftover beer also makes for a great cleaning agent, and there are always some warm, flat dregs left in the bottom of the bottle. Use it to clean your silver jewellery, or even to get rid of red wine stains. Simply pour some beer on the stain, and dab it with a cloth. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes, before rinsing and pouring club soda over the affected area.
Used coffee grounds can also be used to make the dishes easier to clean. Mix a few tablespoons with a sink full of warm water and leave your dishes to soak for at least 15 minutes. They’ll wash up in seconds with a simple soft cloth, meaning you use less dish soap and elbow grease.
With these very simple tips, you could end up making significant savings on your home expenses in no time at all. A few easy switches and quick tricks will save you money on the essentials, leaving more left over for the more exciting things in life.
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Natalie Andrews
Natalie writes home-themed tips and tricks for Helpling, an online housekeeping services platform connecting insured cleaners with homes all over Singapore.
