Image by: Flickr- 401 k
Contents • Shopping • Cleaning • Amenities • Decorating • Summary • Credit list
Shopping There are various ways to save money, starting with your shopping list. Here are some tips to help you become a super market super hero! Make a note Keep a notebook and pen in your kitchen. As soon as you deplete your stock of a store cupboard item or are getting close to using up a necessity such as tea or milk, add it to the list. If you have a preference for a particular brand or store, note that down, too. News items When you see local newspaper ads with special prices on foods you buy regularly, circle the dates and clip them to your list, or make a note directly on your list for that store noting the sale item and sale dates. That way, you won't buy something only to discover later that a similar item was on sale for much less.
Group your list Organise your shopping list in the same way as the store is laid out to prevent wandering - and possible impulse buying. The more you wander up and down the aisles to pick up the next thing on your list, the more you'll be tempted by extra items. This simple organisational trick could save you 15% on shopping bills.
Image by: Flickr- JD Hancock
Weekly visit Don't visit any store more than once a week. Generally, aim for a once-a-month big shop at a discount warehouse, such as Makro or Costco, or place a large online order to stock up on store cupboard items. You'll probably need to visit your regular supermarket about once a week for things that you buy in smaller amounts and every two or three days for perishable items such as milk, fresh fruit and vegetables. But remember, the more you shop the more you will buy. Readers Digest
Cleaning
Cleaning can be a set of dirty, expensive chores but here are some money saving tips on how to get the grime off your spending. Use Mild Dish Soap Or Plain Water Many areas of your home can be kept clean by using a mild dish soap and plain water. Dish soap can be used as a laundry stain remover, a window cleaner, a surface spray, a carpet stain remover, fruit and veggie wash, and to clean most surfaces in your home. We often turn to specialty cleaners for each different surface in our home, but dish soap is a great mild alternative that won't damage most surfaces, and manages to remove a lot of dirt and grime.
Use a Store Brand We get stuck on the brands we know and trust a lot, but sometimes there's a store brand of the same cleaner that may work just as well for a fraction of the cost. As an example, the store brand of the household eraser was forty percent less expensive than the name brand, and they are virtually identical. Look for store brands and compare ingredients. More and more store brands clean just as well as more expensive name brands. Coupons A tightened household budget can really benefit from some careful shopping and coupon usage. Manufacturer's websites often have coupons to entice buyers to try their product. Grocery stores and drug store alike print coupons in their sale papers. Look for sales on items you normally use and buy extra if the price is right.
Image by: Flickr- eraphernalia_vintage
Simplify your supplies There's a cleaner for everything and if you get them all your cleaning cupboard would be overflowing. The truth is that a lot of cleaners can pull double duty. If you really want to save on your household budget, pick all-purpose and multi-purpose cleaners. Save specialty cleaners for really tough jobs, and only if your others don't work well. You may be surprised by how little you really need to keep your home clean. About.com
Amenities
The very area of your home budget that costs you the most could be costing you the least with some simple steps in changing your amenities providers or routines. Here’s how you can save on everything from water to and beyond.
Image by: Flickr- s_fox
Image by: Flickr –Anton Fomkin
Water saving techniques There are various ways that you can save money with your water bill being a great place to start. Not only will you save money saving water but you will be saving the planet too! Some quick tips are: • Fill a water bottle: fill with water or something to weigh it down and pop it in your toilet’s cistern. This will save water every time you flush! • Check your taps: dripping taps could waste litres of water every day! Get all your taps checked and tightened to make sure that the only water being used is for intentional purposes Energy and electricity cost cutting By considering changing your energy or electricity supplier, you could save hundreds of pounds every year if you change to a provider that is custom built to your life style or rate of consumption of power. You should think about: • The size of your household: if you have a large house you may want to consider alternative ways or warming or cooling your house e.g. under floor heating may save you money on your amenities bill as opposed to more consuming, smaller flat type electric heaters • The location of your house : being in a city or a country could change tariffs and if so you should check if you are on the right ones • Your aims: whether environmental or money conscious, looking at what your provider stands for could make a big difference to who you want to take care of your energy as they could stand for the same things that you do.
Decorating
It is so 2012 to get on board the ‘DIY-vintage-chic’ design bandwagon by creating home décor from old treasures and making your home truly unique. The good news is that this is a cost effective way of decorating that will have your home looking stunning for cheap! Mason Jars There are so many uses for mason jars that they are great resource to have stacked up in your spare room. At a few pennies a jar, they are a worthwhile investment for keeping your home organised, rustic-chic as well as being a major part of a craft activity for you or the kids. You can find out 6 cool ways to use mason jars, from baking pies in them to turning them into hand soap dispensers on Calm Your Beans Image by: blog.myweddingreceptionideas.com via Heather on Pinterest
Image by: Flickr -archeon
Make your own curtains Making your own curtains can seem intimidating but this process will give you the opportunity to maximise on great material that is on sale, improve your sewing skills and give your room the exact look you want at a near to nothing cost to your piggy bank. You can learn how to make your own professional lined curtain panels to get you started. DIY candle maker Candles will never go out of fashion with their great use as mood lighting or decoration. Making your own pillar, votive or marbled candles can get you to the top of the envy list in your area for very little money and a set of mass ingredients you can order at an industrial cost on line. Start off watching this video on how to make container candles!
Summary
By now you would have learnt a dozen little tricks for improving your household and it’s budget. Let’s re-cap before you set off on your money saving mission!
•
Shopping Pair strategic shopping lists with a purpose driven weekly shop and you’re bound to save the pounds!
•
Cleaning Forget the brands and begin to branch out to multi-purpose products that will take the effort out of cleaning and paying far to much for products you can only use in one area of the house
•
Amenities Save on you water and electricity bills by making small changes according to your lifestyle and residential situation to save substantial amounts of money.
•
Decorating Make your own home décor and be in control of how your house looks by going ‘vintagechic-unique’ on some key feature items like candles and curtains.
Credits 1.Images: CC from Flickr (click on CC pictures for attribution) Information: Please click on source names in slideshow for their original source