With all the bills in our lives, it is nice to save money where you can. Sometimes the smallest things can add up to a bunch of savings. Here are a few tips to save money at home:
Savings Tip 1 – Use Real Napkins, Plates, and Utensils
You can save a lot of money on your home supplies by reducing your home’s dependence on paper products. Switching over to real linens, plates, and utensils will cut hundreds of dollars a year out of your budget. You’ll need to do an extra load of laundry every week and dishes every couple of days, but it is well worth it in the end.
My husband and I were using $20-$30 of disposable products every month, but when we started to use the real stuff instead, our utility bills only inched up a couple of dollars a month.
Savings Tip 2 – Air Dry
Do you remember when your mom or dad or grandparents used to hang clothes up on a line to dry them out? It may seem incredibly old fashioned but it actually works well. Clothes can dry out completely since they aren’t rushed through a quick 30 minute cycle and it will save you a bit on your electricity bills.
Although my husband and I couldn’t fathom hanging up all of our laundry to dry, we did cut of $5-$10 a month from our electricity bill by simply letting the dog blankets and beds dry in the sun instead of putting them through the dryer twice like we were doing before.
Savings Tip 3 – Reuse and Recycle
You may be surprised to learn all of the items that you can reuse or recycle. Sure you can repurpose or recycle bottles and cans but have you thought about reusing gift bags or tissue paper? We don’t have a recycling service in my neighborhood, but we save aluminum cans and sell them for a little extra cash every 6 months. I also save all non-crumpled gift bags and all gift bad tissue paper since those buggers can run from $1-$5 each for a bag or $1-$3 for a small package of tissue paper!
Savings Tip 4 – Clean Out Air Filters
Do you have trouble getting your home warm during the winter and cold during the summer? If so, it may be time to take a look at the air filter or vents. Dirt and spider webs tend to accumulate on filters and vents, which block the flow of air into the home. Switching out filters regularly and taking a small vacuum cleaner to the vents every 3-6 months will improve the circulation of air. This in turn reduces your use of air conditioning or furnace, which will save you money on your utilities.
Savings Tip 5 – Wash in Cold Water
Hot water has to be warmed using electricity or gas, so it is a whole lot more expensive to use than cold water. Doing most loads of laundry and dishes in cold water can save you a bunch every month. When we switched over from hot to cold water for our 4 loads of laundry a week, we saw our electricity bill drop down about $15 a month!
What other little tips to save money around the home can add up to significant savings?
Crystal Stemberger uses Budgeting in the Fun Stuff to write about finding the balance between paying your bills, saving for your future, and budgeting in the fun stuff along the way.