5 Ways to Save Around Your Home that Add Up

I don’t know what the arrangement is for who pays the bills in your household, but in mine it’s my husband. My contribution is to work and bring in money to help pay the bills and reduce our debt.

No matter who pays the bills in your home, though, there are lots of ways to lower your budget and save more money. Some people negotiate utility or phone bills while others attempt to cut down on grocery spending.

But in addition to these tactics there other ways to save not everyone thinks of. For example, there are 5 ways to save around your home that add up.

1. Pull the Plug

One of the ways to save around your home is to take a quick trip around your house.  Check out how many appliances you leave plugged in that are only in use rarely.

For example, the toaster, coffee maker, or countertop mixer could be items you only use when you need to. If you don’t use them daily and it isn’t difficult to get to the outlet, pull the plug until you need it.

If you have a home office, unplug calculators and shut down computers at the end of the work day. Make sure all of your lights are off before you tuck in for the night. These things may not seem to save much, but over time they will save you several dollars each year.

2. Save Every Drop

There are lots of ways you could be sending your dollars down the drain. Therefore, another of the ways to save around your home is by conserving water.

First, work on changing some of your habits. Turn off water while brushing your teeth, shaving, or lathering up in the shower. Then turn it back on to rinse off.

Next, install water restrictors and low flow faucets in bathrooms. Additionally, a shower timer can cut down on the amount of water family member’s use and reduce your bills too. These items are fairly inexpensive and quickly pay for themselves with the money you’ll save.

Have you ever considered collecting your water? Instead of running it down the drain while waiting for hot water collect it in a rinsed out milk jug. Then, use it to water plants or fill a toilet tank.

You can save money when you wash dishes as well. Use a plastic tub in the sink to reduce the amount of water you use. Only fill it part of the way unless you have large items that require more soapy water.

3. Shut off Unused Services

Paying for something you aren’t using doesn’t make a lot of sense. If you carry newspaper and magazine subscriptions you don’t have time to read, end them.

To further increase your savings think about anything else you may not be using. Shut off gym memberships if you or other family members aren’t going. Turn off cable if you aren’t watching it.

4. Share Resources

Several years ago my husband and I lived in a different town about double the size of the one where we currently live. We shared resources with our close friends because it saved us each several hundred dollars.

At the time both families felt we needed a snow blower for those times mother natured dumped snow on us. However, we didn’t want to shell out a ton of money for a piece of equipment that didn’t even get used some years.

Our solution was to share in both the cost and the use since we lived right across the street from one another. Using this example you could also save on household items such as a carpet cleaning machine or canning equipment.

5. Don’t Forget Maintenance

When you are looking for ways to save around your home that add up it’s easy to overlook home maintenance. People think if they let a few things go it will save them money. The problem is it can also cost you money.

It’s not terribly difficult to use calking, weather stripping, and insulation to fill leaks and gaps around doors and windows. Keeping up with these tasks can save by cutting heating and cooling costs anywhere from 5% to 40%.

Did you know changing your furnace filter can help lower your monthly energy bills? Change it regularly to save up to 15%.

Look for other repairs that could be costing you money by remaining undone. Fix leaky faucets, clean duct work, and do other home maintenance to keep your home in top shape and save money in the long run.

There are lots of ways to lower your budget. But sometimes people forget there are ways to save around your home that add up too.

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Have you found other ways to save around your home that add up? If so, what are some of them?