Money Savers Around The House

There are plenty of areas in your home that can show up as big money drains that you may not even know about. Lots of these are just quick little fixes that can save significant amounts per year for you. Others wont save quite as much but when you add them all up that five minutes spent fixing a small thing in your home is well worth the extra savings.

To start you should make an effort to stop wasting any money on your appliances. Little things like only doing full loads of laundry and dishes can save plenty in the way of water and soap. You can also use the store brands of soap and detergent instead of expensive name brands. Whenever you can wash your clothes in cold water - it gets them just as clean and it saves lots more money than if you were to use hot water.

It’s also important to weather-proof your house wherever possible. If you have to invest in weather stripping for doors and windows and make sure that the foundation of your home is secure enough to not be letting in drafts. It also helps to close off certain parts of your home during different times of the day or night so they don’t require your heating/cooling system to work extra hard regulating the temperature. Turn your heater down a few notches at night and instead use a few extra blankets on the bed. During hot days turn your A/C down a bit and use fans and misters to keep cool. You can also places rugs around your home, especially by the doors, to help insulate the floors and keep drafts from coming in under the doors.

You can also save water by taking the time to fix any faucets that might be leaking or to get a new shower head that uses water more efficiently. It’s also a good idea to invest in more efficient appliances. They are more expensive upfront but they save you far more money in the long run then you spend on the initial purchase. It’s also economical to reuse water where you can. When your washer drains or if you have left over dish water you can use it to water a garden outside and save some money doing that.

Plenty of areas of your house can act as big money savers as well. If you use a home office that can often be deducted on your taxes, and many people use spare bedrooms or basements to start home based businesses allowing them to deduct those costs as well. You can also get rebates and stipulations from the government for making your house more “green” or energy efficient. These usually require an upfront investment on your part but can amount to big savings over the years as well as receiving money for having made the changes to your home.

You can also save money while cleaning your house. Instead of buying expensive cleaners that often don’t work very well just take some vinegar mixed with a bit of salt (to act as an abrasive) and clean with that. Vinegar also works well as a window cleaner - but use newspaper instead of paper towels. Newspaper is less expensive and it does a much better job of giving you that streak free shine. You can also use regular household items like baking soda and washcloths instead of expensive cleaners and sponges to keep your home clean. It’s also wise to invest in appliances that have reusable components - like vacuums with a tray that can be emptied instead of a bag that has to be changed or replaced. You can also use your vacuum to keep other things in your home from requiring as much cleaning or replacement. Vacuuming your curtains and drapery can save trips to the dry cleaners for those and if you vacuum your air filters you wont need to change those as often either.

Reusing spray bottles and cartons or other such containers can save you money and wear on your dishes. Items such as these can be used to siphon off smaller amount of products (such as detergent or dog food) that have been bought in bulk. They can also make handy containers for cleanup or for using out of doors, such as in the garden.

If you take the time to sort you trash and invest in a compost pail you can save money while also being helpful to the environment. You wont be wasting as much money on plastic garbage bags and the compost can be used to fertilize a garden which means you wont have to spend money on pricey fertilizer either.

There are dozens of areas around your home that can be sources of big savings if you just take the time to look for them and put in a little effort. The savings over time can add up to quite a big amount and what you save can be put towards renovations on your home which in turn could save you some really big money in the long run and make your home more enjoyable as well.