As a homeowner, one of the worst things is having all your bills come through each month. In a time when everything is going up in price, from fuel to your food shopping, you want to try and cut down in any way possible. If you dread those letters coming through the post, or emails coming to your inbox, there are a few things you can do to try and cut down. In this article we look at some top tips on how you can cut down on your bills this winter. Hopefully it will make a real difference and enable you to save a bit more money for the fun things in life!
Ensure your doors and windows are as efficient as possible
One of the first things you need to think about when saving money on your bills this winter is how efficient your doors and windows are. You could be using very little heating and have the most energy efficient radiators in the world, but if your windows are leaking all the warmth out then it’s not much use. Look into energy efficient window installation to ensure the ones you get fitted into your home will keep the cold out and the warmth in. This can mean you save on your energy bills and don’t need to keep the heating on for anywhere near as long. It’s also a good idea to invest in thick curtains or blinds that you can close at night which can also do a similar job.
Consider other ways to be warm instead of turning on your heating all the time
While heating is undoubtedly great, it can also be expensive. To avoid spending lots on your energy bills, why not look into other ways you can stay warm at home? Investing in an electric blanket is a good idea, particularly if you’re going to only be in one room for a period of time. This is much cheaper to plug in and use and will keep you nice and warm throughout the day. It saves you turning on the heating to have all rooms warmed up when they won’t be used. You can add extra layers to your outfit, or light a fire if you have a hearth.
Work outside the house when you can
If you are someone that works from home and therefore needs to use electricity and heating, why not consider going and working somewhere else a couple of days a week? You could head to a coffee shop where you can utilise their facilities to work, know that you’re helping out a local business by paying for coffee or tea and also be more efficient with your work thanks to the new surroundings. If you walk to the coffee shops this can also help you save on your car fuel bill too!
Look at the subscriptions you have and whether they’re necessary
We are living in a time of subscriptions, where there are so many different things to be signed up to that you just don’t remember everything you’re paying for. Look at all the ones you pay for each month and decide if it’s really necessary. For example, do you really need five different TV and film streaming services? Do you need two different places to stream music? Have a look at the ones you use the least or those that are the most expensive to find out which ones you can cut down on. You’d be surprised how much you can save and how little you’ll actually miss them!
Pre-plan your meals and food shop
Food wastage is one of the worst things for unnecessary loss of money. To avoid this from happening, when you go shopping, have a proper list that will enable you to tick off items you need for meals and only get what you really need. It can be tempting to load up on a myriad of ingredients when this just isn’t necessary. We recommend having a set meal plan and knowing what you’ll make in advance. If you have any leftovers, instead of throwing them away, why not freeze them to use again?
Stop allowing yourself temptation purchases
We’re all guilty of making temptation purchases- whereby we see something we like and buy it on a whim. More often than not, this ends up sitting on a shelf or in the back of a wardrobe never to be used again. To stop this from happening, try and implement the 30 days rule. Before you buy something, wait 30 days. If you still want it after this time it’s probably something you’ll get use out of. If you don’t, or if you haven’t wanted it in that time, then it’s a good chance you wouldn’t have used it and it would have been a waste.
Set a weekly budget
When you don’t have any financial goals or that much awareness, it can mean that you spend unnecessarily and just can’t keep track. By setting yourself a weekly or monthly budget, you can easily see what you have to spend when and try to stick with this. Having this money set aside will mean you don’t unnecessarily splurge out, or guess you have more money than you do. Take into account things such as special occasions like birthdays or an anniversary as you still want to be able to enjoy these!
These are just a few things you can do that can help you cut down on your bills this winter. Not only will they help you save some money now, but also in the long run. You’ll soon find that you’re much better at budgeting and have extra cash to spend on things that are necessary, or fun things such as going on holiday, meals out on day trips. What are some top tips you have to cut down on your bills this winter? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.