The cost of running a house is never cheap, and between making sure the house is warm, and keeping the water running for the family to use, the bills soon add up around the home. So, whether you are able to comfortably stick to your budget already or you’re looking for a way to rein in your spending habits, being able to save money around the home is something that everyone aims to do. With that in mind, here are six simple things that you can do to keep costs down around the home in order to help you save money.

Repair don’t replace

Instead off getting rid of items that break or are starting to look a little worse for wear, you can often save money by getting them repaired or upscaling them to suit your needs. For example, you could make use of an oven repair service, get old sofas reupholstered to suit your aesthetic tastes or tailor old clothes to fit you instead of getting rid of them.

Keep a change jar

A lot of people don’t realise how quickly small change can start to add up if you keep track of it. By just keeping a jar somewhere in your house where you can chuck in some spare coins from time to time, you can easily save up money throughout the year; then, you can then exchange it all for larger cash bills by using a coin counting machine at a later date.

Budget shopping tricks

There are a number of ways that you can save on your weekly shop, such as by shopping around for the best price and buying items at a number of stores to cut costs. Additionally, you can plan the time of day that you go shopping around, so you can get the best deals.

For instance, many stores have a certain time of day that they reprice items that are close to their sell-by date, allowing you to pick up deals on food which can then be frozen at home.

Energy-efficient appliances

Lots of appliances, such as fridges and light bulbs around the home will use up a great deal of energy. In order to keep the expenses of running these appliances down, it is worthwhile investing in energy-efficient items, such as low energy LED light bulbs.

Use homemade items

There are lots of items that people buy out of convenience that can be made at home for a decreased cost if you can put aside the time. For example, instead of buying house cleaners from the shop, you could instead make your own natural cleaners from household items (such as vinegar or lemon juice-based cleaners), which are cheaper and much more environmentally friendly.

Consider switching suppliers

Instead of staying with the same suppliers out of habit, whether it’s for electricity, gas, water or broadband, you should consider shopping around from time to time to ensure that you are getting the best offers for your money.

How do you save money around the home?