How to Save Money

Save Money at Home

In and around the house is the perfect place to begin saving money. Whether it is your home and contents insurance or making home-made gifts there are numerous things that you and your family can do to at home to limit your expenditure and also to make the most of those things that you already have around your house.

Ideas to Save Money is full of hints and tips about recycling and re-using items for multiple purposes. It features many handy ideas on how to save money at home by reducing your electricity, phone and other household bills, as well as reducing the amount that you use and consequentially saving money when shopping for household items.

Living Green is something that a lot of families are trying their very best to do nowadays. So with the wide range of ideas on how to save money at home you can make use of the many practical ways to recycle around the house and help to save the planet by being more enviromentally friendly.

Save on Home Insurance & Contents Insurance

• When it comes time to renew your home insurance cover do not simply pay it without doing a little research. Every 2nd year or so you should shop around for the most competitive insurance policy and premium, to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible.
• Nowadays you can choose to have an deductible excess on your home insurance policy which can easily reduce your home insurance premium by up to 25% per year. Do this will mean that you cannot make a claim for small amounts such as a broken window, but you will still be fully covered for large events such as a burst pipe or fire.
• If you don't already have you home and contents insurance with the same company then consider doing so because it can save you anywhere from 10-40% of the price of the premium by simply packaging the 2 insurances together. Also if you have other insurances then check if there is any further discount for having you insurance policy with them as well.
• With home and contents insurance quotes there are some factors which will make your insurance premium much cheaper. There things vary from insurer to insurer but they can include such things as deadlocks on all external doors, windows locks on all windows, security alarm system and the type of building materials used in the construction of the building. Ensure that the home insurance quote that you obtain takes into account any extra security items that you have in place which protect your house and contents.
• The best and most effective way to compare home and contents insurance is to do so online. The good thing about online home insurance quotations is that you can play around with the options like excess amount, total building cost and security items to see which combination gives you the best price home insurance.
• A lot of insurance companied now are offering you a discount off you home and contents insurance if you purchase it online. This is because it saves them money on call centre staff so they pass this saving discount on to you.
• If you have just purchased an existing home, either a auction or through a private sale, make sure that you get home owners insurance straight away. This is because if something happens to the property, such as a fire, between you signing the contract and the settlement or handover of the property a few months later it is your responsibility and you would still be required to honour the contract and purchase the property even if the house was just a pile of ashes.
• A common mistake that a lot of people make with their homeowners insurance is to under insure the building and not have the full building replacement value on their policy. Check the Total Building Replacement Cost on your home owners insurance and make sure that it is enough to rebuild your home exactly the way that it is today. It is not worth saving $10 or $20 per year on your premium if it means that you will be out of pocket $25,000 is your home is completely destroyed.
• The best place to compare home contents insurance quotes is online because this lets you play around with the policy options to help you reduce your premium. Just make sure that you have any big ticket home contents insurance items, such as a large DVD collection, jewellery or expensive electronic equipment, specifically listed and covered under your policy, as a lot of insurance cover policies will limit the amount that can be claimed for any one item unless it is specifically listed.
• A lot of insurance company websites not only have home contents insurance quotes online but also have a contents calculator which helps you to accurately calculate the total value of you home contents by guiding you through common items found in each rooms in the house.

Recycling Around The House

• Join a freecycle group near you. This groups promote Free items for recycling and help to stop landfill by encouraging people to give away their unwanted items for free. It is a great place to look for small items that you need whilst also helping the environment.
• You can Exchange DVD's, games and CD's with like minded friends. Just remember to keep a record of what you have borrowed or lent and from who so that items don't end up being lost or argued over.
• Reuse gift wrapping paper as it's a form of recycling and saves money as well.
• Instead of buying individual liquid soap bottles reuse your existing pump bottles by buying a bulk refill pack.
• Reuse household articles for creative projects such as your children's school projects. This has the added advantage of teaching your children the importance of recycling and also imparting on them your own sense of thriftiness.
• Reuse butchers paper for the kids to draw on or as rough paper in your office / study.
• Before throwing out any cardboard boxes or sturdy bags check to see if you can use them for storing items in your garage or shed.
• Divide your children's toys into separate boxes and then rotate them every week. Your house will be less cluttered and those forgotten toys will seem like new to your kids.
• Before heading to the shops think if you can wait and buy it at a garage sale or an op shop. You will not only be recyclying useful items but will also be able to save money. I have bought many a gift in pristine condition from garage sales.
• Have a joint garage or yard sale with a like minded neighbour, friend or relative. It will be cheaper to advertise, gives you a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors and allows you to clean up around the house whilst making some extra money.
• Buy a battery recharger and some AAA, AA, C, and D size batteries and stop using disposable batteries. You will quickly make back the initial outlay and save a small fortune, especially with children's toys.
• To sharpen scissors cut through a piece of coarse sandpaper a few times. You can even sharpen sewing machine needles by sewing a few stitches through the sandpaper with an unthreaded needle.
• You can free up a stuck zipper by rubbing it with candle wax, paraffin, a bar of soap or an ordinary grey lead pencil.

Save Money Washing & Cleaning

• Use natural and readily available products such as baking soda, vinegar, salt and lemon juice for cleaning around the home and a variety of other uses. You will be surprised by how much money you will save and how well they work.
• Designate a place in the kitchen where each person can keep their own cup or glass. This way they can easily reuse their glass throughout the day and save money on dishwashing by not using multiple cups in one day.
• Try to use your dishwasher only when it is full as it save you money and is environmentally friendly too.
• Wash your laundry in cold water and hang on the clothes line where possible. This will save both money and help reduce your contribution to global warming.
• Suggested large amounts of usage on the laundry detergent packs and dishwashing liquid are a way companies get customers to use and hence buy more. Use 2/3 of the suggested amount and save yourself some money will practically the same results.
• If food burns the bottom of your frypan or saucepan cover it with vinegar and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Leave overnight, empty the pan and then lightly scrub and it should clean very easily.
• To make cleaning your BBQ after use easier sprinkle a handful of salt onto it while it is still very hot. Allow to cool and then wipe clean.
• If you want to remove stubborn stains from your bath rub them with a half a lemon dipped in salt or even a cloth dipped in vinegar.
• To clean the inside of bottles or few vases place some small balls of steel wool and soap subs inside the bottle and shake it a times until it is sparkling clean.
• To cleanse the inside of decanters and other bottles that have small necks place a few spoonfuls of uncooked rice and soap suds inside and shake the bottle clean.
• After washing glassware rinse them in water that has a few lemon skins in it. The acid from the lemons will make the glasses sparkle.
• To clean an electric kettle half fill it with water and 30ml of white vinegar. Switch the kettle on and allow it to boil for 10-15 minutes with the top open so that it doesn't automatically switch off. Then rinse the kettle out 3 or 4 times to remove all of the dislodged particles.
• The best thing to clean mirrors with is old nylon stockings, as they are lint free and give the glass a high gloss finish.
• To clean your pearls place them in a plastic bag with a handful of dry raw rice. Shake the bag gently and the pearls will soon have back their original lustre.
• If you want to clean windows efficiently and in an enviromentally friendly way use wet newspaper. You can also prevent windows from fogging up by rubbing them with a cloth soaked in equal quantities of glycerine and methylated spirits.

Save Money Grocery Shopping

• If you have the money & space, invest in a suitable size freezer and create a food bank. When preparing meals, make twice as much and freeze the leftovers. This saves on time when you don't feel like cooking and money by eliminating the need for takeaway food.
• Invest in clear, see through containers for your fridge and pantry. This will save you money by allowing you to see contents at glance and be able to make better use of them before they go off.
• Start your own cooking folder with your favourite recipes and ideas, just when you're stuck for ideas for dinner. You can even ask your friends and family for their favourite recipes that are easy to make.
• Bring lunch from home instead of buying it. It will save you money and encourage healthy eating.
• Some supermarkets offer their own store chain FREE magazines which include easy recipes. Instead of buying cookbooks which generally have exotic or hard to get ingredients, try these. You don't have to buy their recommended brands but can pinch some of their ideas and create hassle free meals.
• When you buy products, check their packaging for expiry & best before dates. The ones with longer dates are generally stashed at the back of the shelf so they can get rid of older stock first. Also check the packaging for recipe ideas. Most food companies have their own websites & I have many a time found great recipes on them.
• You can get a lot more lemon juice from a lemon if you warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds before squeezing it.
• Place excess lemon juice in ice cube trays and freeze it. Then store it in a freezer bag so that you can use them when you want to. One easy way to use these ice cubes is to add one cube to a jug of water for instant, refreshing lemon water.
• Lettuce will keep fresher for longer if you place a piece of paper towel at the bottom of the crisper to absorb any excess water.
• To peel or chop onions without tears first submerge the onions into boiling water for 1 minute.

How to Save Money on Presents

• Consider making your Christmas presents and cards. It will not only save money but is also a lot more personal.
• If you have a hobby then put it to good use. You can save money at home by using it to make presents for friends and family or teach others about this hobby to earn some extra money.
• Create yourself an Excel spreadsheet with birthday's and other events listing "Things to Buy". This way you will keep your eyes peeled for bargain savings that are on offer during stocktake and other sales.

Creative Ideas To Save Money at Home

• At Christmas time you can save some money by making some of your own table decorations. Melt the bottom of long red candles and stick them to the base of a small glass flower bowl. The fill the bowl with water and float scented flowers in it. A unique candle holder idea is to core bright red apples and place the candles in the holes.
• You can make your own goldfish food from oatmeal flakes, which will provide food for the fish for several weeks.
• To create a natural fragrance pick some lavender in dry weather and hang it upside down with a paper bag ties around the flower heads. The flowers will drop into the bag and then you can add 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme and lemon rind to give the perfume some extra body.
• If you place some dried lavender in the hems of your curtains you will get a fresh scent of lavender every time the breeze blows in through the window.
• You can make your own Pot Pourri by picking during dry weather fragrant flowers petals, leaves and herbs, spreading them on a sheet of paper and allow them to dry for 2-3 weeks in warm conditions, but not direct sunlight. To each cup of dried mixture add 1 teaspoon of ground salt, cloves, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Then mix the ingredients well, cover and leave for a few days to mature.
• You can conveniently add a pocket to your beach towel in which you can store your keys and wallet. Simply fold over the corner of the towel, sew along one side and add a zipper along the other side.

Save Money on Electricity

• Shop around for deals and savings on things like electricity, gas and water. My electricity company offers a 5% rebate on my bills or a 2 year free magazine subscription if I have both essential services with them.
• Lower the heating in your house and wear an extra jumper instead.
• Turn off appliances at the wall. You might be surprised to know that gadgets use power when on standby. Alternatively now you can purchase a SmartStrip surge protector, which automatically cuts the power to electronics when you turn them off and returns it when you switch the device back on.
• Save money on your home heating and cooling bills by making sure that your doors and windows have weather strips to block any drafts and that your roof has adequate insulation.

Save Money on Phone Bills

• Switch your mobile phone plan to help reduce your mobile phone bill.
• Make calls from a landline phone as it is a fraction of the price of using a mobile phone.
• Make the most use of your internet connection. Pay your bills online and save yourself money on phone calls.

Save Money on Other Household Bills

• If you Smoke then Quit (or at the very least cut down). It's not only better for you but will also save you a lot of money.
• In order to save money around the house you can perform some of the minor servicing issues on your car yourself, like changing the oil or flushing the radiator.
• If you maintain your belongings in good working order then you will ensure that they last longer and your money remains where it needs to be, in your pocket.
• Consider riding your bike if you have one for short trips. This way you can keep fit whilst cutting down on your fuel bill.
• If you have any magazine subscriptions then ask yourself if you really read them. If you don't then cancel the subscription and save yourself some money.
• Cutting back on cable or satellite TV services that you don't watch regularly can save you $100's per year.