Christmas is already gone, that time in the year when we spend more and worry less about our money. 2018 is here and we have to go through the first month of the year and its expenses. It is time to pay for all the excesses of the holidays, so we tell how you can save money at home.
This first month can be difficult for many people because of spending too much in Christmas, but it can be easier to go through if you follow these simple advices and turn them into routine. Not only will be much easier January, but all the months to come, because you will become used to doing a lot of things that will save you money.
Plan the menu weekly
The shopping basket is something that you can live without, it is a mandatory expense for every home in the world, that why it is very important to try to save there as much as we can. Doing so, we will be save money every time we go shopping, so that is a lot of money saved in the year. It is recommended to make a menu for all week long, so we already know what we need to buy and we do not buy unnecessary things.
Reduce the energy consumption
The power bill keeps going up and up in the last months, so it is important to try to save as much possible in that part. We have to pay attention to some little things, like turning the lights off when they are not necessary or changing the incandescent light bulbs for LED ones.
Watch out for the stand-by mode
Nowadays we have electric devices in every place of the house. Those devices are not always turned off when you push the button, what is known like stand-by mode. Trying to prevent that to happen we should use a power strip, that is more comfortable than pulling the plug every time.
Keep the house warm
Keeping our home warm is another task that can increase the power bill at the end of the month. Pulling up the blinds when the sun is up and pulling them down at night is an easy, natural way of heating the house. Carpets are also a good way of keeping the heat in houses with cold floors. Fans are also useful in winter because they have an inverse mode to bring down the hot air, which is usually higher.
Save water
Using the water in a more careful way can be a very good way of saving. For example, taking a bath is equal to using up to 70 liters, so it is better taking a shower instead. Closing the water tap while we are in the shower or brushing our teeth can save up to 10 liters per minute.
Use electrical appliances when they are full
When we use the washing machine or the dishwasher, we always have to turn it on when they are full. In case we need to use them and they are not full, then we use the economic program. This way we can save money at home in a daily activity.
Buy devices that are more efficient
In case we are in the position that we have to buy a new electric device, we have to pay attention to the energy efficiency class. The label shows how efficient is the device you are buying. The best mark you can find is the green A+++. By making this choice, we save money at home without even paying attention.
Look for the best prices in the fixed expenses
Every month we have some fixed expenses that we cannot live without, like extracurricular activities for the children or the person who cleans the house. They are “mandatory” expenses, so the best way of saving there is comparing prices before buying those services.
Each of these advices probably will not make a difference at the end of the month by themselves, but when you follow all of them, you will be saving a lot of money by the end of the year. The best you can do is integrating all these recommendations in your daily routine and it will be much easier.
