Saving money… it’s something we all know we should be doing but more often than not, crazy old life gets in the way and gives us excuse after excuse to start throwing cash around willy nilly, and before you know it, all the holiday savings are gone.
Well, I want to make sure that you keep those holiday savings and you take that trip to Prague or Madagascar or wherever your little wanderlusting heart desires. That’s why I’ve put together this short but O’ so sweet list of ways you can save up those pennies by just making some small changes around the house.
So much of our money gets lost in silly and arbitrary ways – and a good deal of this excess spending happens in your own home, believe it or not. Let’s make that a thing of the past and you’ll have those savings back in no time.
Grow Your Own Herbs and Veggies
If you’ve ever bought a small bunch of rosemary or thyme for your Sunday roast then you’ll know how crazy expensive it can be just to maintain your desire for culinary dignity. This is where you and your green thumb comes in; Start growing your own!
Herbs can so easily be grown indoors by a windowsill or just outside the kitchen in a few pots. Depending on how extensive you want to get with your newfound herbalist venture, you could even start your own herb garden or incorporate certain herbs into a veggie patch and have all your favourite herbs and vegetables at your very fingertips.
Growing your own vegetables really is as easy as pie, and you’ll even be able to use them in one after they’re fully grown. Not only will starting your own veggie patch save you money, but it’ll give you that down time to relax and get all zen with your new plant buddies.
You’ll be amazed at how much money you save from producing even just some of your own food, and this way you don’t need to break the bank to remain a true gourmet after all.
Do Brunch Instead of Dinner
If you’re a fan of entertaining and enjoy showing people a good time but struggle to justify the exorbitant costs or putting on a small feast then never fear. Why not swap a dinner party for a bountiful brunch?
Brunch fare is going to be a lot cheaper to prepare, since you’ll likely be avoiding more heavy meal items like expensive slabs of steak for example, and instead be opting for something a little lighter like eggs, French toast, tarts, that kind of thing. What’s more, unless you’ve invited some real party animals, you’ll also be saving on alcohol since generally speaking people will be less inclined to drink booze at a brunch than a dinner.
DIY Wall Art
If you have any interest in decorations then you’ll know just how insanely expensive it can get to deck your walls out with your favourite art. Well, why not take the initiative and make your own? Decorating your home doesn’t need to be expensive, and with a bit of creativity you’ll have your very own in-home art gallery in no time.
Get inventive with your favourite photos and turn them into an artistic collage, frame any scrap paper, beautiful postcards, or anything remotely eye-catching to transform them into professional art pieces. Your kid’s artwork can be revamped in similar ways, and how about trying your hand at making your own masterpieces? I bet you’ve got it in you.
Use Free Designers and Advice
Don’t throw all your money into expensive designers to make your home beautiful. A much better way of getting some expert interior advice is to take advantage of in-house designers who work amongst and alongside interior retailers.
For instance, paint stores or household and hardware shops will always have individuals to give you skilled advice in paint choice and painting needs, while furniture shops will often have their own design consultants ready to help you with all the top styling tips. So whatever you do, don’t pour your money into non-essential design experts when all you really need is to just ask around, as all the information you need is right there waiting for you… for free no less!
Be Bright & Use Smart Lighting
Out with the old and in with the new, I say!
It might seem like a small thing but the type of lighting used throughout your home really can make a big impact on your electricity bill over time. If you haven’t already, it’s going to be in your best interests to swap out all of your outdated incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient LED alternatives. There are so many energy-friendly lighting options available these days that it won’t be hard to find what you need for a very affordable price.
Again, I know it seems like a rather insignificant change, but the amount of money you will save over the lifetime of the bulbs, will far out-weight the cost that goes into buying them. Do it. You won’t be sorry you did.
Turn Your Kitchen Into a Coffee Shop
I’m assuming you’re someone who probably enjoys your morning coffee and needs a cup of Joe like you need the blood running through your veins. It’s not something you can live without, am I right? Well I would never encourage you to forgo the small daily pleasures of life, but how about we try readjusting?
If you find it hard to avoid buying a coffee or two each day before work or on your lunch break, you might want to think about becoming your own barista and making your coffee at home. And no, I don’t mean you have to start buying jars of instant, but you might want to invest a little in a good coffee plunger, some yummy syrups, a milk frother, and a well-insulated carry mug to take your fancy homemade coffee with you wherever you may go.
Up-Cylce & Save
We live in an insanely consumerist society where we’re constantly encouraged to upgrade, replace, and buy new whenever possible. I have another solution that won’t cost you or the earth. Up-cycling is the perfect way to transform old and worn down items and create completely fresh design pieces.
Bring your old furniture back to life with a new lick of paint, restore old chairs and cabinets, sand back and varnish that peeling coffee table, decorate the bathroom mirror with mosaics, use fancy liquor bottle as vases, the list goes on. There are so many amazing things that can be done to restore old pieces of furniture and repurpose seemingly unused things all around the house. Do some research and get creative. Trust me you’ll have a ball.
Cook Cheap
Do you find it hard to stick to a grocery budget? If you’re one of the many who struggle to spend small when it comes to cooking then you might want to listen up.
There are tons of amazing cheap and delicious recipes available online that you will literally never get through them all in your lifetime. Finding some perfect budget-friendly meals can be an absolute lifesaver if you’re cooking for an entire family, but even if it’s just you, making the change to economical eating can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year.
Go Organic(ish)
If you’re someone who frequents the organic section of the supermarket or trawls the weekend farmer’s market for fresh organic produce, then you know exactly how bank breakingly expensive going organic can be.
If you do want to give up your pesticide-free produce but still want some cash leftover after your weekly shop, then you might want to limit your organic shopping to only include fruits and vegetables that are most susceptible to contamination.
Basically, the most important produce you want to buy organic comes under the name of the “Dirty Dozen” – and if you haven’t heard of them already, these include:
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Grapes
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Pears
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Potatoes
- Capsicum
Doing it For the Kids
If you have children then it’s no big surprise that you’re going to want to splurge on them for every birthday, holiday, and even just family time spent together. But when all is said and done, Timmy doesn’t actually need that jumping castle for his 4th birthday, and Sally doesn’t need a personal entertainer to perform magic tricks for her and her friends during a sleepover.
All kids need is fun, quality time spent with the people that they love or the interests that bring them the most joy. In terms of entertainment, think cheap! Cheap doesn’t have to mean low quality or less fun – it may just mean less extravagant, and extravagance doesn’t always equal worthwhile and treasured memories.
- Have a movie marathon and watch their favourite films
- Do some cooking together and bake some delicious cookies or cupcakes
- Teach them to garden or to construct something fun
- Play their favourite board game
- Do some seriously cool arts and crafts projects (we’ve come a long way since paper plate faces)
- Go to the park and play with the frisbee or the dog or go to the beach
I know you might be tempted to try and give your kids the world and spend what you can on them to make them happy little campers, but there are countless ways to create a fun and entertaining environment that won’t leave you out of pocket.
Hopefully this list of money saving tips will help you to avoid fruitless spending around the home, and now you can start fresh and save up those pretty pennies to put to good use. Good luck, you frugal fighters!
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