Saving money at home is crucial, especially for those facing financial difficulties. Here are practical tips to cut costs and ease financial strain:
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Energy Efficiency: Use energy-efficient appliances and switch off lights when not needed to reduce electricity bills. This could include using a lamp rather than a ceiling light, or only putting enough water in the kettle to boil however may cups of tea you need instead of filling it all the way. You may also be able to sign up for energy power-up and power-down time slots with your supplier, you can check online to see if this is something they offer.
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Water Conservation: You can use water-saving devices to lower water bills, many water suppliers offer these free of charge and you can find out on your local suppliers website if these are available to you.
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Meal Planning: Plan meals ahead to avoid overspending on groceries and reduce food waste, this can be tedious and time consuming but a lot of shops have recipes available online so you don't need to come up with them on your own.
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DIY Repairs: Learn basic repair skills to handle small fixes at home instead of hiring professionals, this could be something like filling in a hole in the wall or knowing how to fix a leaky tap, there's guidance and how to videos available that can be a great help!
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Grow Your Own: Start a small garden or herb collection to grow your own produce and save on grocery expenses - smaller plants like basil, spring onions etc. are a great way to start and can be grown without access to a garden.
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Smart Shopping: Take advantage of sales, discounts, and coupons when buying essentials, keep an eye out for reward systems with your energy suppliers and other companies, Octopus Energy has a points related rewards system for instance with freebies and discounts.
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Subscription Review: Cancel unused subscriptions to save money each month.
If you are facing financial struggles you can view our help and advice topics here. We also have useful financial resources available here, like a five-part email series covering budgeting, grants and more.