simple ways to save money at home

The home and surroundings are the perfect place to start saving money. There are many things that you and your family can do at home to reduce the spending that you make and also to make the most of those things that you already have around your home.

Recycling Around The House

11 way to save money by 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.

· 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 recycling but also 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 neighbor, 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 your house whilst making some extra money.

· 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.

How to Save On Household Bills

13 way to save on 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 you can perform some of the minor servicing issues on your car yourself, like changing the oil or flushing the radiator.

· This device allows you to program the times when your water heater activates and deactivates during a 24-hour period. Each household is different and you must determine, based on your hot water use, if a timer is right for you.

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· Consider riding your bike if you have one for short trips. This way you can keep fit whilst cutting down on your fuel bill.

· 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.

· 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.

· If you have any magazine subscriptions then ask yourself if you really read them or not. 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 about $105 per year.

Save Money Washing & Cleaning

10 way to save money washing and cleaning

· 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.

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.

· Use natural and readily available products such as baking soda, salt, vinegar, and lemon juice for cleaning around your home and a variety of other uses. You will be surprised by how much money you will save and how well they work.

· 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 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 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 clean an electric kettle half fill it with water and 25ml 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 2 or 3 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.

· If you want to clean windows efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way use wet newspaper. You can also prevent windows from fogging up by rubbing them with a cloth soaked in equal quantities of glycerin and methylated spirits.

· 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 luster.

Money Saving Food Ideas

10 idea to save money in food

· If you have the money and 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.

· Start your own cooking folder with your favorite recipes and ideas, just when you're stuck for ideas for dinner. You can even ask your friends and family for their favorite recipes that are easy to make.

· 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.

· 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.

· You can get a lot more lemon juice from a lemon if you warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds before squeezing it.

· 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.

· 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.

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