Cutting money from your household budget, allows you a little bit extra at the end of each month, which adds to your comfort and wellbeing. Here are some great ways to save those extra dollars.
- Get To Know Sales Cycles
You can stock up on items when they are at their lowest price if you get to know when things go on sale throughout the year. All you need to do is understand sales cycles. January is normally the month for bedding and linens to go on sale. March is a good month for frozen food and April sees price cuts in cleaning supplies, cookware, and paint. Moving into May you should be able to get great deals on party supplies and bottled water, and July sees sales in craft supplies. Large appliances can be on sale during August while October tends to be a sale month for games, toys, and denims.
- Get Rid Of One Service Each Year That You Really Don’t Need
You have an almost unlimited potential here as many of the services we all have are rarely, if ever, used. It might be canceling that gym membership that you never use, then a landline service which is not necessary, and even cable TV the year after. It may just be a difference of $50 to $100 per month, but that figure really adds up over the years. The best way of achieving this is to have a constant budget.
My wife is a master at this so we are always reviewing the money that we spend each month. I do this with my business as well (financial planning service and blog) so that I know I’m not spending money on tools or services which I don’t need anymore.
- Don’t Buy Anything New
This money-saving challenge can be a lot of fun – be an exclusive second-hand buyer for everything from your clothes to your kitchenware. Value Village, Talize, and other thrift stores are full of great finds, like practical household items, toys, and brand clothing which has hardly been worn. If you have time to take a look, you will find shelves laden with discounted books for all ages. If you are not into visiting thrift stores you can go online and check out local mom-swap groups, Craigslist and Kijiji for hardly used kids’ stuff.
Big box stores have good deals as well. If you are going to buy new, make sure that you wait for end-of-season clearance sales and purchase a year in advance. Also, take a good look around for replacements. Sears and Walmart do replacements if your child wears out their clothes and shoes before they have grown out of them.
- Little Things
There are plenty of little things that you can do to save. From comparing the places that you get your petrol or fuel, to looking around for your postage stamps from a site such as USA Stamp Guide, to using comparison tools for purchasing flights – you can save with a little more effort.
- Take A Look At Your Thermostat Settings
We are all very well aware of those unexpected household expenses that creep up on us without any warning, if you are just about getting by each month, even a small issue can mean you have to go into debt. To give your budget a bit more wiggle room, use a programmable thermostat which will lower the heat or the AC when you are sleeping or when you are not at home. Try changing your thermostat by a few degrees as well. In addition, make sure that all heating and AC filters are changed regularly. Your system will be less efficient and may have a shorter lifespan if the filter is dusty.
These are good ideas. I’d want to add to sell things you don’t need or use anymore, a few every now and then can add up. But do it safely.
Thank you for these wonderful tips. I love better ways to budget.
These are great tips! We’ve learned to save on our budget by eating more meals at home!