8 Hacks for your home that will save you money

We all have our little moments of wisdom around the home, and often family secrets for cleaning, cooking and working around the home will be passed down through generations.  Often these nuggets of wisdom can help save money on common tasks around your home (and we all like to save money).  Today in our blog, we look at 8 ways you can save money with simple hacks for your home.

8 Simple hacks for your home

Use shoe polish on leather furniture

If your leather furniture needs renewing then rub shoe polish (of the same colour) on any worn-out parts. It will look as good as new once you’ve finished, and save you from having to consider purchasing a new suite of furniture.

Zip up before washing

When washing clothes, make sure to zip up any zipped clothing, such as jeans and hooded tops, to stop the zip metal from tearing on any clothing – you don’t want your favourite clothing getting torn.

Use LED bulbs

Although LED bulbs are more expensive to buy than other bulbs, they do last longer (approx. 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs) and can therefore be much more energy-efficient. You could be saving yourself time and money on your energy by switching to LEDs, with the Energy Saving Trust estimating that it can cost £1.71 per year to run an LED light, compared to £8.42 for a normal halogen bulb.

Keep a savings jar

It is amazing how much money you can save by putting away a little bit over the year. Why not try having a “£2 only coin jar” to save up for that long-awaited holiday. Who knows, you could end up covering flights or accommodation with the money that you save.

Grow a herb garden

It may not save you thousands but a herb garden is certainly a very satisfying way of saving a few pennies. Herbs are also very easy to grow so if gardening isn’t quite your niche then you need not worry as it won’t require a lot of time and effort. Plus, there’s something rather satisfying of heading out to your garden to pick some fresh herbs for your dinner, rather than heading to the supermarket to part with your money.

Cook in bulk

On Sunday evening why not make a slow cooker meal, soup or other substantial dish to see you through the week. Or, if the idea of eating the same thing every day isn’t so appealing, freeze up several batches for easy, cheap and accessible meals throughout the month.

Make your own coffee

If you are in the habit of visiting your local coffee shop during the weekend or before you head to work, why not consider investing in a coffee machine and look forward to saving across the year. Plus, you could soon be adding “experienced barista” to your CV!

Pack your freezer

Your freezer is one of the most draining electrical appliances in your home and is on constantly.  One way to make your freezer run more efficiently and reduce the amount of electricity needed to run it over the year is to pack your freezer much tighter.  When you open, and close your freezer door, cold air escapes and your freezer needs to work harder to replace this. 

Pack food using bags to ensure you cover as much space as possible to reduce the amount of cold air that can escape.  Don’t jam pack your freezer as the air needs to circulate, but a full freezer operates much better than an empty one.

Have you any money saving hacks?

Have you got money saving hacks for the home that you use on a regular basis?  Share your favourite hacks with us on Facebook and Twitter using #SmarterLiving.