New ideas for saving money at home are always needed to help with effective household budgeting. With a good many of Americans experiencing the effects of rising prices and lower wages, it becomes more widely important to learn different and unqie ways to save money.
In the event you have not been hit, it is still wise and good stewardship to prepare for the day that it might (or will) happen. And if it does not, outstanding! By learning some techniques now and making them a lifestyle habit, you will be in a great position to bless others.
Yes, there are a myriad of ways to accomplish frugality, but the hard part is staying focused with a specific end goal in mind. The reason people come to me for personal financial coaching is the realization that there is no one easy fix for their household budgeting to get under control. Keying in on only one overspending area will not accomplish your financial goals. Assess your current situation, discover your spending habits in detail, and then execute your plan of action to save money, get out of debt, and live financially free.
New Lifestyle Habits
What I have here for you today are three ways, in three different areas, to help you begin solving your biggest financial downfall: overspending. Accomplishing these three items and turning them into new lifestyle habits is an incredible start to proving to yourself that yes you are willing to do what is necessary to accomplish your financial goals. So, let's learn about shopping smarter, getting cleaner, and powering down with these ideas for saving money at home:
Shopping Smarter
Among the many things to improve your shopping habits is to clip coupons, shop at discount stores, and be on the lookout for sales. I am talking about real sales, not the never ending going out of business or 60% off sales that never go away. The prices are inflated and then "lowered" to get you into the store. By shopping and paying attention to typical pricing, you will know instinctively whether something that is priced on sale is really a bargain.
Shop for discontinued items or things that are put on clearance. Look for things that are marked down because of a scratch or dent that is not really noticeable anyways. When you are able, buy used stuff. Spend your money only on that which you need and be more concerned about the price than the fancy label.
Getting Cleaner
Do you realize that the majority of your cleaning can be done with only two or three products? Use bleach as a disinfectant by mixing one part bleach with nine parts water. Or you can combine a tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water. Use vinegar also as a great cleaner as well as tea tree oil. Pull up your favorite search engine and discover new ways for you to be able to eliminate all those pricey cleaning purchases.
Next, be sure to clean your baseboard/floor heaters, registers, and vents on a regular basis. Switch out the house air filter each month, or better yet, spend a few extra dollars and purchase one that you are able to clean. I purchased one for about $7.00 a decade ago and it is still working great. By keeping these items clean, your heater and air conditioner work less and save you money as well as keeping the air you breathe a little cleaner. Do you have unqiue cleaning ideas for saving money at home? Share them below:
Power Down
And speaking of heating and air conditioning, conserve energy and your checkbook by doing things such as setting your thermostat a bit lower in the winter and a bit higher in the summer. Unplug appliances or other equipment that you are not using. Yes, small amounts of electricity is still being used when appliances are off but still plugged in. And all of those little bits eventually add up to a big bit and a bigger bill. Turn off your lights when you leave a room, as well as the entertainment center and the coffee maker. Make sure you use power strips and then all you have to do is flip one switch. Desktop computers are incredible power hogs. If you are not going to use it for a while, turn it off.
Having a bit of due diligence will pay off big time when the power bill comes.
The Goal
I have given you a few ideas for saving money at home. These areas are wide and with only a few specifics. The goal of today's lesson is to get you thinking about specific ways to improve your financial situation that make sense to you.
In the meantime, practice what you have learned today over the next couple of months and see what happens. With some discipline, you take one or more of these ideas for saving money at home, reduce your spending permanently and reach your household budgeting and financial goals. Let me know if you need any help and I would be happy to talk with you to assess your financial situation at no cost.
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