Saving money doesn’t have to be a painful experience, it is all about retraining the way you look at money and getting ourselves out of the bad spending habits and into new ones. It is something that we generally think of as being difficult to do, a challenge that we only undertake when we really have no other choice. But if we got into good spending habits sooner we wouldn’t find ourselves having to knuckle down when times get hard. Trying to get into good habits in one fell swoop is difficult for anyone to do, which is why it is much better to change you spending habits in smaller steps so that it doesn’t come as such a shock to the system.
Saving Money on Fuel
There is no doubt about it, fuel is becoming more expensive every month. The fuel we put into our cars and the fuel we use to heat our houses makes a large dent in out monthly budgets. But there are ways to cut down on the amount of our money we spend in this area.
- Petrol & Diesel: Do any many errands as you can on the one trip. Combine all of your errands into the one journey so that you are not taking the car out more times that necessary. Make a point of checking the air pressure in your tyres so that your car is running as economically as it can.
- Heating Fuel: Have a wander around your house and see just how many doors have been left open onto rooms that are not being used, check the spare bedroom, the utility room and any basement or cellar you may have. No one is using these rooms, but with the doors open they are taking away heat from the rest of the house. Close doors to empty rooms, turn off the heating in rooms that are not used, close doors and use draft excluders as this will enable you to save money on your heating bills. Check the seals on your doors and windows and so what you can to reduce the amount of heat lost through gaps. Close curtains of an evening as they will help to retain heat in your rooms. If you leave the heating on overnight remember to turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees, you will soon see the savings.
Save Money on Your Shopping
Pay attention to all of the leaflets that come through your door telling you all about the offers at your local supermarket, they often contain coupons that if you don’t cut out are as good as throwing away cash. Don’t be lulled into buying something that you wouldn’t ordinarily buy just because you have a coupon though. Never go shopping on an empty stomach as you are more likely to succumb to impulse buying. Check out the offers and make sure that they are really good value for money before you put them in your basket. Often larger packs of items are best value, so stock up where you can as it will save you money in the long run.