Buying groceries, settling bills, and paying rent or mortgage can quickly add up, especially if you have pets and/or children. Fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to lower your monthly spending and save more money, and we’ve listed some of them below:
Follow a meal plan
Many households purchase more fresh produce than they can use and end up throwing out lots of mouldy and wilted food items, which not only affects the environment but also has a negative impact on already-strained wallets. Fortunately, you can minimise food waste by creating and following a meal plan. This gives you a clear idea of what you’ll be cooking and eating each week, so you can limit your shopping to ingredients that you’ll definitely use. It also lets you customise your meals so you can quickly gain more muscle mass, lose excess weight, or reach any other health and fitness goal. With a detailed meal plan, you can keep yourself and your loved ones well-fed while keeping your grocery costs at a minimum.
Invest in a high-quality water filter
Even though most Australian taps produce safe drinking water, many people still choose to buy and drink bottled water. This can seem like a harmless personal choice, but it actually can have a huge impact on your overall spending. If you’d like to save more on drinking water, consider doing a Zip filter replacement in your home. With their special design, Zip water filter cartridges effectively remove impurities and contaminants from tap water, giving you access to clean and great-tasting water and helping you save more money.
Improve your home’s insulation
According to studies, houses that were constructed before 2003 — which account for over 70% of Australian homes — were able to score only 1.8 stars over 10 under the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS). This means that there’s a huge chance that your home could be underperforming in terms of energy regulation. If you’re not sure, have your house inspected by an expert then take the right steps to improve your home’s energy efficiency if needed. Start by investing in solid wall insulation, ceiling insulation, and underfloor insulation, and consider switching to double-glazed windows, installing door snakes and window weatherstripping, and using heavier curtains that trap more air.
Switch to LED light bulbs
These modern light bulbs last longer and consume less energy than fluorescent and incandescent ones while emitting brighter light. So, by replacing old bulbs with LED ones, you’ll be able to enjoy a well-lit home while keeping your electricity bill low and saving more money down the road. There’s a wide range of LED light bulbs to choose from nowadays, so you’ll be able to select those that perfectly fit your lighting needs and aesthetic preferences.
Replace old toilets with more efficient ones
If it’s time to upgrade your toilets, consider replacing them with modern units that are designed with water efficiency in mind and have low litres-per-flush (LPF) ratings. Older toilets use around 11 litres per flush, while newer dual-flush ones are designed to use around 4.5 litres for solid waste and around 3 litres for liquid waste. Do your research on toilet designs and configurations find a make and model that fits your needs and budget and can keep your water costs as low as possible.
Running a household isn’t cheap since there are many monthly necessities that need to be covered. Fortunately, by using the tips above, you can spend less on bills and groceries and increase your savings down the road.
