With recent world events, there’s been a significant increase in the cost of living. Household bills, energy and even the cost of food is on the rise. One thing that isn’t rising though are our wages. Let’s have a look at 10 simple ways to cut household bills.
Turn Your Thermostat Down
Firstly, a lot of the money we spend every month is on utility bills. Heating our homes, warming the water for our showers, powering our lights and devices. During those cold months it is easy to just turn up the thermostat to try and get warm, however when you do, that costs cash. Did you know that simply turning your thermostat down by half a degree will have an impact on your energy bills? Put on a jumper or extra pair of socks. Use another blanket on your bed at night. Close your internal doors to keep the heat in rooms.
Go Automatic & Be Smart
One of the best ways to ensure that your house is being heated efficiently and when you need it is to set up schedules automatically. There is no point heating a house all day if no one is in. Set the heating to come on when you need it and only then. Use a smart thermostat to delay when the heating will come on if you’re going to be late home. They can even learn your habits and help save you money.
Change Your Kitchen Habits
How do you cook your food? A conventional oven can be expensive. Consider turning to a slow cooker which will help you create delicious meals for a fraction of the price. How much water do you put into the kettle before you boil it? If you’re filling it up each time and only using one cup for a coffee, you’re wasting energy and money boiling all that extra water. Change some kitchen habits to help cut household bills.
Add Insulation
Is your home insulated? We’re talking about loft insulation, draught proofing, hot water pipes and more. Consider thick curtains on doors and windows and fixing failed double glazing. Additionally, the cost of insulation can pay for itself in just a short amount of time.
Change Your Broadband Deal
So many of us are paying a lot of money for slow broadband. With advancements in technology, there is super speedy broadband available at good prices. You might even get a new deal on fast broadband that works out less than you are paying right now. A better product for a cheaper price, sounds good to us!
Check Your Phone Bill
If you are not paying off a fancy smartphone via a phone contract, you are paying more for your mobile phone bill than you need to be. Look at your phone paperwork and if you are out of contract, you should be able to find a cheaper SIM only deal for a fraction of the price you have been paying. There are lots of SIM only deals with a decent amount of data for the same cost as a couple of takeaway coffees.
Cancel Streaming Services
How many screens can you watch at the same time? We can only view one thing at once, even if we are scrolling through our phones when the latest boxset is playing on our TV. So many of us sign up to multiple streaming services and that is a lot of money we’re paying each month. Cancel them all and see if you miss them. If you do, maybe just restart your subscription with one. You’ll have saved money by binning the others. These streaming services are often rolling 30 day payments, so you can cancel if you are away for a two week summer holiday. There’s no point paying for something if you aren’t actually around to watch it.
Look At Your Insurance Policies
How much are you paying for insurance each year? Checking your insurance paperwork can be a great way to cut household bills. If you automatically renew you are likely paying too much for your insurance. You’ll probably be able to get a cheaper deal by comparing prices elsewhere. Especially if you click through a cashback website. If you pay monthly you’ll be able to save by switching to an annual payment instead.
Switch Where You Shop
Many of us stick to the same shops, supermarkets and brands. Downshifting the products you buy will save you some money and you might not even realise the difference. Pasta is pasta at the end of the day, so buy the cheapest available! Check the price per 100. Don’t be swayed by fancy packaging, you aren’t eating that. Look at affordable alternatives to products you usually buy to save some cash.
Walk More
Life is busy and we are so often chasing our tails. It is so easy to just jump in the car to get to where we need to be on time. However, if we are a little more organised and put our minds to it, we can save paying for fuel in the car by walking instead. It’ll make you fitter and do wonders for your mental health too.
Cut Household Bills Conclusion
In conclusion, these are just 10 ways to cut household bills and it barely scratches the surface. Implement these ideas and more to really make a difference to how much you pay out every month. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save.
