How To Save Money...At Home!

Let’s face it, almost everyone could do with some extra cash to splash, especially when you’ve got a busy, young family. There’s always another pair of shoes to buy, you desperately want to treat your daughter to the latest My Generation doll and your son has grown out of all his T-shirts (again!). Whether you’re a working mum or stay- at-home mum you can find some spare cash…in the comfort of your own home. It’s perfectly true, follow proudmummy’s money saving tips and you’ll be able to spend a little bit more on the things you want, rather than on the things you have to…

Ebay is an excellent little money pit. Use an afternoon or a couple of hours to go through your home room by room and de-clutter. Things you absolutely don’t want that are in good working order or are perfectly wearable could well be wanted items that someone else really wants! As a tip, old iPads, iPhones, electronic equipment and similar – even broken – fetch cash on eBay. Always remember to be cautious with buyers on expensive items, check their feedback rating as there are unfortunately, some scammers and send everything by trackable, registered mail. Kidswear does sell but you’re better off selling bundles of clothes rather than individual items.

LED lighting can reduce your household energy bill by as much as 90% and this is absolutely true. Just check out this home energy info link Click Here to Buy. Making that change could save you £106 (based on an average UK household) per year. That’s not to be sneezed at, it’s definitely two or three pairs of quality school shoes. LED’s are also eco-friendly as well as being energy efficient and they last so much longer so you won’t be constantly nagging your other half to change lightbulbs.

Even if you’re not the green fingered type! If you are lucky enough to have a garden, find a little area that’s suitable for a vegetable patch and start planting some (seasonal) seeds. Anyone can have a go at this and it’s a great activity to get the kids involved with because they will see the fruits of their labour (pardon the pun!). If you don’t have a garden, don’t worry – there are plenty of herb pots that you can grow on your windowsill and save you some cash when you’re doing your supermarket shop. July’s just round the corner so try planting carrots, spinach, radishes and lettuce as they’re ideal for this time of year.

Everyone knows that supermarkets compete with each other so if you’re starting to see your weekly shop bill rise beyond what you think is normal – try and do the same shop somewhere else and see if you can make a saving. The best way to do this is online so tap your regular shopping list into another online supermarket basket and cross-check the saving. Even if it is a little arduous, if you can save £10 a week it soon mounts up. Plan your meals in advance so you don’t have to run out and get ingredients and always check your cupboards before you shop. I’m often guilty of buying something that I’ve already got in stock! Never throw away vegetables (unless they’re rotten obviously), if they’re coming to the end of their life, just whizz up a soup by melting butter, adding an onion and then adding the other vegetables, cook for 15 or 20 minutes. Top up with stock, cook for a little longer and whizz it all together in a blender…!

OK – yes I know we’ve just had the hottest June day since 1976 but I promise you, the winter isn’t far away and just by turning your central heating down by 1 degree could save you £85 a year! Click Here to Buy

If you add insulation – that’s another £160 a year. Finally – don’t leave your electrical equipment on stand-by. Switch it off properly and you’ll save £30 a year. Now, all of those little nuggets in this section will save you £275! That’s a nice amount of money to add to your Christmas list – only six months away!

Do you have any other money saving tips you'd like to share with our mums?