Tips to Save Money on Household Expenses

Tips to Save Money on Household Expenses

February can be a challenging month for your finances. After an expensive holiday season, most of us want to cut back on household expenses for a bit – so that we can catch up. But if your household is anything like mine, there are still lots of bills coming in February, including heating, summer camp fees, and deposits on summer vacation. If you want to save money, you may find that you need to make a little more of an effort to save money on household expenses. Here are some tips.

Tips to Save Money on Household Expenses

Cash Back Apps

If you do have to spend money, consider using one or more of the many cash back websites and apps that can help you save. I just got my quarterly check from Ebates, and it definitely helped out with some of our household expenses. Always check these sites before making any sort of online purchase.

Review Your Cable Bill

This is a hard one for me, because I am addicted to watching television. But, cable TV is becoming more and more expensive. I wasn't quite ready to cut the ties, so I called my local cable company and reviewed our bill. I found that I was able to save money by switching to a new plan – without losing any services. It wasn't a ton of money, but everything counts. If you aren't watching tv live, consider switching to Hulu or another streaming service.

Try a No Spend Month

As I mention in my no spend post, I don't necessarily love the concept of a no spend month. However, it's sometimes necessary. Follow our tips in that post to make it the most effective month possible. Most importantly, remember not to go crazy with spending once the month is over.

Meal Plan

So much money can be spent on takeout and dining out when you don't plan appropriately for a busy week. Take time over the weekend to do meal planning, so that you are prepared when the kids are headed out in different directions. Here are our meal planning tips.

Do an Energy Audit

Heating (or cooling, if you live in the south) expenses can be a big chunk of your family budget. See if your energy utility offers a free energy audit, where they can see if there are any ways to minimize drafts and other issues. In some cases, you may get free products or rebates on any services that you decide to order. It can be a great way to make long-term changes that save energy and cash.

Resell Clothes

If you have clothes and/or accessories that are just taking up space in your house, consider reselling them. We've used some online services to sell clothes. Then, you can use that credit to purchase things that you need, in the correct sizes.

Look at Ongoing Charges

Go through your credit cards to see what ongoing expenses you are being charged. Make sure that everything is still valid. You may have subscribed for something a while ago that you aren't using anymore.

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