10 Money Saving Home Hacks You Can Do Right Now

As we gravitate towards a cleaner lifestyle with a constant effort towards less stress, clutter and debt, there are several tips that will make your money (and your nerves) reach that extra bit further.

Here are 10 great money saving hacks you can apply right now at home.

1) Reclaim Some Space

Consider the value of your home. It’s often measured by the square footage of your floor space. Only problem is, we don’t think about it when we pile tons of clutter into small corners and unused rooms. You’re effectively losing out on that value.

Consider large items like home gyms. Book collections and boxes of old photographs. Perhaps you can sell the workout gear and books on Ebay and digitize your photos onto a single hard drive. Get rid of the clutter and open up some floor space… don’t you feel richer already?

2) Stockpiling

We all know buying in bulk can save you a ton of money, but did you know you can kick your savings into overdrive? It’s simple… Keep your eyes open for discounts and when items you use pop up, buy as much as you can. Keep in mind how long the shelf life of the product is but remember, products like honey or toothpaste, don’t go off, no matter how long you keep it.

Also keep a look out for “out of season” clothing. Usually just after a season changes, you’ll find tons of clothing deals. This is a great way to save on kids clothes, buy a size up and they’re sorted for next season.

3) Online Coupons and Promotions

There are many websites that allow you to search for coupons online, but why not “Like” your favorite brands on facebook to see which specials they have going. Often, you’ll simply need to comment on one of their posts to get some freebies or be entered into a draw. Either way, you’ll find hundreds of promotions on items you would have bought anyway and you can save volumes.

4) Refurbishing Old Furniture

The internet is filled with excellent ideas on how to refurbish old furniture. Maybe all you need is a new cushion to bring that old Papasan chair back to life, or perhaps you can sand down an old bookshelf for a revived natural look. The satisfaction you get from bringing a classic piece back to life is often times way more rewarding than having to fork out large sums on brand new furniture.

Look around your home and see what needs some love, then hop onto YouTube and see what DIY refurbishing videos you can find.

5) Use a Cash Envelope System

If you haven’t tried this, you’re missing out. Basically, make a detailed list of expenses and allocate envelopes to them. Fill the envelopes at the beginning of each month and when they run out, that’s it. This way you’ll know exactly what you’re overspending on and where your budget (or your lifestyle) needs adjusting.

Have envelopes for things like Gas, Weekly Groceries and Entertainment. I’d suggest breaking up certain expenses into daily envelopes and numbering them 1 to 31 (each day of the month). If you stick to it, you should have enough money to last you ‘till your next payday. (Unless you ferret into future envelopes!)

6) Check Out Upwork

Instead of wasting time on social media, have a look at possible “jobs” you can complete on Upwork. There are thousands of easy-to-do tasks that other people will pay you to complete, like data capturing, creating party invitations in Photoshop or writing blog articles. It’s more rewarding than being on Facebook and can actually be really fun as well!

7) Shop Online

Cutting out the gas to and from the store as well as the inadvertent purchases that are made on your journey, can all add to the price of going shopping. Also, you wouldn’t believe the rent some retailers have to pay for floor space… which they ultimately have to add to their price tags.

Simply find what you’re looking for on online shopping sites like Amazon.

Here’s an old trick that it still works like a charm… When browsing online retailers, place the desired item into your cart, but don’t buy it. If you wait a week, the product will usually be cheaper next time you log in. Some companies have figured out that people are manipulating the system and removed this “in-cart” discount, but it still works in many cases.

8) Switch to Netflix

If you haven’t already, cancel your Cable. Video streaming services are infinitely cheaper and you have a much larger variety to choose from. Plus, you can watch from anywhere you have an internet connection, not just your home.

You may need to run more than one subscription to get everything you need. Netflix, Hulu and Showtime are great places to start.

9) Grow Your Own Veggies

This not only saves money, but you’ll have much greater control of what goes into your body. Picking fresh vegetables from your garden is as healthy and gratifying as it’s cost-effective.

A mix of salad leaves is the easiest to grow and will usually include lettuce, rocket and cress, but radishes, potatoes, peas and spring onions are equally low maintenance and simple to grow in your back garden.

10) Install a Low-flow Shower Head

You can save up to 13% on your water bill by installing a low-flow silver shower fixture head in your shower. This unique device distributes water more efficiently and you’ll find that you need much less water for the same effect. Other water-saving tips include filling a water bottle and placing it in your toilet tank to reduce flushing volume.

If you are willing to look, there are hundreds of small areas where you can save just a small amount, resulting in a very large saving overall. This can be fun and rewarding, and above all you’ll have some extra cash at the end of the month, to spend on things you actually want.