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If you added up all of your expenses, you’d be amazed by how much money you spend on your domestic affairs. So here
are some tips to save money at home:
Utilities - Look for better deals – telephone
plans, insurances, loans and other service plans may all be able to be re-financed to give you a better deal. Of course, take
into account any contractual obligations you may have with the service. Have you got the most out of your service plans?
- Read
the fine print – a lot of purchases sound great from the hype, but have a not so obvious cost. For example, mobile phone
ring tones seem cheap on the surface until you read the fine print and realise it’s a subscription service that costs
10 times more than you expect it to. Hopefully you figure this out before you get your first phone bill!
- Minimise
use – and only pay for what you use. Cut back on water, power and phone use to save.
Children
- Use cloth nappies whenever possible, and limit the disposables to night time use or when you’re out. Cloth nappies
will more than pay for themselves!
- Use kitchen chux as nappy liners – you can wash and reuse! And store some
chux in water mixed with a moisturising cream or baby oil to use as wipes. Again, they can be washed and reused.
- Breast
is best – and cheapest!
- Make your own baby food – simply blend up what you’re eating for dinner
(making sure the ingredients are suitable for baby of course).
- Bake your own cookies and cakes with older children,
rather then buying them from the shop. Baked goods are better because they’re made with love!
- Don’t go
overboard with nursery furniture and kids clothes – second hand and hand-me-downs are fine. And you don’t need
a pram designed by NASA!!
- Similarly with toys, a few good quality toys is all your children need. Kids can make their
own fun from old boxes and toilet rolls!
Cooking - Cut back on meat and expensive raw ingredients.
You can use red/ kidney beans and vegetables as healthy fillers.
- Love left overs and learn to become creative with
them. Bolognaise mince goes well in toasted sandwiches the next day!
- Find a selection of cheap meals you can cook
at home and enjoy eating, and avoid eating out except on special occasions.
Cleaning - Water
cleans most things on its own!
- Reuse old undies and singlets for cleaning clothes and rags.
- Make your own
cleaning products.
Grooming - Invest in drip-dry and easy maintenance clothing – they
will be cheaper to look after and keep looking good.
- Get and easy to maintain hair style that doesn’t need lots
of product or styling to keep looking good. And try the do-it-yourself hair colouring rather than getting it done in a saloon.
- Make
your own beauty products or just use a simple cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen.
Home Accessories
- Remember – you don’t have to buy everything your neighbours or friends or buying. Only get what you need
and can afford.
- Consider leasing furniture and electrical goods, rather than buying. Or purchase second hand.
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