5 Money Saving Essentials for the Home

Posted By Laura in Other Stuff | 1 comment

5 Money Saving Essentials for the Home

A mortgage or rent payment is enough to put a damper in anyone’s budget. Aside from that, we can’t forget about utilities, insurance, the phone, food and clothing. You probably get the point. Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to bring your bills down. If you don’t know where to start, here are some things you may want to consider:

1. Attack the Mortgage

It’s no secret that you will have to pay a lot in interest over the life of your mortgage. By overpaying your mortgage just by £100 to £200 a month, you could potentially save thousands. For example, a £100,000 mortgage that has a six per cent interest rate could save you £25,000 over a lifetime. This is just by applying an extra £100 each month.

2. Fuel Bills

Don’t just settle with the fuel provider that you have today. Instead, check out the domestic market and see what kind of rates you can get. Since the market is competitive, companies are more than willing to offer low rates. Make it a habit to check the market at least once a year.

3. Phone Bill

Long gone are the days where you have a land line in your home. With the Internet offering VoIP and cheaper phone plans on the market, there’s no reason to pay more than £50 per month for a land line in your home. Stick to a simple phone plan, and watch the savings roll in.

4. Shopping and Coupons

Groceries are a just a way of life, and sadly, there is no way around it. The next time you head down to the local grocery store, try to create a shopping list. That way, you won’t find yourself throwing in items that you think you need. On top of that list, also consider checking the Internet and local newspaper for valuable coupons. By setting aside a few minutes of your day, you could save upwards of £10 to £50 per shopping trip.

5. Compare Insurance Policies

Insurance is a necessity for your home. Without a policy, you’re setting yourself up for a financial disaster. Each and every year, try to make it a habit to compare your insurance rates. Compare your homeowners policy, contents insurance and any other policy that you have using a price comparison site (like comparethemarket.com). Back in the day, you would have had to call a company up one by one. This isn’t the case anymore. Instead, there are many wonderful insurance comparison tools on the web that make your job a lot easier. Try to compare at least once a year.

Saving money isn’t the hardest thing to do. Take some time to compare all the bills that come monthly. By following a few of tips mentioned above, you could potentially cut your bills by more than 10 per cent alone.