Do you want to save money? Of course, you do! Everyone wants to spend less on things like groceries, utilities, and even household expenses. Fortunately, there are many innovative ways that you can reduce these costs without too much trouble. Cutting your household expenses allows you to afford things like therapy, sensory items, and other autism needs.
Turn Your Thermostat Down
Firstly, a lot of the money we spend every month is on utility bills. Heating our homes, warming the water for our showers, powering our lights and devices. During those cold months it is easy to just turn up the thermostat to try and get warm, however when you do, that costs cash.
Did you know that simply turning your thermostat down by half a degree will have an impact on your energy bills? Put on a hoodie or extra pair of socks. Use another blanket on your bed at night. Close your internal doors to keep the heat in rooms.
Even in summer, you can set the thermostat a little higher. We found here in Autismland that we could put the a/c on 74 during the day and 70 at night. It saved us some money while allowing us to be cool when we need it most.
Switch to prepay electricity. Some utility companies have prepaid accounts where you deposit money that gets used for your electricity until it’s depleted. I have found myself to be more cognizant of our electrical usage when I can see what our consumption is and how much it costs on a regular basis. It also helps me to be able to budget better.
Add Insulation
Is your home insulated? We’re talking about loft insulation, draught proofing, hot water pipes and more.
Consider thick curtains on doors and windows and fixing failed double glazing. Additionally, the cost of insulation can pay for itself in just a short amount of time.
Do you rent? You can still make some easy changes. Here in Southern Arizona, we put up black out curtains and cover the windows with storm covering (you can get a roll from Lowes) in the summer to keep the 118 degree air out and our cool air in. It makes a huge difference.
Cancel Cable TV
Cable television is one of the most common monthly household expenses. From football to news, there’s always something interesting during the day and at night.
With the advancement of technology, hundreds of online streaming services provide a lot more than cable television can offer. So why not cancel cable TV and save yourself hundreds of dollars a month? I pay for Sling TV during football season so I can get RedZone. It’s so much cheaper than cable.
Go Automatic & Be Smart
One of the best ways to ensure that your house is running efficiently and when you need it is to set up schedules automatically using home tech. There is no point heating a house all day if no one is in it. Set the heating to come on when you need it and only then. Use a smart thermostat to delay when the heating will come on if you’re going to be late home. They can even learn your habits and help save you money.
Hooking up Alexa to your lights will allow you to turn them off and on to make you look like your home. It works well if you’ve left before the children who always forget to turn any off before they walk out the door. Sometimes saving on household expenses is a mom and dad problem.
Google Nest Thermostat E – Programmable Smart Thermostat for Home T4000ES – 3rd Generation Nest Thermostat (Frosted White)- Compatible with Alexa
Vine Wi-Fi 7day & 8 period Programmable Smart Home Thermostat – Wi-Fi TJ-610E, Compatible with Alexa & Google Assistant – 5th GenEcho Dot (4th Gen) | Smart speaker with Alexa | Twilight Blue
Get on a Budget and Track Spending
These days, you have your banking information at your fingertips. There are many apps available that make budgeting much more manageable by tracking spending patterns. Just pick one and link to your bank account. You can see where your money is going in an instant.
An old fashioned budget written paper and put where you can see it regularly can help you keep your spending on track. We keep ours on the fridge so everyone can see it. The kids have a better understanding of why we have to decline some requests when they know that bills need to be paid.
Change Your Kitchen Habits
Cooking your meals at home is cheaper than buying prepared food. You can save money by choosing inexpensive recipes and cooking in bulk; you’ll end up with extra, which will keep well for future use. I always fill one freezer container with an individual meal before we eat. We put it in the freezer and at lunch we can grab it.
How do you cook your food? A conventional oven can be expensive. Consider turning to a slow cooker which will help you create delicious meals for a fraction of the price.
How much water do you put into the kettle before you boil it? If you’re filling it up each time and only using one cup for tea, you’re wasting energy and money boiling all that extra water. Change some kitchen habits to help cut household bills.
Hello Fresh is also a great way to cook at home. The meals are tasty although they are a bit on the high end of our price per meal budget. Once a month is fine for us and we get new recipes. Win-win or everyone.
Conclusion
The best things in life aren’t free, but many items and services that people use day-to-day can cost a lot less than you think. Make your dollars stretch further and reduce household costs so you can afford autism!
