Who doesn’t want to save money these days? Every household wants to save money on home services and they have a right to do just that. There are several ways to cut costs and effectively manage your household expenses.
Did you know that you can save up to 60% electricity by boiling water in a microwave rather than an electric stove? Even when using an electric stove, make sure to use pots and pans that have a broader base so that they cover the element fully. This ensures that a lot of heat is not wasted and water is boiled efficiently. For instance a pan with a 6-inch bottom on an 8-inch element leads to approximately 40% of the energy being wasted.
Another household appliance that uses up a lot of power due to negligent handling is the refrigerator. Make sure that the fridge is kept as full as possible always. However as airflow is equally important, leave a 1-inch open space on each side of the interior. Don’t forget to turn down the thermostat several degrees during the winter months as it helps save a lot of electricity. Instead of putting the fridge against the wall, leave an open space of a few inches from the wall, again for better air exchange.
Plenty of water gets wasted because of leaky taps and toilets that have faulty flushes. The amount of water that gets wasted in a day is substantial. Get a plumber take a look at the taps regularly and have the leaky ones fixed. It would be a great idea to get a do it yourself plumber’s kit and try having the leaks fixed yourself. Rain water harvesting using a rain barrel is another area where a lot of water can be saved and used to water the lawn and kitchen garden which not only saves water but saves a trip to the grocery store for buying vegetables.
The garden is a great place where you can pinch a lot of pennies. You don’t always have to buy plants from a nursery. Exchange the ones you have for ones thaytyou don’t have, save seeds and plant them and have your own nursery. Instead of spending a lot of money on fertilizers, go organic and make your own compost. All you need to do is to dig a small pit and start filling it with shredded leaves and weeds; cover them with dirt and allow it to become good manure. You are not only being eco- friendly, but are also saving money in the process. Practice drip irrigation that is great at letting the plants have optimum amount of water without much wastage. The yield also will be surprisingly better, if you notice.
