Tony and I got married last week after fourteen happy years together. Well done us! A fantastic trip to Berlin and a week off later, I’m back in the driving seat.
Since we’ve been away Christmas has suddenly crept closer. It’s everywhere. But I promised not to mention the ‘C’ word until 1st December so that’s enough of that! Today I’ve dug out a bunch of 20 random money saving ideas to pique your interest and help save extra cash in the run up to the festive season.
- turn the heating down just one degree for significant savings of 5-10% on your energy bills
- drive at 60 instead of 70mph and save 15% on fuel
- washing up liquid cleans the bath brilliantly. You don’t need special stuff
- de-scale your kettle regularly to speed up the boiling process and save energy – use 50% vinegar/50% water and leave it to stand overnight
- you can also use vinegar instead of expensive fabric softener. I’ve tried it and it’s really good
- it’s easier to cut down your energy use when you keep an eye on your meter readings. Jot them down once a week, watch a pattern emerge and challenge yourself to cut it back
- do you have a load of tins of half-used emulsion paint left over? You can always mix them together to create funky new colours instead of wasting them
- acid soil? Crushed eggshells, being alkaline, help you achieve balance
- tired of wasting time and effort on veg only to find they’re eaten by pests? If you’re growing carrots, do so in a raised bed or pot at least 18 inches off the ground so carrot flies can’t reach them
- eat a simple rice, pasta, egg or couscous dish at least twice a week to save money on meat
- be aware of the difference between ‘best by’ and ‘eat by’ dates on food. ‘Eat by’ usually means it’ll go off soon afterwards. ‘Best by’ means it won’t go off, it just might not be quite as good. In the case of rice, for example, it’s just a guide – rice is perfectly safe to eat after the ‘best by’ date
- use up all your leftover veg and make basic vegetable soup to freeze. You can always add meat or fish when you defrost it
- make tasty DIY ice lollies with leftover syrup or juice from tin of fruit, squash and fizzy drinks
- if you’re at college, buy second hand textbooks on Amazon marketplace instead of buying new
- laptops use a load less energy than desktops…
- buy rechargeable batteries
- clean your oven with bicarbonate of soda and water instead of breathing in toxic proprietary cleaners. Do it often enough and things will never get grubby and greasy enough to warrant special cleaning fluid
- if your freezer has spare space fill it with crumpled newspaper so you’re not cooling air. It’ll save money on energy
- olive oil plus a drop or two of lemon juice makes a nourishing polish for leather and wood
- old toothbrushes make brilliant tools for cleaning in awkward nooks and crannies like the shower and cooker