Winter 2021-22 Money-Saving Hacks
- Author: Jessica Williams
- Posted: 2024-10-02
As the days become shorter and the hot weather tapers off, there are some financial tips you can follow to leave your money in better shape for the next year. Winter is an excellent time to cut back on spending, as it is the typical offseason for travel and common activities. Here are some ways to save money this winter during your everyday life.
Lower Your Electric Bill
Though the weather outside normally necessitates keeping the heat on full blast at home, when you are not home, you should turn it down. Heating an empty house is not a good use of money for energy bills. While you are out at work every day, try setting your thermostat to a lower temperature, such as 60 degrees Fahrenheit, to lower your heating costs. When you get home, the first thing you should do is set your thermostat back to a more livable temperature. Not heating an empty home will slash your electric bills, so you can save more money for other seasons. Moreover, at night, be sure not to leave any lights on in rooms that you are not occupying. Besides an emergency small light in the kitchen that you normally leave lit, you should make sure to turn off all the lights in your home at night. This technique will also drive a dent in your electric bills to alleviate pressure at the end of the month. Finally, when you do need to have lights on, you should make sure to use modern LED bulbs that use less energy. Light bulbs have been around for almost a century and a half. However, recent advances in technology have created versions that are much brighter but use considerably less energy. Changing your home's light bulbs is an easy task that does not require hiring a professional.
Don't Spend So Much on Hot Drinks
Restaurants and coffee shops make a considerable portion of their profits on overpriced drinks that their customers will always buy mindlessly. Not everyone needs to fall into the trap of a $4 cup of coffee. Needing consistent hot drinks during the winter is normal, but there are ways to save considerable amounts of money drinking them. First, you should do everything you can to avoid coffee chains that willingly mark up their prices for drinks that you can make at home for a small fraction of the cost. Second, you should invest in a coffee brewing machine for your home or office that spares you the hassle and cost of going out for coffee. These appliances can cost a lot upfront, but over the course of their service life, you will save a lot of money by avoiding exorbitant coffee shops. If brewed coffee is not your preference, you can save even more money by drinking inexpensive instant coffee that you can get from the grocery aisle. The coffee shop industry may try to draw you into their store with flashy advertisements for special holiday-themed drinks, but it is never worth it to pay several dollars for them on a regular basis.
Do Not Freeze Outside, But Freeze Your Meals Inside
Instead of patronizing restaurants regularly, you should make large quantities of food you like at home and put it in the freezer for later. For example, if you make a large meal for a Christmas or New Year's gathering, you should stash the leftovers away for you to eat later. Instead of walking down the block to go out to eat during your lunch break, you should bring this food from home in containers to save money. If you do not spend extra money unnecessarily on food, you can put more money aside for future essential expenses. The simple fact is that restaurant food costs a lot more per meal than grocery-bought home-cooked food, so eating your own food will slash your food bills.
Build a Change Jar
If you prefer to ditch your credit card and make everyday purchases with cash, you should save the change you get in a jar. Young children take a lot of pride in saving their money in a piggy bank. Establishing a saving mindset from a young age builds productive financial habits for adulthood that everyone should emulate. Instead of treating change like expendable money that you can use on fast food and other discretionary purchases, letting it build up over a long period of time can eventually provide you with a lot of extra spending money. Once your jar is full, take it to a bank to deposit it all into your account.
