Nine tips for beating the post-holiday budget crunch from home
This year, we've had to tighten our belts more than just once. Being far-sighted, we've created a list of practical and effective tips that you can start to apply from now on to help you cope better with and beat the dreaded post-holiday budget crunch. What do you think?
Discover all the options available to you so you know how to save at home and make this month easier than it seems.
Let's begin!
1. Review your costs and eliminate any that are unnecessary
One of the first steps in starting to save money is as simple as making a list of all your fixed expenses each month. This way, you'll have a clearer idea of what you spend and if there is any way to reduce it (for example, your internet rate may not match what you actually spend and you have the option of switching to a more affordable option, or maybe there's a subscription to a programme or app that you can remove).
Once you know that amount, you can see how much money you have left. For this, it would be best to allocate a fixed amount for savings and another fixed amount for any ad-hoc expenses you think you may have, such as a dinner, or an unexpected event like a breakdown. If you monitor and control your expenses and income from the start, you'll find it much easier to save.
2. Clean and air out your home without letting your house get cold
We can all use some little tips for inside our homes to easily save money. With small details like the one we're going to explain below, you can reduce the cost of some bills, such as heating.
What happens when you air out the house during the coldest months? Do you notice that it gets cold quickly? When this happens, we usually make the mistake of blasting the heat to bring the temperature inside the house up again. The meter shoots up and, as a result, our energy or heating bill is more expensive next month. And that's what we don't want!
So how do you ventilate your homes to clean and air them out, particularly now that hygiene at home is so necessary and important to health? The solution is as simple as leaving the windows open for up to 10 minutes max. In fact, between 5 and 10 minutes is recommended. No more. This must also be done room by room (to prevent creating draughts that make the house even colder) and with the heating turned off or at a minimum (so as not to unnecessarily waste energy).
3. Help yourself with textiles
Continuing with the topic of maintaining a nice, warm atmosphere at home without increasing your bills, one of the most basic (and affordable) options to keep the house warm during the winter is to decorate with textiles.
Beyond having a kit ready with cosy throws – to snuggle up under at any time and avoid the cold – we recommend a few other tips. For example, thick curtains, wool rugs and even floor mats work as thermal insulators and will help retain heat even though the windows are open. If your furniture is made from synthetic materials, which are cooler, you can cover them with textiles, such as placing cushions on chairs or a blanket on the sofa.
4. Check at which times your electricity consumption is highest
Did you know that you don't spend the same using the washing machine in the morning as you do at night? The size of your electricity bill will depend on when you use your appliances and devices.
Usually, electricity is more expensive during core hours of the day (from about 12 noon to 10 pm), when there is usually more activity at home.
To find out if you can reduce how much you spend on bills, we recommend that you review the rate you have contracted and find out which type of time-of-use tariff you have, which is what it is called when you have such variations. You can therefore decide when you want to do certain tasks, like putting on the dishwasher, washing machine or if you'd prefer to go without the dryer this month and instead use a handy drying rack that saves you a bit of money at the end of the month.
Oh! And if you have the option, remember that you can always use the energy-saving programmes in your appliances, as even if they take a little extra time, they'll help to reduce your electricity consumption too.
Make sure that you check out this video on how to save in the kitchen!
5. Turn off any devices you're not using
If you're one of those people who keeps power strips on 24 hours a day, you should know that you're losing money here without even realising it.
Power strips or multi-socket adapters connect a lot of devices, therefore they are really convenient for having everything in one and controlling our consumption. But do you know how much their misuse affects your bill?
Even if you leave devices such as the television or computer in standby mode, that little light that stays on tells us that a certain amount of energy is still being consumed. So whenever you can, turn those devices off completely. You'll save money month by month, and you'll be making a great contribution to the environment.
6. Don't succumb to sales if you don't need it
We know that they're really tempting and they can often be genuinely worthwhile. However, if one of your goals is to beat the post-holiday budget crunch, you'll have to stay strong and avoid succumbing to the temptation of those discounts. January has become a month where we're constantly encouraged to consume, even if we know these are things we don't really need.
As such, we recommend that you make a list of anything you would like to buy and decide if it is a necessity or something that will be genuinely worthwhile to you or, on the contrary, if it can wait until later.
Why not take the opportunity to reorganise your wardrobe? Sometimes, we're unaware of how many things we have if everything is poorly stored or hidden. Some of your clothes have surely been unfairly forgotten!
7. Plan your meals for the week
Another one of the best techniques for saving money and coping better with the post-holiday budget crunch is meal planning, regardless of whether you eat at home or at work! If you're well organised and you reserve a morning or an afternoon every five to seven days, you can cook a variety simple recipes for your weekly menu; in this way, you'll end up cooking less often, eating better and saving time and money. Fantastic!
We also recommend looking for and buying seasonal produce. It will be more affordable than other produce, meaning that you'll spend a little less. Another great tip for saving on food is to dig out your grandmothers' recipes (they're the experts in getting the most out of your food, after all). There's nothing quite like one of their traditional meals!
And finally, one last tip for saving a few more cents and being even more responsible with your consumption. Every time you go out to the shops, we recommend that you take your own cloth bags or shopping cart. You'll avoid spending money on plastic bags and help the environment, and they're beautiful too!
8. Look for alternatives
Even if you do have to make certain sacrifices this month, you can certainly find an alternative so that you can keep with your routines, even from home.
In fact, this year has shown us that one thing we can do is exercise from home. So, if you've had to leave your regular gym, for example, don't rule out keeping up a healthy habit as important as exercise. You don't need to buy technical equipment, as there are plenty of exercises on the internet, so you can work out at home without any accessories. To do this, we recommend that you make space in the living room (which is where this will be easiest) and prepare some basics, such as a small towel, some cold water in a bottle or jug to stay hydrated, and you're ready to go!
9. Make quality at-home plans
Our last tip sort of ties in with the previous point, and if you're on a budget and have to avoid plans outside your home, don't worry! There are plenty of things you can do at home without missing out on too much in the outside world. Plus, you'll be warmer and safer.
For example, you can organise an afternoon of board games, which is always a great plan for having a laugh with friends and family. You can also make a themed lunch/dinner and prepare the dishes yourself or in company, which will be much less expensive than if you went out. Plus, it's super fun! And why not? The king of at-home activities: a marathon of your favourite TV series and enjoying some popcorn (healthier and less expensive if you make it in a pan), a nice hot chocolate and the comfort of your sofa. Doesn't sound too bad at all…
What do you think? Follow these tips and your January will be much more bearable. In fact, many of these tips will serve you well every day of the year. Apply them and you'll soon notice how, little by little, you spend less money, save time and, in many cases, lead a more sustainable life.
Want more savings ideas? Make sure that you check out these articles!
We love it when customers use our products in a creative way. Why not try to do something new with them yourself? But do remember, any modifications or changes that you make to IKEA products will prevent them from being resold or used for their original purpose, thus invalidating IKEA product warranties and your right to return them.
