How To Save Money At Home & Live More Efficiently

English: Solar panel installation at an information center adjacent to Ögii Lake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Okay we all know that times are pretty tough right now and they have been for quite a while. We have all had to tighten our belts and do our best to get through these shaky financial times and with the winter fast approaching I’m afraid that for many of us that means more of the same. So where are the areas that we can save in? Well you can start at home and here’s how.

Keep The Winter Cold Out

One of the most expensive costs of your home is without doubt the heating bill. Unless you are lucky enough emigrate south for the winters then you will be faced with the wind, rain, sleet and snow that seems to be all too common throughout our winters and even the rest of the year. If you have your heating on for much of the day and night then you will be costing yourself a small fortune.

So what’s the solution? It’s simple, insulation. You would be surprised at just how many homes are inadequately insulated and because of this people are paying over the odds to keep warm. You can hire a professional to insulate your roof space and walls which will keep the elements at bay and the cost of having this done will be a fraction of what you will be paying for oil.

Look At Your Energy Supplier

Many of us are too lazy to actually check that we are using the best energy supplier. You might be paying a lot more than you have to for your energy than you should be. There are many energy provider calculators online that you can use that will determine how much you could be saving based on what you are currently paying on your bills. A little research and effort can save you a lot of money in the long so it’s definitely worth doing.

Try Going Solar

Contrary to popular belief you don’t have to live in the Sahara desert for solar panels to work. They will work in the UK and they could save you a lot of money in the long run. They just cost to be fitted but once they are then you will be harnessing the natural energy of the sun to provide energy to your home. You may also qualify for a grant to have them fitted as solar panels are very kind to the environment and they look to be the future as our natural resources continues to diminish every day.
There are other simple tips that you can use to save on your costs at home such as placing an insulated jacket around your boiler, closing your curtains as soon as it starts to get dark and fitted draft excluders on the doors of each room.


Michael Watson recently visited Composite Doors Nottingham to add extra protection from the winter cold and save money on heating bills in the future.

Nectar Points on Online Sainsburys Shops

Sainsburys 17a07 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How to Get Nectar Points Online

1. Go To This Link: http://www.nectar.com/shop-at/sainsburysonlinegroceries.eshops
2. Type in your Nectar card number. 
3. Click "Shop Now to Collect"
4. Shop as normal. 

How to Spend Nectar Points Online

1. Go to this link: http://www.nectar.com/spend/sainsburys-online/index.rnectar
2. Click the value of the evoucher you want, 
3. Take a screencap of the code. 
4. Input the code at checkout. 

Stockpiling Essentials

I really like the idea of stockpiling. I'm not great with money, so saving doesn't really seem to work for me, but I am a great bargain hunter and if I can save without noticing then that could be a really good tactic for me. I've watched Extreme Couponing by TLC which doesn't really apply in the UK - which is fortunate / unfortunate because I don't have the time or maths skills to be very good at it. I'm also too British - i'd be mortified at making some poor checkout girl scan 100+ scraps of paper and 3-7 trolleys-worth of supermarket stuff. I've started trying to create my own stockpile, which at the moment consists of spare bath foam, toothpaste and toiletries, either double bought by accident or gifts. It's a box rather than the kind of basement hoard pictured above, and I hope I don't get that silly.

Coupons printed off the internet worry me, but loyalty vouchers are pretty useful - got a voucher for shampoo with my Boots Advantage Card and got a really nice one for less than a £1 (in my stockpile). I'm much more comfortable with deals and mark-downs, plus my loyalty cards. I've also joined Hot UK Deals. If you switch it to the mobile site, you can save deals you're interested in and check them later. This is especially useful because we split shopping with a friend; he shops at Asda, we shop at Sainsburys, and it means we can catch a lot of the deals. I also found some really cheap (99p) curtain rings from Argos, which is great as there are about twenty street lights on our road and I need to hang up curtains in addition to our blinds.

I've also been checking charity shops for toiletries - for example, today I picked some Simple post shave balm for my parter, for 50p. I have to be careful as I have sensitive skin, so I stick to named brands, and generics I know are okay for me. I also got some toothbrushes reduced to 45p and a 400ml conditioner for just £1.69 from Superdrug. The conditioner sounds expensive, but not by comparision to my normal £5 Aussie conditioner.

Why Stockpile?

Frugal Wedding

Part time accounts assistant Kirsty Lane has just been jailed for stealing £200,000 from her employer, Pure AV. The fraud cost the company £300,000 and two people their jobs. The money was spent on luxury goods and on a wedding 'which included a free bar, musicians, fireworks, a magician and face-painting.' She apparently did this because she suffered from low self esteem and wanted to interest her fiancée and make an impression. This is no excuse. However, we all suffer from this to a greater or lesser extent, which advertisers cheerfully manipulate to sell us things. We know it, and we still fall for it - at least I do. But my wedding plans are pretty sensible. My cousin is attending wedding fairs, planning a meringue dress and booking a church. All three of those concepts make me shudder. There are ways to keep your wedding affordable. 

Pre Wedding

• Make your own wedding invitations - from scratch, using software or simply decorate some blank laser cut cards from a craft shop. 
• Make your own wedding favours. I’ve seen great ones filled with retro sweets, spices, seed bombs, tiny soaps, even toys. Etsy is a great place to get inspiration, or buy if you run out of time. 
• Do a registry, but do remember to include a range of prices. That way your parents can buy you a sofa and your mates can buy you a salt shaker. 
• For the hen / stag dos plan something you really love doing. Don't go clubbing if you prefer rock climbing, and don't book a trip to a swanky London member’s only club if you'd prefer to get drunk at your local. 
• Decide whether you want wedding rings. If you do, why not make your own? It seems mad but a friend of mine signed up for a jewellery course and made her and her husband's rings. It was a beautiful gesture. 
• Pick accessories. I'm going to wear flat shoes for comfort (perhaps because I used to wear 6 inch heels). Not sure about hair accessories, already decided against a tiara though.

The Wedding Ceremony

• Book someone you are utterly comfortable with to do your hair and makeup. Don't let a friend do this unless they are also a make up artist, because if it goes wrong you will hate them.
• If you have a mate who's a photographer, pay them to do it, or ask for it as your wedding gift. Otherwise, tell everyone to bring their digital cameras and go nuts.
• Buy a wedding dress you will cherish and wear again. I plan to get a white lace shift dress from Monsoon, which I can dye when it gets stained. 
• Rent the groom & best man's outfits, or they can just wear what they like.
• Buy bridesmaid dresses that can be re-worn and make a gift of them to your bridesmaids. They're doing you a favour and they will have to work hard on the day. 
• Only invite people who you want to be there. This seems a no brainer, but weddings can get political unless you edit ruthlessly. 
• Don't book a place of worship unless you're there every week. It's expensive and there are plenty of places that are just as beautiful. 

Decoration

• Grow your own flowers ahead of time, use fabric ones, or try paper or ceramic alternatives. If you want to buy, don't let on they're for a wedding or the price will jump. 
• For the candles, buy a sack of tea lights, some cheap mason jars, a piece of lace and some white plasti-kote spray paint. Tape the lace round the jars and spray paint. 
• Buy a load of cheap cloth from ebay, or a load of similar looking table cloths from charity shops.

The Reception

• Hold the reception at a friend's house, in a garden, in a church hall, in an empty warehouse rented for the evening, rather than a pricey hotel.
• Get a friend to make your cake, or bake multiple cupcakes. 
• Get a family member or friend to do the catering - buy the ingredients and buy them a bottle of wine. 
• Hire a local business to do the catering. It's great to support small businesses. 
• Get people to bring a bottle. Another cousin did this and it was great. People can bring wine, spirits, mixers or champers depending on their budget and you can have fun mixing up cocktails. 
• Organise *decent* soft drinks. Designated drivers and teetotallers deserve better than warm orange juice. 
• For entertainment, pick anyone you know with talent at playing music, or just a great music collection (my future maid of honour has a great 80s I-pod playlist).

Afterwards

• Escape to a hotel, and hire cleaners to sort the place out afterward
• Enjoy your honeymoon. 
• Write some thank you letters. 
• Be married. 

Ditch Your Car

This seems insane. I wouldn't recommend it for someone with 4 kids, or anyone that has a house in the middle of nowhere, unless you are a hardcore green with a *lot* of self discipline. But ditching your car can save a LOT of money. The cost of petrol and insurances has skyrocketed, and if you have to take out a loan or turn to financing to buy one, the APR has gone up. It's also one of those unpredictable costs I hate so much. If an essential part goes, even with insurance your savings (if you have any) are pretty much wiped out. 

It can be a pain not to have a car but it is doable.

Here are my top tips:

• Get supermarket shopping delivered. If you buy a month's in one go, you can usually get reduced or free delivery, and it's better for the environment. 
• Buy / borrow a rucksack and go to the market to buy vegetables and meat. 
• Walk or take the train to work. Cycling can be impractical if you don't have showers at your workplace. If you choose the train, buy a monthly season ticket as it works out a lot cheaper. 
• Ask your boss if you can come in a little late and walk the children to school. Or else look at school buses, walking trains and sharing responsibility with other parents. 
• Join a car club so you have access to a vehicle for the essentials. 
• Explore your local shops - and charity shops rather than going to retail parks. Or look online and buy from e-commerce shops or eBay. Cheaper & more convenient. 
• If you normally drive to go on holiday, try the train or a bicycle (although a bike is another maintenance expense, and it depends on safety / being able to cycle).