With the costs of food, gas and household items rising its no wonder so many hardworking British families are having to make changes around the home and consider tighter budgeting.
Like many other families in Britain, my little family have decided to make a few changes to save a few pounds. (Admittedly, me more so than the husband)
I thought I would share with you a few tips ive learnt along the way.
1) NEVER waste money on expensive branded surface cleaners!
When I first moved out at age 18 I had no idea I could make my own cleaner! I was always buying branded spray cleaners and they worked out around £1.50 per bottle (I would buy around 2 per week)
Ok so £3 per week doesnt sound much at all... but remember thats £156 per year.
Now what if I told you I spend just £6 per year?? Yes, thats £150 saved and it takes me just a few moments to make my own.
Heres what I do:
I buy dilutive surface cleaner! Into a spray bottle I add a small amount dish soap into it and a good cap full of dilutive surface cleaner. Fill up to the top with water and give it a good shake. It really is that simple! I spend around £6 per year on this and normally buy the Flash brand or similar. I cannot imagine going back to buying ready mixed cleaners and adding an extra £150 to my shopping bill a year.
2) I will NOT waste money on fabric fresheners!
I would always buy a decent brand of fabric freshener for the house as I just love that fresh smell it leaves behind on my sofa and linen. I would spend around £72 per year on lovely bits like this to keep my home smelling beautiful. They worked wonderfully but thats an awful lot of money for a linen spritz dont you think?
So now I make my own. I take a spray bottle and add some lovely "strawberry and lily kiss" fabric softener by Comfort (Use any kind you like!) and mix that with sterile (boiled water thats been cooled) water. I nomally do 1 part softener to 3 parts water and that seems perfect. I spritz it all around the home and my sofas and linens smell as amazing as ever. I do not know the exact amount this costs me, but im guessing around £3 per year. HUGE saving of £69 AND I like the smell of my own better!
3) Tumble dryer sheets are just not worth the money.
Ive been known to spend £52 per year on dryer sheets. They enhance the smell of clean washing and I sometimes lay them in draws to keep clothes smelling fresh. I am sure I am not alone in doing this.
Now £52 a year doesnt seem to bad I guess, for how much nicer your clothes smell.
That being said I know how to easily make my own for around £5 per year, so I am pretty biased I guess.
To make my own I simply buy a pack of dish cloths and soak them in a bit of fabric softener. Let them air dry and stick one in tumble dry and lay one in draws. Does the exact same job and you get to choose the smell you want. If you suffer with sensitive skin too this is a fantastic way to ensure you are using a non-irritating brand.
4) Buy a clothes arier if you do not have a washing line!
Did you know it costs the average family over £89 to run a tumble dryer a year? Now I fully admit that sometimes you just need to. Bedding is a nightmare to dry without one but can you imagine a world where you used the dryer half as much? For every load you pop in there you pop one on the line or airer? Your bill would half itself AND its green. £45 extra a year seems a pretty good deal to me!
These little tips may not seem much, but that £300+ a year seems an awful lot for next to no work. These tips are practical. Ive read so many blogs on homemakers saving £500++ a year but the methods have always seemed so extreme or impractical for me. Extreme couponing and going without squash has never been me. But I hope these tips help some of you.
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