How to Save Money Around the House

Figuring out how to save money around the house is easier than you think. Small changes, coupled with a few large ones, can add up to real savings. Incorporate these easy ways to save money into your life and keep a few more dollars in the bank.

Save money at home

Some of the largest costs around the house come from paying others to do something, such as repairs or improvements. Learning how to do these things yourself, from minor plumbing repairs to installing windows, is a big way to save money.

Here are some areas that take need a few skills but might save you big bucks:

• Painting: Clear out the room, cover and tape windows, tape doorframes and wallboard and cover part of the flooring with plastic. Borrow large rollers and buy discounted paint and you can now paint your own room, often for less than $50.
• Flooring: While laying carpet or tile may be best left to the experts with the right tools, many floors today are laminate pieces that snap together. Get a few pointers from a home improvement store or check out a flooring installation book from the library for a little additional help. Begin with a small room, like a laundry room, that isn't used much and work your way into doing bigger, oft-used spaces.
• Maintenance: Learn how to change your air conditioning filter and your heater's filter. Clean your gutters with a ladder by hand every spring. Learn how to replace faucets and showerheads. Change your vehicle's oil and air filters on a regular basis.

The Internet provides an abundance of resources for the burgeoning do-it-yourselfer. Otherwise, check out a book from the library. For more complicated projects, consider attending a workshop at a local adult education center or home improvement store. The small cost involved still adds up to big savings in the long run.

When things do break, one of the first things many people do is throw the item out. Try to practice frugal living and instead of immediately tossing the broken item, see if you can repair it. For example, a small sewing kit can easily take care of ripped hems, torn knees and lost buttons on clothing. A broken chair leg might be fixable with some wood glue and a few nails.

If the item breaks is something you cannot repair, see if your neighbors or friends have the skills necessary to fix the item. Exchange another service for the repair labor. Try having a mechanically-inclined friend fix your car in exchange for several hours of babysitting, lawn care or another skill you have to offer.

Finally, consider simply living without the particular item. The idea of not buying it might sound crazy at first, but many people can live without certain items they deem are "necessary." Maybe you don't need to buy an mp3 player, espresso machine, or camcorder. You can always listen to your car radio or Internet radio, make coffee with a regular machine, and look back at photographs or short video clips taken with your regular camera.

Not every idea for how to save money around the house involves learning new skills or sacrificing the items we have come to enjoy in our daily lives. The simplest ideas, working together, will add up. Consider:

• Saving your aluminum cans and using recycling to save money in states with a can deposit.
• Turning off all appliances you are not currently using, either individually or with a powerstrip.
• Find fun and affordable ways to entertain yourself, such as hosting a family board game night, instead of relying on cable/satellite television, movies, the Internet or video games to stay amused.
• Give making your own products, like laundry detergent or cleaning products, a try.
• Practice home energy saving tips, such as only washing full sinks of dishes and covering windows with insulating plastic in the winter.

Saving money around the house is an easy way to keep your household budget in check. With a little persistence, these practical ways to save money will work.

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