Today – Different Ways to Reduce the Costs of Running a Family Home

Nobody prepares you for how expensive raising a family is. There are always bills to be paid, items to be replaced, clothes that get outgrown and a never-ending supply of food. We only ever want the best for our children, so we don’t question paying for this stuff – but sometimes we just can’t physically afford everything thrown our way.

You’re already struggling to fit Christmas into the budget. Are there any ways we can make raising a family more affordable? Yes. Follow our tips on how to reduce the costs of running a family home and you’ll soon find it less difficult to make monthly ends meet. Here they are:

 

 

1.) Electrical Efficiency

Every month, electricity bills take a sizeable chunk out of the budget. It’s not uncommon to receive a nasty shock at how much you’ve inadvertently wasted as well. However, it’s relatively easy for families to reduce the price of their electricity bill. Firstly, encourage your children to turn off the lights whenever they’ve left the room. Avoid using things like tumble dryers or kettles because they cost an extortionate amount to run.

You should also get your family into the habit of turning electrical appliances off at the plug once they have finished using them. Leaving your television on standby is a needless waste of electricity. If you want help establishing what is costing you the most, then think about installing a smart meter. Though these are expensive, they might end up saving you a lot of money in the long run.

Take a look at Hometree for some great value boiler and home cover plans.

 

 

2.) Thermal Efficiency

Gas bills are another big expenditure that families must face every month. This ties into the thermal efficiency of your house, which is the term used to describe how easy it is to warm up or cool down each room. The less thermally efficient your home is, the more you need air conditioning or central heating. As a result, your gas bills increase as you’re using the boiler more. To correct this problem and save money when running a family home, we recommend improving its thermal efficiency by investing in double-glazed windows, plus insulating the walls and roof. You should always be aware of these things before buying a house.

Don’t forget to set a timer for when your heating should come on in the winter. The optimal times are the morning or evening, as sunlight won’t be able to provide much warmth when its dark. It’s also a good idea to invest in an efficient boiler. Otherwise, you’ll spend a lot of money every month on something that is doing hardly anything. We recommend you follow Boiler Central’s guidance on this subject to avoid being lured into a false economy.

 

3.) Water Wastage

Whilst we’re on this trend, let’s not forget about water bills. There are many ways for families to reduce the costs here. For starters, if your children are young, it’s relatively common to wash them in the bath together, as this will save you pouring two tubs of water. You could also start regulating how long each person is taking in the shower and encourage everyone to turn off the taps when brushing their teeth. In addition to this, you should rely less on the dishwasher, as this uses 55 litres of water on average, as opposed to 6 litres with a washing-up bowl. But perhaps the best thing you can do is install a water meter for your home. Water suppliers usually calculate your bill with a rough estimate which can lead to you being overcharged. A meter shows definitively how much water you’ve used that month, saving you an enormous amount over time.

 

4.) Savvy Shopping

There are many ways you can save money on your shopping for the family each month. One of our top tips is to avoid buying branded items at the supermarket. You end up paying a higher price for the same product. For example, why would you buy 700g of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies for £4 when you can get 750g of Rice Snaps from Tesco for £1.50? You should also avoid ready-made meals and instead cook your food from scratch. Finally, as we mentioned before, children grow out of their clothes quickly. This means you spend an incredible amount of money on new clothing every year.

Parents with two children should keep the eldest’s clothes as a hand-me-down for the younger sibling, and charity shops are a brilliant way to buy new clothes which are of high-quality but inexpensive. These tips are simple but effective.

These are the main ways you can reduce the costs of running your family home. Spend your money wisely on effective solutions like new boilers or water meters, plus find little ways to cut down costs (such as unbranded products or charity shops), and you’ll save yourself a fortune in the long run.