This year is, for many, a time during which you’re going to want to pinch the pennies that bit tighter to remain financially stable. With a recession on the way, and jobs a little less secure than they were in 2019, it’s essential that you can find ways to save cash throughout 2020 and into the coming years of this decade. One such way is to save cash in the home — and this article looks at four different ways in which you can maintain and bedeck your home on a budget this year.
Maintenance
One of the most significant unexpected fees that you have to pay from time to time when you own a home is the maintenance costs. If you’re used to renting, you’ll know that it’s your landlord’s responsibility to get your home in good working order. But when you own your home, the responsibility is yours — and often, it can be expensive to maintain your home. As such, you should:
- Target problems before they become more extensive and more expensive to fix
- Refrain from calling out the tradesmen when you can fix the problem yourself
- Call friends or family to help you with maintenance projects on the weekends
Saving cash on tradesmen can be one way in which you save cash across your household expenses this year.
Don’t Replace — Repair
Whether your home is new or ageing — and whether your utilities and your furniture are brand new or getting scuffed around the edges a little bit — it’s important to squeeze as much life out of them as possible. If you don’t, you’ll be wasting cash on your home. You can repair:
- White goods, like your fridge or your washing machine
- Furniture, like broken chairs, tables or beds
- Tiles in your bathroom or kitchen
- Floors and walls, with simple DIY techniques
Repairing yourself is a good deal cheaper than replacing what’s broken — and this should always be your first option when you have a mishap at home.
Fitting Items Yourself
Meanwhile, there are several times a year when you have the choice as to whether you perform DIY yourself, or you bring in a tradesman to do it for you. It’s likely the call-out and labour costs of a tradesperson will exceed £100 — whereas you’ll be able to do it for free if you’re confident about the process. For your gas system, for instance, you can purchase stainless steel valves to refit your piping — so long as you’re sure you can do this safely in your home.
Stop Consuming
Consuming is a luxury of those with disposable incomes, If you’re feeling the pinch in 2020, one of the best ways in which you can reduce your spending is to simply stop consuming. You may have had your eye on a new kettle for a while, but if your old one works just fine, you should hold off on making that new purchase. The same can be said for much of your household. Save cash in 2020 by being responsible for your purchasing decisions until you can be more comfortable spending in the future.
Use these tips to save cash in your home in 2020.
