So Over Debt

The following is a guest post from MoneySupermarket.

Winter is beginning to set in as people look for better ways to save money around the house. It’s not made any easier by the fact that gas and electricity prices are on the rise pretty much all the time. Still, there are ways you can save cash to spend on things you actually care about.

Home insurance is one thing you can save money on over the course of a year. Making your property generally safer to live in will have a beneficial effect on the insurance premium for your home and its contents. You could place thorny plants beneath any external window sills on your property, lay down gravel if you have a driveway, and install an alarm system to deter any potential intruders. Such things will get the thumbs up from your insurer and subsequently knock a good chunk off your premium. When you’re looking for home insurance, compare all the deals out there to make sure you get the best one for you.

When it comes to getting creative inside the house to save on your bills, there are many things you can do. You can even include the kids, not only to keep them busy but to make them aware of the importance of saving money at home.

One such example of a family-friendly, money-saving activity is making your own draft stopper. Draft stoppers are excellent little items to have in the house because they keep those cold winter winds from creeping in through the gaps under your doors, therefore minimizing the need to keep your thermostat set at higher temperatures in the evenings.

Image

All you need to make your own draft stopper is a large, rectangular piece of material that is slightly longer than the width of your door, a pair of old tights or leggings, some filler, and a sewing kit. First, you need to stitch the material lengthways and then stitch one end of it up so you have what is essentially a very long pocket. Secondly, cut a leg off your tights or leggings, stitch one end up and fill it with your filler of choice (anything from rice to beans from a beanbag will suffice). When it is full enough to fill the inside of the material, stitch the other end up and stuff it inside your long pocket, then stitch the other end of that up and voila – you have a homemade draft stopper.

Finally, food represents a huge amount of our waste at home. Hundreds of dollars are being thrown straight in the trash every year. Many of you probably make the most of your food, but if you don’t, it is definitely worth your while to use leftovers from previous meals and unused items in the fridge as much as possible. You can always throw together a concoction of such foodstuffs to create something that will cure your hunger as well as your financial woes.