Are You Organised At Home?
In my last article – Organisation – The Key To Saving, we saw how being a little more organised before you leave the house can be beneficial to the bank balance. How taking those few extra minutes in the morning to plan ahead can save you those important pennies throughout the day. However, there are also things you can do to organise yourself in the home; things that will make your life easier and keep your savings safe.
Stand And Deliver
Delivery companies prey on the less organised amongst us; hiking up delivery charges if we just so happen to forget to order that Valentine’s Day present for the beloved. Making us pay through the nose to ensure Uncle Bob’s personalised 70th birthday banner arrives on time. Next day or special delivery charges can be extortionate. Yet, planning ahead for upcoming events means we can avoid paying oodles for the urgent arrival of those important gifts.
Everything Has It’s Place
I’m sure most of us try to be organised, meaning to put everything back in its rightful place after use. However, real life can be very different; we all lead busy lives, juggling time, deadlines and often not-so-helpful children, who leave a trail of destruction wherever they go! Chargers become invisible, scissors get up and walk away and don’t get me started on the car keys! Many of us waste money replacing items that invariably turn up several weeks later. If the car or house keys teleport (it’s the only explanation!) it can mean a rather hefty fee to call out the locksmith. Putting items back into their proper place after use could result in spending less money replacing them.
Servicing Our Savings
Keeping up to date with services on electrical appliances, boilers or vehicles is the logical way to guard against bigger issues. Falling behind with the annual maintenance checks can result in a sizeable pay out. Is the dashboard of your car is lighting up like Blackpool Illuminations? Is the blue safety flame on your boiler is playing hide and seek? Hoping that the situation will magically resolve itself may not be the best solution. Taking action before you’re faced with a sizeable repair bill is key. And probably the cheaper option in the long run!
Food Facts
Food is a big money drain. It’s a necessity, a pleasure and a large part of our monthly expenditure. Being organised with how we shop can make a real difference to our bank balances. Doing one weekly (preferably online) shop works well to keep spending down and to reduce waste. Planning your meals ahead and only buying what’s on your list (no cheating and running down to the chippy for a sneaky battered sausage!) is a canny way of reducing food bills. It avoids the temptation of unnecessary sale items and helps you focus on planning for the week ahead.
These are a just a few examples of how planning ahead and being organised can make a real difference to your monthly expenditure. Making a few small changes may help to develop some cash saving habits that could lead to long term gains.
