~ Does Mum/Dad Want To Save Money The Easy Way? ~

A few ideas were rolling on a quiet, Sunday afternoon, looking back on some harsh circumstances of friends, throughout the sands of time, and here are, hopefully, a few useful hints I've garnered, which you may find handy.

For many families today, making ends meet is becoming more and more difficult during these harsh economic times, with the increase in food costs, utility bills, fuel and transportation prices seemingly being hiked up on a corporate whim.

Many individuals now find themselves out of work, and even those with degrees are finding it increasingly hard to acquire a permanent position. For the first time in their busy lives, some find themselves on welfare, offering bleak prospects for the near future. One can only tighten the belt so much, before something else has to give…..What’s one to do? Feed the kids, but miss the latest payment on the electric bill? Pay the council tax, then can’t afford to fill the car with petrol? More decisions of a financial nature which never seemed to be a bother before, now step up to the forefront, and make fiscal decisions more of a priority for the family.

Some of the things I propose here may seem obvious to you, but I hope that some of the information in the list, is of some help, as I have found it to be of practical benefit, and money-saving ( and who isn’t looking to save? ).

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Discussing your financial dire-straits, gives call to open up a new agreement with one’s landlord/lady. A compromise, to temporarily lower your rental costs for a fixed period, even if only a few pounds/dollars per week/month, can only help to apply that much-needed cash injection to more pressing areas in your life. If they are understanding, you may find that this new arrangement falls in your favour.

For mortgage owners, rearranging your payment amounts could be a great help if your bank, or building society are willing to renegotiate. If you’re not happy with what you are being dealt, one can always shop around the compare sites on the internet, to discover who is currently offering the best deal, for the longest time.

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As you may be aware, if your home electrical system is based on an ‘ ECONOMY 7 ‘ tariff ( i.e. seven hours of cheap-rate electricity between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m. ), the price of your supply per kw/h is a great deal more expensive during the day ( sometimes up to three times as much! ) than it is at night.Therefore, it makes sense to cater for your hot water needs for the following day, by utilizing the immersion heater at night. If your immersion has two elements (upper for daytime, lower for nightime ), set the upper element to 60 degrees Centigrade/Celsius, and the lower, to 75 degrees Centigrade/Celsius, respectively. Make sure that the tank is fully insulated with a jacket, so the heat doesn’t dissipate.

For high energy consumptive domestic appliances, like washing machines, and electrical clothes dryers, you can plug them into a timer switch to take advantage of the cheap night rates. If you find that your electric clothes dryer is becoming too expensive to run, consider selling it, and using some of the money on an alternative, like the ‘ Dri-Buddy ‘, which only uses about 900W of energy, takes all of the creases out of your clothes, so saving time and money on ironing, and can also be plugged into a timer at night for even greater savings.

Turning down one’s refrigerator a notch at night, will also save you cash ( just remember to turn it back up again, especially during a hot day! ).

If you live in a dual fuel residence ( both gas & electric ), it is usually more economical to use gas for cooking during the day on a connected gas supply, or even a portable camping stove, if you are a student should suffice. When using aforementioned cooker oven, remember to turn it off approximately five minutes before the food is due to be fully cooked, as the heat still retained should be enough to finish heating your meal.

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Energy-saving light bulbs have proved very popular over the last few years, but there is still a bone of contention regarding their permanent usage. Although they will save you money( using only 20W compared to a conventional 100W bulb ), there is still debate as to whether or not, if used over a prolonged period, can cause problems for epileptics, and are difficult to dispose of safely, but that will be down to personal choice, and an investigation would be too lengthy, and in depth to go into here. Check it out!

There are discounts for prompt payment of electric bills, and even more savings to be had by paying via the Direct Debit method through the bank. Some electricity companies offer special deals which they link to a particular supermarket; for every pound you spend on electric, it equates to a given value in points, which they convert into a cash value by way of shopping voucher(s), which come in handy towards paying your food costs.

Unfortunately for the consumer/customer, utility bills are increasing too, so it may be useful to pay through a monthly payment plan booklet, to spread out those increasing instalments. If there are very few people living in your household, then it is definitely worth considering getting a WATER METER fitted – the savings can be very good indeed. If you are connected to one of these meters, then further savings can be accrued by only filling kettles to the level needed to make your cuppa, and topping up baths to just the level needed for an adequate wash. When brushing teeth, consider filling a beaker with water, as opposed to letting the tap trickle, saving litres of the clear stuff, and you, even more money. Furthermore, make sure you have unworn washers fitted to your faucets, as a dripping tap can cost you over time ( new washers are very cheap ).

You can use less water when flushing the lavatory, and it still remain hygienic. Fill a compact one litre bottle/container with sand, and place in the top of the cistern reservoir. It will displace the water in the closet, and should use one litre less of water each time you flush.

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Before refuelling the car, check out the cheapest fuel depots/pumping stations in your area, via a reputable website, to save you driving around to find one.

Inflating your tyres to the correct pressure for your model of vehicle also helps fuel economy.

Removing unnecessary, heavy items from your vehicle will also help towards saving a little money too ( but keep that spare tyre in there! ).

Driving at a speed of approximately 50 m.p.h. ( in the proper zone ), will give best fuel consumption – ‘ Fifty is Thrifty ‘, might be worth remembering.

Changing gear at between 2000 – 3000 revs will prevent you from wasting fuel, as will changing gear at the proper speed for your vehicle, as prescribed in the manual for your car model.

* Bulk-buy food for extra savings, and barter with friends/neighbours for some of the surplus which you have, that they might need, and vice versa. Don’t forget to give to charity – you will be rewarded :)

* Purchase some of your necessities from the supermarket or local mini-mart later on in the day/evening, as some items are drastically reduced in price. { e.g. today ( 3rd FEB., 2014 ), I bought a dozen, top-of-the-range free-range eggs for £1:08 ( approx. $1:76 ), normally priced at £4:40 ( approx. $ 7:17 ). }

* Consider adding a little water to fresh O.J. to stretch it further – you don’t need a great volume to prevent you from getting scurvy!

* Consider making many meals in one session, to save on domestic fuel, and store cooled foodstuffs in the fridge, or freezer, to be eaten on another day by reheating in a microwave.

* If you own a freezer, always keep the space full, even if there is very little food in it. A suitably sized, empty cardboard box should suffice, as it takes less electricity to freeze a full compartment than it does an empty one.

* Always squeeze toothpaste from the bottom – waste not, want not!

* When that shampoo bottle seems empty, before throwing it away, tip it upside down for a few minutes ( same as a sauce bottle – but obviously don’t put sauce on your head unless you’re a freak: ); there’s usually one more wash left in there.

* Send off for FREE SAMPLES found on websites such as ' www.freestufffinder.co.uk. ' This particular ' freebie ' site scours for useful items which can be had for nought, which include the countries U.S.A, CANADA and the U.K.

If you are still skint after employing all of these tips, might I suggest that you sidle over to next door where you can both go halves, and cry into a box of cut-price tissues ; )

I’m not suggesting you make Ebenezer Scrooge look like your sugar-daddy by employing these money-saving tips all the time, but if it helps put something towards even a bunch of flowers or box of chocolates for that wonderful lady in your life, or a treat for the kids at the weekend, then my work here is done.

Thank you for your kind patience in reading, and I hope this ride helps you out.

Happy saving!