Tag: save

Money

5 Tips to Save on Electric Bills This Summer

Jayne2 Comments

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Summer is on our doorstep, but we are likely to spend it indoors this year. Due to the current lockdown, we might not be able to make the most out of local parks and beaches for a while. If you are confined at home, there are tips you can count on to see your money go further, without having to change up your lifestyle too much. Best of all, the tips below can help you enjoy your time indoors a little more!

Leverage natural light

As summer approaches, we can start to enjoy longer days, more hours of sunlight, and later sunsets. With all this natural light, it would be a pity to switch lights on during the day. And, ultimately, this might cost you quite a lot more than just letting the sunlight come through the windows.

However, for the best results, you might need to reevaluate your window coverings and curtains. Heavy drapes might prevent your windows from working at their best. Instead, for the summer, opt to switch to a lighter option. This alternative allows the light and fresh air to change the atmosphere of your rooms.

Switch to a better lighting system

Even if you are trying to limit the usage of lights, we rely on them for most of the day. However, some tricks can help you reduce your energy bills. Start by switching to a more sustainable lighting scheme and low consumption light bulbs.

It could be that you need to update your lighting system completely. If this is the case, once you have found the perfect lighting system for your needs, you will want to get in touch with a professional electrician in your area, who will be able to quickly and safely install your system into your home, which should hopefully save you money for years to come.

Moreover, if you often end up working late, invest in task lighting, which allows you to switch off the primary source of light and stay focused with just a small lightbulb. Additionally, it might be worth considering swapping to LED lights which are much more efficient than your standard bulb.

Use air conditioning mindfully.

As summer approaches, temperatures also start to rise. If your outdoor space is limited and your windows don’t seem to allow enough fresh air in, you are probably thinking to invest in a proper air conditioning system. While this is an excellent idea, you should Compare Energy Prices and implement other forms of air-cooling appliances, such as fans. 

Live more sustainably

Deciding to live more sustainably this summer has excellent benefits, among which the opportunity to save a little more on electricity. Some tips to reduce your footprint include:

  • Taking shorter showers
  • Turn off unnecessary lights
  • Unplug electronics that are not in use
  • Let your dishes air-dry
  • Use lower temperatures settings on your appliances
  • Buy fresh food that won’t need much refrigeration or cooking

Make the most out of your garden

Staying indoors for such a long period might have forced you to find new ways of entertaining yourself and your little ones. However, having the TV on all day long or charging your phone multiple times can end up being costly. Instead, if you have a garden or small terrace, opt to make the most out of it. Dinners al fresco and sunbathing afternoons can be an excellent way to turn off the lights in your home for a few times and forget about the TV!

Money

How to Save Money Faster: Three Quick Tips

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Having some money saved up is undoubtedly the key to better financial security, and for many people, saving up is essential for making big purchases such as a new house, new car, or a dream vacation. Whether you’re saving up for something specific or simply want the added security of knowing that you have some cash stashed away for emergencies, saving money regularly is an excellent habit to develop.

However, putting money aside is not always the easiest, especially if you are struggling with high living costs. Thankfully, there are several smart things that you can do to help your savings grow faster. We’ve rounded up some top tips for faster and more effective saving.

Tip #1. Choose a High-Interest Savings Account

If you’re looking for a new account in which to put your hard-earned savings, then it’s a good idea to choose an option with the highest amount of interest available. As you pay money into your savings account, you’ll also be able to earn money on it. And, the longer that the money is in there, the more you’ll be able to earn. A higher interest rate means better earnings for you.

Some accounts, such as stocks and bonds accounts, will require you to lock the money away for a certain period of time, during which you’ll be unable to access it. However, you will be rewarded with a higher interest rate when your account reaches maturity. Follow the link for more information on choosing the best savings account.

Tip #2. Sell Your Old Stuff

One great way to make some extra cash to put into your savings account is to go through your old belongings and see what you can sell. Chances are, you have items in your home that you no longer have any use for, such as old clothes and shoes, DVDs, gadgets, video games, books, and even essential household items. If you’ve upgraded something such as your television or smartphone, then don’t just simply throw the old one away – you can earn some cash back for it on sites such as eBay or Craigslist that can then be put into your savings account.

Tip #3. Cut Your Monthly Expenses

If you’d like to be able to put more money away into your savings account each month, then the first place to start is by cutting down as many monthly expenses as you can and putting the extra money that you save away instead. There are many different ways in which you can ensure that you are spending less each month.

For example, you can actually save thousands of dollars per year by switching to taking a packed lunch to work, or preparing your own coffee instead of going to Starbucks. Check out comparison sites to see if switching could drive down your utility bills, and call up your cell phone network provider to ask about moving on to a cheaper plan if you feel that you could manage just as well with fewer minutes or data.

If you liked these tips, please let us know!

 

Business

Ways To Save Money if You Run Your Own Business

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Running a Small BusinessWith rising living and childcare costs, more people than ever seem to be looking at ways that they can work from home so that they can limit their expenditure and maximise their income. Starting a business and becoming self employed may seem daunting but there are a lot of advantages to flexible working and many people have huge success. Although it may seem like you’re spending more than you make when you first start, it’s all part of getting started, and we’ve got some tips on how you can save money as a small business owner.

Do Your Own Accounts

Unless your accounts are really complicated (which is unlikely in your first years as a small business) it’s actually really easy to do your accounts yourself online these days, which cuts the need for accountancy fees or an external payroll service. This could save you a lot of money in the long run and is also a great skill to have under your belt for the future.

One way to streamline your expenses process is to think about purchasing a fuel card. Fuel cards allow you to keep track of how much fuel you’re purchasing, and gets rid of those pesky paper receipts, so that filing your travel expenses is super easy. 

Online Printing

If you need to use flyers or posters for promoting your business, using an online printing service like https://www.helloprint.co.uk/ could save you a small fortune. Their service is really easy to use, they offer free delivery on all products and they print on an incredibly diverse range of media – you could even print your company logo on a load of umbrellas!

Negotiate

Here in England, so many of us seem uncomfortable with the idea of bartering on prices but it’s common practice throughout almost the whole rest of the world! If you’re doing business with other people, never accept their first price as bartering could save you a lot of money. Many small businesses offer services as part payment for things too, so if you have a valuable skill you could offer this instead of cash.

Check Your Tarrifs

If you use your home as a place of business, check to see if there are better tariffs available for your energy costs, broadband supplier or telephone contract. Many companies offer special business rates, or even if there’s no money off, some companies will prioritise repairs if they’re for business users, so it could be worth a call to find out if it makes a difference.

Learn New Skills

If you’re looking to save money then taking a few courses could be an investment which saves you money in the long run and give you even more autonomy over how you want your business to run. Need to keep marketing costs low? Take a course in social media marketing and run your campaigns yourself. Need to save on accounting costs? Some companies like Sage offer day courses in small business accounts and payroll which will be a lot cheaper than years of services from an accountant or payroll person.

Luke from Caelum Communications said: “Having a quick and reliable internet connection is a basic essential for a running a business. Failover services and other installations are also great considerations for small and large businesses.”

Money

Need to Save Money? Time to Negotiate!

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Most of us are feeling the pinch at the moment – January is a painfully long month after the huge expense of Christmas and with living expenses seemingly on the rise every day it’s a wonder any of us can still afford to function! There are things that you could be saving money on without even knowing it, just by giving your service provider a call (check http://www.number-directory.co.uk/ for alternative numbers to cut down waiting times). Here’s a few of them to start you off:

Energy Companies

Many of us are using an energy tarrif which is by NO means the cheapest one for us, so calling your energy providers and asking them to reasses your usage is a really good idea. Also, if you pay by Direct Debit and are in credit, it’s worth asking them to reduce the amount they tale each month.

Mobile Providers

My current mobile package gives me unlimited texts and minutes, plus 20GB of data and I know for a fact that, even as a heavy mobile user, I rarely ever reach anywhere near my limits. This month, I’ll be looking at my actual usage and contacting my service provider to see if they have a deal which better suits my needs.

TV Providers

In our house, we have every channel known to man through our TV service, but spend most of our time either watching Netflix or moaning that there’s nothing on telly, which would suggest that we’re paying for packages which are of no use to us! Our contract isn’t up until the summer, but when it is I’ll definitely be calling them to renegotiate our deal. Don’t be afraid to play hardball or threaten to leave if you don’t offer you anything better! And, if needs be, DO actually leave, even if you have your partner start a contract as a new customer as they always get the best deals!

Car Insurance

I’m not going to lie, I’m dreading my car insurance renewal this year, after my incident with the cyclist last summer, but I know for a fact that I won’t be accepting my current insurer’s first quote. I’ll do a lot of shopping around for a good deal and then seeing if my current provider will match it. If not, I’ll be switching straight away!

Loans and Credit Cards

If you have any outstanding loans or credit cards it’s always worth looking for new deals with 0% rates for balance transfers or first-year deals. This will allow you to save money on the interest you may be paying on any money borrowed and if you have a lot of credit, this could represent a really big saving. It’s also worth getting independent financial advice to see if your mortgage deal is the best one for you.

Money

Pressure off your purse strings: 8 ways to save annually on your energy bills

Jayne1 Comment

save money on energy billsLooking for ways to trim the fat on your energy bills so you can save yourself a chunk of dosh? Here are eight ideas to cut your annual energy costs by up to £185, so you can live just that little bit extra.

Play the field

No, not dating – but scouting out a cracking deal to take the pressure off your purse strings.

Despite the totally exotic ‘summer’ this year (the amount of rain that fell in July this year should have been illegal), you should still be checking out all the comparison sites out there. With the sheer amount of help out there, never has there been a better time to surf the net and strike the best deal for Houston electricity. By the way, since you are here reading about how to save your money on electricity bills, you may as well consider installing solar energy panels on your roof.

That has proven to be an excellent way to save money on the long term. Nowadays, there are even courses on how to build your own home energy system and save even more money on installation

Embrace the savvy smart meter

The smart meter – dubbed the next generation of energy meter – is a replacement of existing measures that automatically sends energy readings to your energy supplier and gives you real-time feedback on your energy usage and what it is costing.

A government-backed scheme to introduce the eco friendly tool into 50 million buildings across the nation by 2020 is currently being rolled out. With the ability to accurately measure energy usage, the average household will save between £20 and £30 a year by using the eco-friendly tool; meaning no surprise bills (and less budget headaches).

Add a new layer

Ever wondered how much warm air is escaping your home? Whether through gaps between internal and external walls or through your roof, it can be causing a huge amount of wastage. You can save more than £100 per year by filling such gaps and rafters with mineral wool or foam.

Don’t leave appliances on standby

The age-old slice of wisdom has been bounced around time and time again. But it is true. You can save around £30 a year by remembering to take your sea of appliances out of standby mode. Be careful, though: a number of satellite and digital TV recorders often need to be left plugged in when taping your favourite programmes (we don’t want you to miss your double dose of Corrie).

Banish draughts

Old houses tend to lose a lot of heat through draughts around windows, doors, chimneys and floors. So keep the heat in by draught-proofing your home, block cracks in your floors and skirting boards and buy draught excluders to sit snug against doors, saving yourself up to £35 a year.

Get onboard with energy efficient appliances

You may have heard of energy efficient lightbulbs, but what about an energy efficient kettle? Or tumble dryer? There is quite a range of products now available with an A+++ rating, using less energy than standard models, in a manner of different ways.

Switch to direct debits

Save yourself up to £90 a year on your energy bill. How? Switch to fixed monthly direct debit payments. According to moneysavingexpert.com, it’s usually 6% cheaper than any other way of paying. Paying a fixed estimate each month not only makes it easier to budget, it spreads the cost out throughout the year (goodbye hideous winter bill).

Treat yourself to a new boiler

A brand spanking new boiler, replacing an old G-rated gas boiler and built to be energy efficient, can save you an astonishing £340 a year. It isn’t a cheap investment by any means (a new condensing model with a programmer can cost up to £2,500) but in the long run, it can save you a fortune.