21 Money-Saving Tips Every Home Owner Needs To Know

Everyone knows that being a home owner comes with a lot of responsibilities, and a lot of those responsibilities come with a lot of costs too. Even when you carefully budget for repairs that need to be done around the house, there are always times when unexpected things go wrong or break. This is why it’s always a smart idea to know a few clever home maintenance hacks, just in case, to help you save some money. These tips and tricks can help you to save money around the house, from the garden to the garage, and keep your home in good order.

Split Your Sponges

Sponges are great for cleaning, and they soak up everything in their way. Unfortunately, they can also suck up a lot of money, due to how often they need replacing. For those worried about their budget, half a sponge packs just as much ability to get things clean as a whole one. You can get twice as much use out of a pack of sponges by cutting each sponge in half.

Reduce Water Waste From Your Flush

Unless you have a dual-flush toilet, you are probably losing a lot of water down the drain every time you flush the toilet. Losing all that water isn’t great for the environment, and it raises your water bill too. You can save water and flush smarter by adding a brick or a full plastic water bottle into the toilet tank. The extra bulk in the tank raises the tank’s float arm faster, so you need less water to fill up the tank.

Save Your Razors

Get more use out of your disposable razors by sharpening them. You can do this with something you already have in your wardrobe. A leather belt. The grit on the underside of the belt acts like a strop, which can refine the dull edge of the blade until it is as sharp as it was before, and you can get some more shaves out of it.

Clean The Coils

Gunk, dust, and other dirt that collects on the condenser coils of your refrigerator can make this already hard-working appliance work even harder, pushing your energy bills up even higher. Use your vacuum cleaner with a crevice-friendly attachment on it to get rid of the muck to improve its energy efficiency. A home warranty is also a good idea to look after your appliances like your fridge.

Use Old Tights

Tights and stockings are a great finish to an outfit, but once they’ve worn holes in, don’t throw them out. Instead, slip them over your hand like a glove, and use them to clean dusty lamps, furniture, and other accessories for a perfectly polished finish. No need for any cleaning products!

Save Water In The Garden

Water bills can get high. Save yourself some money, and do more for the environment by creating a slow-drip watering device for your flowerbeds. These are made from a water bottle with small holes punched in, and filled with strips of old socks or denim. Plant the device in your garden next to young seedlings to keep them hydrated. You can also use grey water to water the garden.

Keep The Fridge Full

Empty milk bottles or other large containers placed in a half-full fridge can help to increase the cold air circulation and lower your electric bill. The empty bottles get cold and keep things around them cold, keeping the average temperate in the fridge lower, as well as your electric bill.

Use Mesh Bags

The mesh bags that things like onions and oranges often come in can be reused in the kitchen as pot scrubbers. Cut and fold the bag into the shape you like, then use a yarn needle and rug yarn to stitch the edges closed. Now you have a new pot scrubber!

Ditch Dryer Sheets

Single-use dryer sheets make laundry day smell great, but they get expensive. For a natural alternative, dip clean, cut-up rags into a solution of essential oils and vinegar. Store these sheets in an airtight container, and they can be reused in lots of loads of laundry.

DIY Your Air-Conditioning

Ditch your AC bills this summer and make your own DIY air conditioner instead of turning on the AC. Plant a fan on top of a bucket full of ice, and point the fan at where you need cooling down. This easy hack will keep you cool and comfortable for a fraction of the cost of running the AC.

Save Soap Fragments

If your bar of soap has worn down to a small fragment, don’t throw out the last ends and replace. Instead, save all these slivers of soap, and when you have a few, mold them together into a brand new bar. Melt the scraps of soap you have saved over the stove. Pour the mixture into a soap bar mold, and let them dry. Now you have a new bar of soap.

Use Budget Storage

Instead of buying expensive organizing solutions to get your kitchen cupboards clutter-free, use old empty jars or mason jars. Rinse, dry, and decorate your jars, and fill them with anything you need from pasta to tool bits. Jars are easy to come by and can be used inside or outside for storage. They look smart but don’t come with the costs of store-bought options.

Boost Your WiFi

A can of soda can be used to boost your WiFi signal and your internet speed without paying for an upgrade. Cut the bottom off the empty can. Slice off the lid, leaving about an inch connected to the can. Cut and unfurl the can. Slide the mouth of the lid over the antenna of your router and the signal will be boosted! No need for an expensive signal booster.

Sharpen Your Tools

If your tools need sharpening, don’t pay someone to do it, and instead store them in a repurposed planter instead. Paint, seal, and pack planter tightly with sand and mineral oil. This combination will keep your gardening tools clean and the blades sharp, for no cost.

Collect Rain Water

Don’t use extra water to water your plants. Instead, capture and reuse rain, and roof and gutter roof with a rain barrel. Fit one under the eaves to collect the most water. This can save you a lot of money on keeping your plants happy. You can also save washing up water and cooking water for use around the garden too.

Clear Weeds From Your HVAC Unit

Lush foliage looks beautiful in the garden, but you don’t want it around our HVAC unit, where it can cause the system to run a lot less efficiently. Allow for some proper airflow around the unit, and lower how much electricity it consumes by clearing any weeds and pruning back any bushes that have got too close to the unit.

Save Your Shower Curtain

When your shower curtain liner has become covered in mold and mildew, it’s usually easier to just replace it rather than try to get it clean again. However, if you keep an eye out for the first signs of these problems, you can save your curtain, and keep it looking good for longer, and not need to replace it. As soon as you notice the first signs of mold or mildew building up, trim off the bottom of the curtain with scissors so the grime can’t creep any further up the curtain.

Stop Using Your Dryer

The warmth and the smell of clothes fresh out of the dryer are lovely, but that experience becomes a lot less appealing when you realize how much energy, and therefore money, your dryer users. A clothesline or drying rack works just as well to get your clothes dry, and using one will save you a lot of money on your electric bill. It also makes your clothes last longer if they’re not being thrown around in the dryer.

Fit A Ceiling Fan

Before you turn up the air-conditioning, think about installing a ceiling fan. A fan will save you money in the warmer months, but if you switch it to run clockwise when the weather gets cold, a ceiling fan can help you to keep your rooms warm in cooler weather too.

Get Free Mulch

If you want a lush lawn on the cheap, don’t call a landscape gardener. Instead, call your local parks department. They might be willing to give you mulch or compost from the park for low or no cost, so you can feed your lawn for nothing.

Use Up Toothpaste Dregs

Trying to get the last bits of toothpaste out of the tube is annoying. A short pencil can be used to help you draw out the last dregs of toothpaste from the tube, so you can wait a bit longer before buying a new one. Start at the end, and wrap the tube around the pencil. Roll the pencil up, until you can get the last drops of toothpaste out.