Love Your Home, Pad Your Bank Account!
It’s your single biggest investment and one you should be proud of! So, how exactly do you give it the attention it deserves and not break the bank?
- Organization! A well organized house is not only healthy for you and your families’ lifestyle, but it saves cleaning time too. Keep a special area in your house for papers you need to work on, bills to be paid, etc so that they are in one place when you’re ready for them. Paying bills on time prevents those awful late fees and interest charges from adding up!
- Get your kids in the habit of giving you notes from school right away. A family calendar is a wonderful way to keep track of everyone’s busy lives! Last minute rushing can cause unnecessary expense (actually baking bake sale items vs. buying them; making birthday cards instead of buying them, etc)
- Cut back on your cleaning budget by having family members chip in and do chores ~ make it a family affair! Delegate each person a job – its amazing what happens when you get a kid off the computer, phone or TV! Do a list so each day they spend 15 minutes on a chore rather than taking up your precious weekend time to do it all. Dust one day, vacuum the next, toss in a load of laundry each night, etc.
- Reward kids not by an allowance, but rather a treat out to the movies, ice cream, etc. Explain to them that a portion of the money you are saving by having them do chores is spent on THEM instead – they’ll love that!
- Most people spend up to $10,000 a year on having a full time helper. With a little effort, you can slash that budget and enjoy the savings yourself or put it toward something else such as a night out, or save up for a family vacation.
- To get in some exercise, family time and save money, do lawn care yourself. Sure you might have to put in some initial money for equipment, but doing your own yard is rewarding and healthy too! Make it an after work project when the sun isn’t so hot.
- Make a list of dinner ideas and plan ahead to avoid eating out. Food on the run isn’t always healthy and it can add to big spending too! Cook on weekends and freeze or fridge meals so they are quick and easy to put together during the busy weeknights. Keep an ongoing list of grocery needs so when you go to the store you know exactly what you need and don’t overspend or buy duplicate items.
- The usual energy-saving advice is always important: turn off lights, have efficient appliances, turn off water when brushing your teeth, etc are excellent money savers. Tell your kids how much your utilities are costing each month and let them know that if they turn off the lights, cut down on shower time, etc it will help out financially…kids need to know that little things add up!
- Use solar landscape lighting. When you’re not home in the evenings, these will be on to greet you upon arrival. There’s no need to think about turning them on or coming home to a dark house now!
- Saving money comes down to being more organized; both are not easy but being organized is worth it in the long run. Not only will you save money but you pass on healthy habits to your kids and there’s less stress overall.
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