Finding ways to save money on your household bills is sometimes easier said than done, but if you can start to think smarter about everything that you do around the house, you’ll soon find those regular outgoings becoming less and less. Smarter living can mean many things, and today we’re going to look at how you can get smarter and save money on common household bills.
How to save money on your household bills
1. Get smarter with car insurance
If you are paying for your car insurance by monthly direct debit, one way to reduce your monthly outgoing is to increase your excess. With many insurance providers offering a voluntary and compulsory excess, if you increase your voluntary excess, your monthly cost will reduce.
If your annual mileage has reduced, be sure to mention this when getting insurance quotes as well. Low miles mean less time on the road which means a lesser risk to accidents. This can therefore reflect more favourably on your premiums.
2. Get smart with your home insurance
While you can save on your car insurance by increasing your voluntary excess, take a bit of time and sit down to look at who you use for other insurance. If you can get your home, car, travel and any other insurance with the one provider you should be able to negotiate on your premiums, providing a saving that you would otherwise not get if you use multiple companies for your insurance needs.
3. Shop smarter
One of the best and easiest ways to save money on your weekly / monthly household bills is to get smarter when you shop. Consider switching to own-brand products in the supermarket or shop online as this can often reduce the urge to add non-essential items to your shopping basket.
We would also recommend doing your research on smaller local shops in your area and seeing how they compare on fresh fruit and veg, milk & diary and bread. If you have local producers selling in your area, you may be able to save by buying directly from them rather than through the larger supermarkets.
4. Switch electricity providers
Shopping around with utilities providers is another way to start saving on your household bills. Look at your monthly and quarterly billings for electricity, oil, gas, phone or internet and see if you can get a better deal elsewhere. Online comparison sites can be a good starting point here but be sure to be thorough when checking what exactly you will be getting.
When it comes to electricity, be sure to check out the Electric Ireland switch page to see how you can start saving on your energy costs today. Save up to £75 by switching to Northern Ireland’s top rated energy supplier.
5. Get smart with your energy usage
Another simple way to start saving money on your household bills is to start thinking smarter about how and when you use electricity around your home. We recently shared seven tips for saving energy around your home this spring. These include turning lights off and letting natural light fill your room, and reducing the time you spend in the shower every day. Read more about spring energy saving tips to help reduce your household bills here.
6. Get broadband smart
Are you currently using separate providers for your phone, TV and broadband? TV and broadband providers like Sky, Virgin and BT are regularly offering incentives for new and existing customers. Decide what exactly you need from these suppliers and look to see what savings you could make by bundling your TV, broadband and phone package all with the same supplier.
7. Get smarter with your mobile
Northern Ireland has become a smartphone society, with research in 2016 from Ofcom highlighting that 72% of the NI population now use a smartphone. With this figure only likely to continue to increase, it’s time to get smarter with your smartphone. If you are on a contract, start to consider ways of reducing your monthly bill.
Do you need to upgrade to the latest model or will a previous version be okay? Considering older models instead of the latest version will help to significantly reduce your contract, as will the terms of your contract – do you really need all those free texts and minutes or is it data that you need? Negotiate with your mobile phone supplier and shop around to find a deal that will save you money on a monthly basis, but still ensure you have a phone that enables you to do all you need.
Have you any money saving tips to share?
Have you mastered the art of saving on your household bills? Share your top money saving tips with us on Facebook and Twitter and we’ll share the best tips, to ensure we can all begin to live a little smarter.
When it comes to electricity, be sure to check out the Electric Ireland switch page to see how you can start saving on your energy costs today. Save up to £50 by switching to Northern Ireland’s top rated energy supplier.