Running a family home is a little like running a business, you have an income (provided by the occupants) and then you have expenses, many expenses, and it can seem like a struggle to stay ahead of the game. Here are a few great tips to help you balance your household expenses, in no particular order.
- A Coin Jar – Seriously, this is a great way to put a little away for a rainy day, and the longer you leave it, the more money you’ll have. A big, glass jar with a screw top would be ideal, simply cut a groove in the centre of the cap, then superglue it on! If you tell everyone in the family that they should put all of their loose change in the jar when they arrive home in the evening, which can be kept in the hall entrance, the jar will soon fill up.
- Buy in Bulk – Certain products are what we call ‘ongoing’, and when buying things like soap powder, fabric softener, dog food, or indeed anything that is constantly needed, buy in bulk, as the price per unit will be cheaper. Of course, bulk buying isn’t always possible, but a visit to your local wholesale store will save you on essentials.Â
- Unexpected Bills – Running a home means there will be times when a repair is called for, and if you are ever short of cash, take out a Nimble loan, as this will cover the repair; you can pay it off in a few months and with the online lender, you get fast loan approval and funds transfer. House maintenance can be kept to a minimum with regular building inspections, which would include the roof, a critical component of the property, however, unexpected repairs are part and parcel of home ownership.
- Bookkeeping – It wouldn’t take you long to create a couple of Excel files and record household expenses, and with a few minutes every day, you will have a record on your home expenditure. This will enable you to see clearly the areas where you could make a saving. If you simply buy things, with no real concern about price, it will be very difficult to manage the home, and a little thought can result in savings. In the event you ever wish to sell your home, here are some tips for online listing, which could prove useful.
- Shop Online – Just about everything you need to run the home can be purchased online, and with lower-than-retail prices and free delivery, you really can’t go wrong. More and more consumers are going down the e-commerce road, as this means no human contact, and with this global pandemic, social distancing must be observed. You can do many things online, such as sourcing and contacting essential services like plumbing or roofing, and shopping online means lower prices, not to mention zero travel expenses.
Managing a home is an art and the longer you are running the home, the more you’ll learn. You need, for example, to source all the emergency services you might need – plumber, electrician, roofer etc – and store them in your smartphone, This means you are always ready for whatever might happen, and if you treat building maintenance seriously, your property will always be in good order.
