Simple changes in the way certain household expenses are managed can add up to big savings over the course of the year.
Compost and Recycle for Cost Savings
Recycling and composting don’t just cut the impact of household waste on the local landfill. By cutting the amount of garbage to be picked up by a garbage hauler, these two simple acts can also have an impact on the household budget.
Garbage collection fees by private haulers can range from $10 to $30 monthly. When more household items are going into recycling bins or a backyard compost pile, there is less garbage in the can. Why pay for the garbage hauler to collect just one or two bags? To save money, split the cost with a neighbor and share a garbage can, or consider cutting weekly garbage service to just once or twice a month.
Sharing Plants Saves Money on Landscaping
Instead of dropping money at the local garden center for new landscape plants this fall, look around the yard – or the neighbors’ yards – for plants that could be split or relocated. Popular landscape plants such as hostas, yuccas, sedum, lilies and various clumping grasses generally do well when dug up, chopped in half (leaving some root and some tops with each half) and replanted elsewhere.
A vining groundcover that has become a nuisance in one yard can easily and cheaply fill a bare patch in another. In wooded areas, "volunteer" saplings, ferns, mosses and ivy may even be free for the taking and can easily enhance a bare yard for little or no cost.
Another DIY landscaper tip: newspaper works as well under mulch as the weed barrier sheets sold in garden stores for a fraction of the price.
Inexpensive Paint Saves Cost of Replacement
If the shutters, the front door or the lawn furniture is looking worn, think repair rather than replacement. If these items are structurally sound but simply faded from summer sun and winter wind, an enamel-based exterior paint may be all that is needed to refresh the look without breaking the bank. A wide range of high-quality weather-resistant paints in a variety of finishes and textures can even offer a whole new look for the new season, at a fraction of the cost of replacing a single deck chair.
To save money on heating bills this winter, re-caulk leaky windows and add new weather stripping to doors. Both are inexpensive fixes that can add up to significant savings.
Cut Cable to Trim Entertainment Budget
Finally, if the cable bill seems out of proportion to the amount of time the family spends enjoying cable programming, consider canceling the service and signing up, instead, to have select DVD programming delivered to the house. Companies such as Netflix and Blockbuster offer the opportunity to chose from thousands of movie and television titles for a flat monthly fee that is typically much lower than the cost of cable television (which often charges an additional fee for movies).
Drastic times don't necessarily require drastic measures. As belts tighten, it is likely that neighbors and friends are also looking for painless ways to cut back. Even small changes in certain household expenditures can add up to big savings - and perhaps even closer neighborhood relationships - over time.
 |
