How to save money using 15 simple methods

With the rise in the cost of living, we all could use a few money-saving tips.  We can save money on energy bills and water bills.  Consuming less energy and less water is not only good for our pockets, but it is good for the planet too.  Below are 15 money tips that you can use in your home.  You can save money by money by making a few changes at home.

1. Some cooking methods are cheaper than others.

Can you save money by changing your cooking method?  You bet! Some cooking methods are more energy-efficient and will cost you less money compared to others.  An example is microwave cooking vs oven cooking.  An oven might use as much as double the energy that a microwave would use because you need to heat up not only the food but the oven too.   Your oven-roasted leg of lamb will cost you more to cook compared to a lamb stew cooked in the slow cooker.

2. Cook cheaper by cooking with the lid on.

This will speed up the cooking time by holding the steam in the pot. The food cooks faster which means you use less energy and you pay for less.  By cooking food lidded, you will not have to constantly add water due to evaporation.  Adding water to the cooking food means more energy is used to heat the added water up.

3. Bulk-cook your food for the week – fewer cooks, less energy

Bulk cooking food for several days’ use will save your energy bill and will also save you time.  For the hour that you will cook a stew or grill food in the oven, why not cook food for 2 or 3 days instead of cooking multiple times?  I bulk cook food for the week, over the weekend.  This frees up my time during the week and I can do other things instead of preparing meals.  Saving energy aside, you also save money from not having to order takeaways because you are running late and have no food in the house.

4. Soak your grains and legumes before cooking, use less energy

Soaking of dry grains such as rice, barley, or dry corn and legumes such as beans reduces cooking time significantly.  By speeding up your cooking time, you reduce the amount of energy you use.

5. Don’t overcook your food, save energy.

Boil your rice and pasta halfway, drain and leave covered with the hob turned off.  The retained heat will complete the cooking. You will save a couple of minutes worth of energy which in the long run, will save you money.

6. Parboil roasting vegetables, save energy

By boiling jacket potatoes, roasted potatoes, and roasting vegetables, you speed up the roasting.  Potatoes for chips can also be parboiled which would speed up frying time without negatively impacting quality.  Faster cooking time, less energy used.

7. Tenderise tough meat, shorten cooking

If cooking tough meat, think of tenderising it instead of cooking it for longer.  You can tenderise meat by different methods such as pounding on it with a meat mallet or using a marinade with enzymes to break down fibers.  Masterclass has a guide on how to tenderise different cuts of meat.

8. Monitor the length of your shower, less water, less energy.

How long is your shower?  A shower should be no more than 10 minutes.  Also, consider using a water-saving showerhead.  Taking an 8-minute shower using a power shower uses as much water and energy as taking a bath according to research done by Unilever’s R&D whose findings were published by BBC.  8 minute showers are likely to cost an average family £416 a year while a power shower would cost £918.  By halving the shower time and using an eco-shower or water-saving shower head, you can half the cost of your showers.   Switching off the shower while you soap or shampoo your hair is another way to save on water usage and ultimately energy usage.

9. Choose short showers instead of taking baths, save on water and energy.

Opting for a short shower saves both your energy and water bill.  A bath needs around 80 litres of water.  That water needs to be heated.  A five-minute standard shower on the other hand uses approximately 35 litres of water.  You can get an hourglass 5 minute shower time from Amazon for £6.

10. Fully load your washing machine and dishwasher, save energy and water.

Half-loading your washing machine and dishwasher is costing you money.  Are you in the habit of washing a couple of clothes or a few dishes at a time thus more frequent washes?  You can save money by optimising the washing machine and dishwasher load.  This, therefore, saves you electricity and water usage, which will ultimately save you money.

11. Choose air drying instead of tumble drying your laundry, cut your electricity bill.

Why not air-dry your clothes and skip the tumble drier? Tumble driers are one of the most expensive to run home appliances in terms of energy costs.

12. Soak your clothes before washing and save energy.

You can wash on a low temperature and shorter cycle as the dirt has been loosed by the soaking.

13. Turn off the tap, save water and energy.

You can also save 100s of litres of water per month by turning off taps when brushing your teeth, applying face cleaning products, or shaving cream for the gents.

14. Review your toilet flushes, use less water.

Install a dual flush toilet that gives a choice of which button to use, more water or less water toilet flush.  You can also install a water displacement device.  I got one a couple of years ago from Thames Water.  You can buy a similar device from Amazon.

15. Optimise your heat circulation in the home, use less energy.

If your radiator is near a window, tuck your curtains to keep the heat in the house. As beautiful as floor-length curtains might be, hanging them in front of a radiator is not efficient.  This prevents the heat from circulating in the room, directing it towards the window.  This would increase energy consumption as the thermostat tries to heat up the room.  Go for shorter curtains and tuck them above the radiator if they are blocking.

 

3 Comments
  1. I am not cooking for myself at the moment but looking forward for your advice next time I will!

  2. That’s all good. I’ll remember that. One more thing is an airfryer. It’s much cheaper to use and it’s healthier.