Affordable ways to make your household more cost-efficient

Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s been a tough year. Nations around the globe are feeling the effects of curtailed economies due to the impact of shutdown initiatives to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. South Africans, in particular, have had to adopt to some of the most stringent lockdown regulations put in place the world over.

Wrap your geyser

Wrapping your geyser with an insulation blanket is a very affordable and effective way to cut down on your electricity bill. Because the geyser unit itself is insulated, it uses less electricity to warm the water in the cylinder.

Harvest rainwater

Putting up a tank and rigging your gutters to capture rainwater generate some up-front costs, but once the water harvesting system is in place, you’ll enjoy the benefit of being able to water your garden without tapping into the municipal grid. In fact, there are ways to hook the tank up to your home as well, which means your harvested water will come out of the taps. Although this water is not 100% to drink, it can be used to wash, clean and bathe.

Plant a vegetable garden

Planting a vegetable garden is one of the simplest ways to save money – and it’s good for you mentally and emotionally as well! Plus, everyone can do it, even if you live in a flat. Even if you start out with a few containers of herbs on your kitchen windowsill, you’ll still be saving the money you’d be spending every time you buy dried herbs to use in your cooking.

Compost your kitchen scraps (or make stock!)

Get in the habit of keeping vegetable scraps and fruit peels aside to make your own compost. Again, this can be done in a space as small as a balcony. Even if you don’t end up using it yourself due to lack of a garden, you can always donate it to a school, park or charitable food growing organisation in your community. Alternatively, you can keep vegetable scraps in a container in the freezer until you have enough to make your own veggie stock – another simple and effective way to save.

These are just a few of the changes you can make around your home to make it a little more cost-efficient. Initially, the savings may seem small, but it will add up to quite a tidy sum over the course of months and years to come as you continue to enjoy the effects thereof.

Implementing these kinds of changes also has an impact on the way we think about our consumption of consumer goods in general, and is likely to make you think twice before loading something in your trolley at the supermarket when you go for your weekly shop.

Keep an eye on the blog in coming weeks for more valuable insight into living a more cost-effective life. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to the Libertine Consultants team for info on our debt services and credit services if you feel your finances are out of hand. We are here to help you pave the way to a more prosperous life.