How to save money & frugally prepare for winter.

Winter traditionally indicates a hike in your energy bill and an increase in your monthly outgoings. Any novel ways to save money are always a bonus, and we’ve created 10 genius ways of cutting back on the winter costs;

Switching Energy Providers.

Shopping around for a better energy supplier is quick, easy, and it can save hundreds of pounds. If you’ve been paying by direct debit, your account may be in credit after the cheaper summer months. By switching now, you could gain the excess cash and benefit from the bonus of a better energy deal.

A ‘Winterproof’ House.

Investing in added insulation and ensuring draughts are to a minimum can save plenty of pennies. The house is expensive enough to heat, so make sure you don’t let the warmth escape easily. Windows, doors, the loft and cat flaps are amongst the prime suspects for bringing down the temperature.

Wrap Up Warm

Save money by making sure your winter wardrobe is well stocked before the cold sets in. It’s your father’s traditional advice, but to reduce paying peak heating prices, put another layer on.

Timing The Temperature 

Drop the thermostat during the night. By using a timer, you can set the heating to come on half an hour before you climb out of bed. This way, you save the costings of keeping the heating on throughout your bedtime. Experts also claim that wrapping up warm in the duvet in a cooler room helps sleep.

Energy Efficiency

Employing these energy efficient tactics can reduce your winter costs.

1. Turn off the lights when you don’t need them on.
2. Fill the washing machine – no half washes.
3. Turn off the plugs at the sockets.
4. Only boil as much water as necessary.
5. Ensure no furniture is obscuring radiators or heating sources.
6. Turn off the heating and shut the doors in any rooms which are unused.
7. Leave oven and microwave doors open after use to utilise heat.

Long Life Lights

By using long life, energy saving lightbulbs, you will be saving yourself a fortune in the shorter and darker days.

Fire Starter 

If you’re lucky enough to have a fire or a log burner, make the most of it. Not only is a fire warm, cosy and bright, it’s free! If you live close to woodlands, you could even go out and collect your own firewood.

Declutter The Gutter

As soon as the autumn leaves have stopped falling, it’s a good idea to clean out the guttering. The last thing you want is an added bill. The leaves can freeze in January and bring the guttering down, under the frozen weight.

Search today at monimine.com 

Josh Cousens – Monimine. 

Save money on the back to school shop.

John Lewis revealed that children starting secondary school, were expected on average to cost their parents £6,800 throughout the year. Any costs that can be cut to save money can prove very valuable. So we’ve come up with a few ideas to help limit your school supply spendings.

• Search the house for any leftover supplies. There’s no point splashing out to replace something, if you still have it hidden in the depths of the cupboard at home.

• Similarly, delve into the children’s wardrobes and establish what still fits and is deemed worthy for the classroom catwalk. If the school blazer has got a years life left in it, hold fire until next summer.

• Once you know what you’ve still got, make a list of everything you think you need. If you’re diligent and stick to the list, it will prevent any unnecessary spending on nonessential items.

• Set yourself a spending limit. If you stick to the budget you have set yourself, you know that you won’t be in danger of breaking the bank.

• Spending cash, rather than card, will help you to keep track of how much you have already blown. Avoiding extra costs.

• Shop elsewhere. Car boots, charity shops and frugal websites often have a wide selection of back to school items, which can help to ease the pressures of spending. 

• Large amounts of stationary and other useful classroom items can be bought in discount stores like Poundland or Poundstretcher.

• For high school, sixth form, college and university students, second hand textbooks can save a small fortune. Why buy brand new, if you can purchase a copy at half the price, still in superb condition?

• Coupon collecting is a worthwhile hobby. Supermarkets offer a diverse assortment of coupons for their stores. There’s a likely chance you can snap up a cheeky discount on back to school goods.

• Timing is key. Holding fire and waiting for the peak rush to die down allows to you to benefit from the late sales, whilst retailers attempt to sell the rest of their stock before it’s too late.

• If you know the kids get through their clothes quickly, or are prone to losing their pens. It’s advisable to stock up for the year whilst you can, whilst the reduced prices are on offer.

If you would like a few extra pennies to help your back to school shop. You might be one of the millions of Brits who has a pot of unclaimed money. We predict that there is at least £25 billion of lost assets in the UK, and some of it could belong to you. Register with monimine.com for free, and if we find you a match, we can reunite you with the money that is rightfully yours.

Josh Cousens – Monimine.