Money Saving Tips to Help with the Rising Cost of Living in Preston

The rising cost of living is affecting everyone in Preston and online forums are buzzing with tips on how to reduce your outgoings. If you need some money saving tips then look no further, we have rounded up our favourites here.

Heat the room, not the house

Turn off radiators in rooms that you are not using and consider investing in separate thermostatic controls that allow you to control the heat in individual rooms. Please remember though you still need to ventilate the rooms.

Don’t leave devices on standby

Switch off everything, at the mains, that you are not using, don't leave devices on standby. ‘Vampire devices’ are estimated to cost the average household £147 a year.

LED bulbs

Switching to LED bulbs may be an expensive upfront cost but they can use up to 85% less energy to run than a traditional 60W bulb. They also tend to last significantly longer so will pay for themselves in months. 

1 degree

That is all you need to turn your thermostat down by to make savings of up to £127.70 per year according to Uswitch.

Smart thermostats

These automatically turn your heating down when you leave the house so you can avoid paying to heat your home when no-one is there. 

Draughts

Prevent your heat from escaping and cold air from whistling in by using draught excluders to block any gaps around your doors. 

Don’t use your tumble dryer

Take advantage of the warmer and breezy days to dry your washing outside or invest in a heated drying rack for rainy days. 

Night time savings

Check to see if your energy company charges less for energy used at particular times of the day. Many companies charge less for energy between 10pm and 5am.

Don’t put too much in

It might seem like a sensible idea to put as much in your washing machine or tumble dryer as you can to avoid having to run it a second time but if your machine is too full then it will not only struggle to adequately wash or dry your clothes but it will also use more energy to run as it has to work harder.

30 degrees

Your washing machine can use up to 50% less energy when it is run on a 30-degree cycle instead of a 40-60 degree one and experts say that your clothes will be just as clean. 

Eco cycles

These do take longer but they are more energy efficient. 

Dryer Balls

These separate the washing inside your tumble dryer which allows the air to circulate better. This in turn helps the water to evaporate quicker. 

Look down

Most supermarkets stock cheaper versions of items on the lower shelves so make sure that you always look down.

Look for yellow stickers

Supermarkets often reduce the price of stock that will shortly be going out of date throughout the day. If you are undecided about what to have for dinner this can be a great way to get a bargain. 

Batch cook

Batch cooking saves energy as you cook several meals at once in your oven. Use your microwave to reheat these meals as it is much more energy efficient to reheat food in there than in the oven.

Just a cuppa

Only put as much water in your kettle as you need so that you are not wasting energy boiling water you won’t use. Alternatively, you could fill a flask with boiling water in the morning and use this throughout the day for your hot drinks, it will save on repeatedly boiling the kettle for each drink. Use your kettle to boil your cooking water before putting it in the pan as it will use less energy than a hob uses to bring the water to the boil. 

Bulk up

Use frozen vegetables to bulk up recipes which contain mince. Lasagne, shepherd's pie and spaghetti bolognese all work well with 50/50 quantities of mince and frozen vegetables and it may even encourage your children to eat more veg.    

If the rising cost of living is making you consider renting a smaller property in Preston, Leyland, Chorley, East Lancashire or surrounding areas then please do give us a call on 01772 284606 and we will be happy to help you to come to the best decision for you and your family.