Have you ever thought about how much you spend on essential household items like laundry soap, dish soap, gardening supplies, and cooking utensils? When trying to stick to a budget, many people think about cutting costs on things like housing expenses, transportation costs, and insurance premiums. While it’s a good idea to find savings with these big-ticket items, it’s also worth paying attention to what you spend on the little things.
Below, we give you several clever ways you can save money on those essential household items you use every day.
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1. Buy Online
Online shopping is a convenient way to get the things you need and save money at the same time. Even if you don’t actually save much on the cost of the item itself, you still save money on transportation costs and the time it takes you to go to and from the store.
For example, when you’re in the market for new pots and pans, looking for cookware sets online gives you many options you may not otherwise have in the store, and it saves you from having to travel to multiple stores to find the ones you want.
2. Use Coupons and Rebates
By now, everyone has heard of extreme couponing where people collect and use coupons strategically to get their purchases for a bargain at checkout. While this is definitely a thing, you don’t need to go to extremes to use coupons and rebates successfully. If you get the Sunday paper, check out the sales flyers for coupons you can use to save money. Also, be sure to take advantage of store loyalty programs to save even more, and don’t forget to claim any rebates that apply to your purchases. Remember, even casual coupon and rebate use can add up to big savings.
3. Never Buy Anything Unless It’s on Sale
Most household items like soaps, cleaning supplies, and kitchen gear go on sale at some point. The key to saving on these items is to time your purchases just right.
If you shop online, use a browser extension like Honey to scour the Web for coupons or cheaper prices elsewhere on everyday items you buy. If you prefer to shop in-store, pay attention to the weekly flyers each store puts out.
4. Buy in Bulk
We all have our favorite brands that we use all the time. If you have the space to store it and you know you’ll use it up before it expires, buying in bulk is a great way to save money on everything from your favorite food staples to the best nappy rash cream. Products like toilet paper and paper towels are great items to buy this way as they don’t expire.
5. Choose Store Brands
When you purchase brand name products, you’re paying extra for the name. While some are of better quality than their generic counterparts, quality isn’t usually an issue when buying an off-brand item.
You can save yourself some serious cash by choosing store brands or generic brands when you shop. One area where savings can be significant is store brand medicines. Store brand aspirin gets rid of a headache the same as a name brand aspirin, and according to the Food and Drug Administration, you could save as much as 85 percent by choosing the store brand.
When it comes to saving money, it pays to think about what you spend on the little things as well as cutting costs on the big things. What you spend on everyday household items adds up, so finding ways to save on their purchase just makes good financial sense.
