The weather is beginning to turn autumnal: rain, cold, damp conditions will soon set in.
It’s been a summer of saving, or at least trying, as we are all told the winter to come may be harder than those we have suffered financially since the late ’70s.
Try not to be discontented.
Whether you are a new mum and want to save those buggy wheels, need to clean all the autumn muck left behind by clothes in the washing machine, or just need to know what to eat if you have allergies, here’s a few brilliant tip-top tips to save you money as the nights draw in.
Wheelie good buggy idea
Autumn brings with it wet and soggy weather, which can be a nightmare if you have a buggy.
No one wants to track mud, dirt and wet leaves through their house or leave the pushchair outdoors overnight, so save your floors with a bathroom staple.
Pop shower caps over the wheels of the buggy wheel when you get in and say goodbye to grubby carpets.
Zip it up
Always remember to zip up your jeans and other garments that have metal zippers before laundering them.
Those little metal teeth are like miniature chainsaws, tearing up and ruining other expensive clothing in the washer and dryer.
Zip them up to save those all important pennies.
Extend the life of your extension leads
Store small extension cords and chargers neatly in a shoe box filled with empty toilet paper rolls stood vertically.
Pop a single small cord in each tube and it’ll keep your cords free of tangles, prevent fraying and increase the lifetime of your chargers.
Deep clean to avoid fires
Even if you empty your dryer’s lint trap before each load, chances are there is still lint build-up that could cause a breakdown – or worse, potentially a fire.
To deep clean the area once in a while, wrap a clean rag around one end of a paint stir stick. Remove the lint trap and clean out the area with the rag-covered stick.
To help the lint stick to the rag, dampen with water first.
It’s in the can
If you’re hanging pictures and run out of hooks, just grab the nearest can of fizzy pop.
Bend the pull tab back and forth until it breaks off.
Then screw it to your picture frame, bend the free end out slightly and hang the picture.
Get the light idea
Many of us long for a cosy home on darker nights so we reach for the smelly candles to improve the room’s ambience.
But, if your candles are burning too low to reach the wick, there’s no reason to go without your favourite scent.
Instead of burning your fingers, light a piece of uncooked spaghetti.
Not only will it reach into those deep candles and burn long enough to light the candles on your Nan’s birthday cake.
Special diets on a shoestring
Save money when shopping for a food allergy or intolerance and find products that are naturally ‘free from’ by downloading a list on a store’s website.
Many supermarkets provide lists online of products made without milk, egg, nuts, peanuts and gluten, and are typically updated monthly.
At Sainsbury’s, for instance, just check sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/recipes/articles/product-guidance-lists
Cash for your child’s school
Around 80% of schools have been unable to continue any form of fundraising during the pandemic, according to research by the Your School Lottery network.
If you want to help your child’s school raise extra cash, sign up to Amazon Smile and when you buy any products or services at the online retailer, it will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price to your nominated charity/school.
If you represent a charitable organisation and you would like to learn more about enrolling your organisation to receive AmazonSmile donations, go to https://org.amazon.co.uk
Share your moneysaving hacks with Kara on Instagram via @Kara.Gammell and on Twitter at @karagammell
If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.
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