During winter, the pressure on family finances tends to be a little bit higher. After your bank account has recovered from the considerable expense of Christmas, you might be faced with a tax bill in January. Then there’s the fact that, throughout the season, you’ll be spending a great deal on keeping the house warm.
Fortunately, there are a few things we can do to lessen the stress, and to save as much money as possible.
Money-Saving Tips for Winter
Optimise Home Energy Efficiency
Recently, the energy regulator, Ofgem, has announced a decision to increase the energy price cap by around 1.2%. This will bring it to £1,738 per year in January 2025. Before that, it will be £1,717 per year.
There are several ways that homeowners can limit their energy consumption. The easiest gains come from simply not using the boiler when you don’t need to. Lowering the thermostat, adjusting your boiler settings, and using smart controls so that the boiler is never on when you’re not in the house can all be worthwhile steps.
You might also invest a little cash in order to save in the long term. Insulating your cavity walls, or your loft, can bring down your consumption considerably. Installing a new boiler, or a heat pump, might make it cheaper to generate the heat in the first place.
You’ll also want to replace your bulbs with newer LED ones. This will vastly decrease the cost of lighting and often pay for itself before long.
Budget-Friendly Winter Activities
If you’re looking for ways to entertain the family this winter, then you might look for outdoor events and indoor games that don’t cost the earth. Putting together a DIY Christmas, complete with lots of crafting and creativity, can allow you to spend quality time together as a family, without costing too much.
Transportation Savings
It might be that you’re spending a lot on getting from one place to the next. If you’re taking the train, then you might look for a season ticket to drive down your annual spend. If you’re driving, then you might shop around for cheaper fuel, adopt more efficient driving practices, or regularly re-inflate your tyres to keep them fuel-efficient. You’ll also want to shop around for the best car insurance deals.
Smart Shopping and Meal Planning
Food price inflation has made grocery shopping a major drain on household budgets in recent years – and the problem looks set to continue in 2025. You can control the costs through effective meal planning, and by cooking and buying your food in bulk. If you’re cooking a bean stew, chilli or a dal, then you might make enough of it to fill your freezer with leftover-filled takeaway boxes.
As with any area of spending, it’s worth comparing your options. You can find special apps that will help you to compare prices quickly, which will drive down your spending throughout the year. Just make sure that you’re comparing like for like.
