Cost of living: Caitriona Redmond shares 50 easy ways to save money this winter

Whether you are new to budgeting or feeling the financial squeeze more than ever, Caitriona Redmond's tried and tested tips will cushion your finances as we head into winter

'I found that once I got into the habit of saving money it became a way for me to plan for the future with hope.' Picture: Harry Burton

There's no point in me telling you how difficult it is at the moment. We are all living in difficult times. What I can tell you is that I’ve been through hard times before and being resilient and bouncing back from financial problems is something that you can learn.

Hopefully, this list of 50 ways to save money will contain plenty of inspiration for you to make your life easier this winter, and beyond. I found that once I got into the habit of saving money it became a way for me to plan for the future with hope. Even for those not feeling the pinch as much as others, being canny about what you spend is an effective way of funding nights out, home improvements, and even holidays.

1. Boil a full kettle in the morning and fill up a thermos for hot water all through the day without having to use energy.

2. Use weighing scales for items like pasta and rice to make sure you get the right portion size. This will cut down on food waste and save you money.

3. Use the internet to research your grocery prices before you go to the supermarket to stay on budget. Then…

4. Make a shopping list and stick to it.

5. When cooking on the hob, cover your pots and pans to save on energy.

6. Turn the heat off as your ingredients are nearly cooked. They will continue to cook in the residual heat.

7. Wrap containers with hot food inside in towels or blankets to keep them warm for longer.

8. Pack your lunch, even if you are based from home. By planning your lunch for the day there is less chance of snacking and eating food intended for another day.

9. If you have to use the oven to cook, once you turn it off leave the door wide open to allow its heat to circulate in your rooms.

10. Cook double quantities of main meals to save on your time and energy costs. Enjoy the second meal another day for the cost of reheating only.

11. Turn off the red lights. A red light on an appliance indicates it’s on standby. Turn the appliance off unless it’s a fridge, freezer, or boiler. Everything else can stay off unless you need it.

12. Put your handheld electronics like phones, tablets, and laptops on charge at 8pm, then remove them before bedtime. This will stop them from draining extra electricity and make your batteries last longer.

13. Submit regular meter readings to your energy supplier (if you do not have a digital meter) and this includes natural gas as well as electricity. Estimated bills have a huge potential for a financial shock so prevent this by submitting your meter readings online every month.

14. Make sure you are on a discounted rate with your electricity and/or gas supplier. If not, you’re paying the full standard rate which could be over 20% more expensive.

15. Check interest rates on any borrowings. If you have a balance on a high-interest credit card, switch to one of the zero or low-interest offerings to save money over time.

Being resilient and bouncing back from financial problems is something that you can learn. Picture: Harry Burton

16. Turn down the thermostat in the home to 18-19 degrees. Set the heat to only come on when the temperature dips below this level during the day, so long as you are at home. If you don’t have a timer system, set reminders on your phone to alter the settings manually. Reducing the thermostat may save you hundreds of euros over the course of a year.

17. Wear an extra layer in the house. Pop on a jumper or a dressing gown when you feel cold and you may not need to put the heating on.

18. Your boots (and shoes) are made for walking. Walk to the shop instead of taking the car and buy only what you can carry. This is super for increasing social interaction in your day and reducing unnecessary purchases.

19. Let in the light. Open all the curtains every morning and allow the sun to warm your home. It’s a very effective heater.

20. Close the door to any room not in regular use and turn off the radiator as well. No point in heating an empty room and by closing the door you are not wasting money heating it either.

21. Unsubscribe from any TV services you don’t need or are no longer using. Or club together with neighbours or family to share the costs of a subscription instead.

22. Cancel automatic subscriptions and pay for them only when you need them. When a new series comes out on Disney+ for example, wait until the entire series has been released and pay for one month only rather than two or three as the series is issued in a trickle.

23. If you spot an item you like online put it into your shopping basket but don’t buy it for three weeks. By delaying the purchase you will find out whether you really need it or if it’s an impulse buy.

24. For that matter, unsubscribe from sales emails from shopping websites so that you are not tempted into impulse buys. If you can’t bring yourself to unsubscribe in case you miss out on discount codes, then divert all your emails to a spam folder so they are not in your face every time you check your mails.

25. Have a windfall or an extra bit of money come your way? Put it into a savings account or emergency fund rather than spending it straight away.

26. When your lightbulbs blow, replace them with low-energy LED lightbulbs which cost less to run.

27. Make coffee at home and keep coffee shop trips for an occasional treat. Takeaway coffees can cost over €4. At that price one coffee to-go every day of the week would cost nearly €30 per week, that’s €1,560 over the course of a year and that’s before any additional items like muffins or croissants.

28. Sell, sell, sell online and declutter your home at a profit. If you can’t sell it use the likes of local Facebook groups to pass anything you’re not using to a new home for free.

29. Be loyal to your budget, not the supermarket. Follow the money and shop where works best for your finances, taking into consideration where is the best value along with the travel time to get there.

30. Sometimes paying the delivery charge can save you from impulse shopping, whether it’s your local supermarket or a trip to the pharmacy. Impulses will cost you money, not shopping trips.

31. Pool your resources and share grocery shopping with friends and neighbours to get bulk discounts and cheaper groceries.

When cooking on the hob, cover your pots and pans to save on energy. Picture: Harry Burton

32. Cashback rewards and discounts are harder to find than 5 years ago but at the time of writing this article Revolut offers cashback in some shops such as Nike (4%) and Charlotte Tilbury (9%) and a discount from Amazon (10%) providing you use a Revolut card and the link page on their app. The offers vary regularly so keep an eye on the app for the best value.

33. Get a library card or renew your card if it’s out of date. Library cards need renewal every two years. Of course, having a library card gives you access to free book rental, but did you know you can also benefit from free magazines, audio and digital books, and free eLearning courses?

34. Switch the car for public transport where you can, particularly for longer journeys.

Once you factor in the cost of fuel, maintenance, and your own time driving you will see that it’s a very cost-effective and less stressful way of travelling.

35. Make do and mend. Use a sewing kit to make small repairs like replacing a button or mending a tear in clothes rather than replacing them if they have minor issues.

36. If you need new items shop at charity shops and thrift shops first for a deal on designer clothes and top-quality kitchen equipment at budget prices.

37. Clean the frames and seals on your doors and windows to get a tight fit and prevent draughts which will cost more money when heating your home.

38. Make sure your domestic fridge is set to between 3-4 of a chill setting. We don’t need to use level 5 chill setting in Ireland and fridges use up too much energy staying at this level.

39. Keep the door of the fridge for condiments and sauces only; if you store milk at the door of the fridge it’s prone to temperature fluctuations as you open and close the door and it may go off before its use by date.

40. While cash and coins are increasingly becoming something that we are not used to having in our wallets, get into the habit of throwing any spare change you find into a jar. If you don’t use cash at all, use the top-up function on your debit cards such as An Post and Revolut to automatically transfer a small amount of change to a savings vault. It all adds up.

41. Use supermarket savings stamps or credits to fund Christmas expenses. Tesco, for example, allows you to save all your clubcard points for a once-a-year payout at the end of November. Dunnes Stores sells savings stamps which are added to a book for use any time of the year.

Use a sewing kit to make small repairs like replacing a button or mending a tear in clothes rather than replacing them. Picture: Harry Burton

42. Invest in a slow cooker for a cooking method that uses the same amount of energy as a lightbulb and use the oven less.

43. Freeze sliced bread and take out only what you need, when you need it.

44. Shop the yellow sticker section in the supermarket. Remember, raw meat that has been cooked can be used again another day and even frozen for use another day. Even if your yellow sticker bargain has an expiry/due date of today, you can still make it last longer by remembering this key tip.

45. Have the Kris Kindle conversation with family and friends now and don’t be afraid to be the one to instigate it. It’s not about the value of your presents, it’s about the fun you can have by sharing the gift giving. You can really save on the cost of Christmas presents and it makes it easier to enjoy the season with less pressure.

46. Swap shop and arrange a clothes party with your friends. Everyone brings three items of clothing that they no longer wear and they are willing to swap. It’s a fun event to go to and everybody goes home with a new outfit.

47. Trade your skills and offer your talents at cooking or ironing or even gardening in exchange for similar help in your home from your friends, family, and neighbours.

48. If it’s bitterly cold at night, wear a skullcap or woolly hat to bed. We lose most of our body heat out of the top of our heads so it makes perfect sense to add extra insulation when it’s cold.

49. If you’re generating solar energy at home and have surplus energy see if you can benefit from a rebate from your energy company for returning surplus electricity to the grid.

50. If times are particularly difficult for you, don’t be afraid to ask for help.