Day light savings took effect this week, yet somehow I managed to wind the clock in the wrong direction, a move that would have cost me time and money.
Thankfully I quickly realised my error as a breakfast cup of coffee turned into the lunch menu at my local cafe.
But it’s got us at Financy HQ thinking about all the ways you could be saving money by making the most of the day light savings switch.
According to ING Direct there are many simple things you can do around the home to save, and here’s some of them.
Autumn cupboard clean
A spin-off from the traditional Spring clean, clear out everything that didn’t serve a purpose this Summer, such as unused linen, out-of-fashion wardrobe items, ornaments compiling dust and get them ready for sale or charity.
Online buying-and-selling platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Ebay and Gumtree are great tools to turn your unwanted goods into cash.
Pantry refresh
Why not use an hour on your Sunday to clear out the cupboard and create a meal using basic essentials that have been filling your pantry to prep for the week ahead!
Sign up to your local library
If you haven’t been fortunate enough to stumble across the delightful offerings of ‘The Book Fairies’ – a global group of book lovers, including actress Emma Watson, who are giving books another lease of life by leaving them in public places for people to find and read, before encouraging them to do the same – walk down to your local library and become a member.
Not only is this a simple way to save money on buying books, magazines and newspapers, most libraries are free of charge and allow you to borrow numerous books at once.
Eco-home switches
Spend 60 minutes making simple switches in your home to render it more eco-friendly and lower down power bills.
Swap traditional light bulbs with LED or CFL lights, and fix leaking taps.
Alternatively, visit a sustainable home builder to get advice on ways to make your home more economical, which will help lower your electricity bill over the next year.
Sunday potluck dinner
Invite your close friends, family or even your neighbours over for a ‘bring-a-dish’ dinner this Sunday.
Catch up over yummy food and drinks while side-stepping expensive restaurant bills.
Commit to making this a more regular event and not only it will help you to save money, it will allow you to save time on preparing food, creating valuable time to catch up with loved ones.
Plant cooking herbs
Chilli’s, basil, coriander and chives – while they may be your friend in the kitchen, they might not be on your hip-pocket.
If you’re a fan of using herbs and spices in your cooking, try potting your go-to cooking plants at home to help reduce the amount spent buying these at the supermarket.
You can even use your old candle jars as plant pots.
Plan ahead
60 minutes is all you need to gather your receipts to save you time and money when it comes to preparing your tax return for June 30.
The trick is to bring all receipts in the one place that will be easy for you to remember – whether it be on your computer or in a paper filing folder.
