Rising bills have a way of pinching every household budget, and most families are looking for practical ways to make things stretch a little further. The good news is you don’t need a big life overhaul to start saving — small, consistent changes at home can add up to real savings over time.
Here’s how to save money at home in 6 easy steps.
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How to Save Money at Home
It’s not always necessary to make big changes to save at home — sometimes the small changes add up to large savings after a while.
Some of these tips may seem obvious, but if you aren’t already doing them, they could save you a good bit of money over time.
#1. Turn Down and Turn Off
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Turning your heating down by even a degree can meaningfully reduce the amount of electricity, gas or oil your heating system uses. Consider installing a programmable thermostat and, if your home allows it, separate heating controls for upstairs and downstairs so you can set timers and avoid heating rooms you aren’t using.
Turn off lights and chargers when they’re not in use. Get the kids into the habit of switching off lights when they leave a room and unplugging sockets when they’ve finished charging their devices.
“We tried turning the heat down by a few degrees to start with, but actually we found it was still totally comfortable and we’re definitely seeing a reduction in our energy use.” – Tara
#2. Meal Planning and Batch Cooking
Meal planning is one of the best things you can do to save money before you even set foot in the shop. Our free Meal Planning sheet can help, and our Free Lunch Box Planner is handy too. Plan out the week’s meals and pick your recipes in advance so you’re only buying what you need.
The next time you’re cooking, double or triple the quantities and freeze the extra in batches. That way, you’ll have a quick meal ready to reheat on busy nights, and buying meat and veg in bulk tends to work out cheaper too.
Caitriona Redmond from Wholesome Ireland has lots of recipes and suggestions for keeping the weekly food and household budget low.
“Meal planning has been working great for me. Every Sunday our fridge is almost empty — exact meal planning and shopping means zero waste for us.” – Babina
“I use a couple of butchers that do the family packs of meat and I use my meat every other day with something like a tuna bake in between.” – Sally
#3. Look for Alternatives to Expensive Cleaning Products
Vinegar and baking soda are great cleaning agents, either on their own or combined. Our grandmothers cleaned with vinegar, baking soda and lemon long before “eco cleaning” was a trend — and it still works. For example, pouring half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda down the drain, then rinsing with water, is a simple way to keep drains clear.
Here’s a video on making your own laundry detergent at home:
Watch: How to Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
“I use microfibre Enviro Cloths with tap water and have replaced my all-purpose cleaners. They’re also guaranteed for a couple of years.” – Sandra
“Instead of using bleach to take stains out of clothes, I use sterilising fluid. It’s a fraction of the price and brings white items up like new.” – Alana
#4. Buy Supermarket Own Brands
While there might be some branded products you wouldn’t compromise on, you might be surprised at the quality of supermarket own-brand alternatives — and the savings can add up quickly. Compare the price of own brand to branded products and you’ll usually find a significant saving by switching.
As my grandmother used to say: “Look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves.”
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#5. Consider Investing in a Slow Cooker
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A slow cooker is a great way to turn inexpensive ingredients into delicious meals. You can use cheaper cuts of meat, which helps keep the meat bill down.
Try a big batch of bean, lentil or quinoa stew — the long, slow cooking time adds plenty of flavour. Slow cookers are also ideal for dried beans, which tend to be cheaper than tinned varieties.
They’re great for batch cooking too, especially the larger models, so you can make extra and freeze it for busy weeks. And because they use far less energy than a cooker or oven, they’re an easy win for the household budget.
#6. Reduce Toilet Paper Use
When my daughter was younger, she would use screeds of toilet paper, often blocking the bend. We settled on a simple number of sheets for her to count up to, and it made a real difference.
Saving on toilet paper adds up over time and helps the environment too. You can also keep empty paper rolls and fill them with compost to plant seeds in, which saves money on plant pots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do small changes really make a difference to household bills?
Yes. Turning down the thermostat, switching off unused devices, and meal planning are all small habits, but done consistently they add up to noticeable savings over months and years.
What’s the easiest place to start saving money at home?
Meal planning is one of the easiest starting points — it reduces food waste, cuts down on impulse shopping, and helps you make the most of batch cooking and bulk-buying.
Are supermarket own-brand products really as good as branded ones?
Many families find own-brand products are a close match in quality, and the price difference over a year of shopping can be significant. It’s worth trying a few own-brand swaps to see what works for your household.
Is a slow cooker worth the investment?
For most families, yes — slow cookers use less energy than an oven, work well with cheaper cuts of meat, and are great for batch cooking meals to freeze.
Related Articles
- Take Our 52 Week Savings Challenge to Net Yourself €500
- 21 Proven Tips and Tricks to Cut Your Food Bill in Half
- 75 Guaranteed Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption and Save Money
Save This for Later
Not ready to make all the changes at once? Save this article and come back to it — small steps, taken one at a time, still add up to real savings.
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