If you’re trying to reduce household expenses, there are ways to save money on bills such as insurance, mortgage and utilities. Here are my tips!
Bills can feel never ending, right? If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the cost of your insurances, rates, electricity, mortgage and everything else, it’s important to take back some control so you can keep your budget in check.
Start by reviewing each of your bills and finding ways you can save. Even small reductions can help when you add them up over time.
Hopefully the rising cost of living will slow down, but for now, it’s definitely worth thinking about ways you can save money.
ways to save money on bills
Mortgage
There have been so many rate rises in a short space of time which are not easy to accommodate for many families. If you have some equity in your home, call your bank and see if they can offer you a better rate than what you’re currently on.
A good way to approach this is to research what rates other banks are offering so you can compare. Banks are often able to discount your home loan rate if you’re thinking of refinancing. It might be just enough to take the pressure off. If your bank can’t come close to what other lenders are offering, considering refinancing with another lender to get the best deal.
Mortgage round up offers – see if your bank has this option to round up each transaction to the nearest $1 or $5 to pay down your home loan faster.
Insurance
Think that insurance price is set in stone? It might not be! Whether it’s health insurance, car insurance, home and contents insurance, pet insurance or income protection, you can use comparison sites such as Compare Club or Finder to get the best deal.
If you’re already on a low priced policy, you can also reduce your policy costs further by increasing the excess. Just make sure you’ve done your homework on this, so that you’ll be able to pay the excess in the event of needing to make a claim.
Phone and broadband
There are just so many phone and internet providers around now that you can usually get a cheaper price by asking your existing supplier for a discount or switching. Do your research on the best value plans around and take advantage of any bundling offers. Also check that your plan matches your lifestyle – there’s no point paying for data you don’t use.
Bank fees
Some banks offer accounts with minimal fees and will refund things like ATM charges or international transaction fees. These can really add up over time. Check that you’re not paying too much in the way of account keeping fees. There might be a rule in place to achieve no or low cost account, such a depositing a certain amount in the account each month, so make sure you’re meeting these guidelines.
Check your bank statement for any recurring expenses you don’t need. It’s really easy to sign up for streaming services, apps or memberships that deduct small amounts of money each month and you might not even be noticing.
Water
This one’s probably a no-brainer, but the best way to save money on water is simply to use less water! Keep the kids’ showers short, plant natives in the garden that don’t require watering and switch to more efficient shower heads and appliances.
Electricity
If you have solar panels, try to get as many energy-consuming tasks (like using the washing machine or dishwasher) during daylight hours. If you don’t have solar, there are lots of other ways to reduce your energy consumption – check out my 8 ways to reduce the electricity bill here.
car
Running a car can be expensive when you add up the cost of car payments, registration, car insurance, petrol and servicing. You can’t do much about the first two, but you can seek out a cheaper price for the other costs.
To keep petrol costs down, you can consider using cheaper fuel (always check with the manufacturer first), using a petrol price app such as Petrol Spy or Fuel Map, or carpooling. You can reduce your car insurance following the steps outlined above. For servicing, the best price may not be with the dealer you bought the car from – ring around for comparative costs.
credit card
Credit cards can get expensive. Do whatever you can to prioritise paying down your credit card to reduce how much interest you’re paying. Remember that you can seek out new credit cards with low to no interest for a period of time – it may be worth transferring your balance over to help you pay it off faster.
Kat’s tip: Create a budget and stick to it. Make sure it includes savings and plan to pay down any debt so you’re not paying unnecessary fees. Set spending limits on areas where you might be tempted to overspend.
Bonus tip!
Double check your payslip – This tip is not about saving money on bills, but rather making sure you’re receiving all the income you’re entitled to. Check you’re being paid accurately by your workplace by checking your payslip against your contract and ensuring you’re receiving what was agreed to. Check your leave and sick leave balances are accurate each week and jump into your Superannuation account periodically to check those payments are going in as well.
Want more budget tips?
Read my blog 18 ways to save money on food.
These are general tips and are not intended to be financial advice. Please seek out professional advice before making financial decisions.
