best buys
12 buys for your home that will help you save money
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You may already save money by meal-planning, buying second-hand and getting crafty when it comes to fancy dress, but there are so many other ways you can cut your costs.
The trick is to invest a little money now, so you’ll reap the savings later - and we’ve found some great buys to help you do so.
Using many of these products helps the environment, too, so you can rack up eco brownie points whilst saving some pennies.
From energy-saving gadgets to products you'll wonder how you lived without, we've found the money-saving buys you need to deck your home out with.
1. Water-saving Shower Head
*Switch between rainfall, massage and jet settings
*Saves up to 50% of your water consumption thanks to micro nozzle pinholes
*Also filters water using ionic beads
Want to cut down on your water consumption? Not only does this shower head remove traces of chlorine from even the hardest or softest of water areas, it also reduces your water usage by 50%.
With the UK's excessive water consumption being unsustainably high, you can rest easy knowing you're doing your bit for the planet, as well as saving money. What's not to love?
2. Foolproof Phone, Laptop or Tablet Case
*Phone case which has shock absorbing qualities that prevent screen cracking if dropped
*Also helps to prevent scratches
*Can save you a significant amount of money on phone and tablet repairs
Invest in your devices before they get dropped – particularly if you have hard floors and young children (a terrible combo when it comes to cracked screens!). This shock absorbing case for your iPhone XS will help to prevent damage if it is dropped, plus the raised edge around screen and camera lens helps protect against scratches. You can buy similar cases for other models of smartphone, and also for your tablet and laptops.
3. Instant Pot
*6 litre capacity so you can cook for all the family
*7-in-1 multifunctional power cooker which has a large, easy to use control panel with 14 built-in Programs
*The Instant Pot self-regulates heat and pressure so you don't have to worry about it
This stainless steel cooking pot is all you need to cook up a storm! It's a pressure cooker, slow cooker and rice cooker all in one, plus it can be used to make yogurt, steam food and sauté. It cooks so quickly that it'll help you save money as you won't need to splash out on ready meals. It's virtually silent and doesn't emit much heat to surrounding areas, so you can wave goodbye to hissing, steaming pots - just add your stew ingredients, press a button and walk away!
4. Smart Power Strip
*Power strip which can be controlled remotely and which can be set to a schedule
*Each individual socket on the strip can also be controlled remotely
*You will save on electricity costs by only using what you need
There's no need to use unnecessary electricity when you have an extension cable. It can be controlled by voice thanks to its compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. If you want to leave a device plugged in but switch the electricity off after a set amount of time, you can do so using the SmartLife app for your smartphone.
5. Amazon Fire Stick (or similar)
*Cheaper than paying for a monthly or annual TV subcription
*Supports over 10,000 apps, games and Alexa skills, including Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Netflix, and more
*Take it with you on holiday, or a friend's house and pick up where you left off
This isn't just a TV streaming device - the Amazon Fire TV stick can help you to search for local restaurants, play music and more. It's an entertainment system in a stick, all you need is a television to connect it to. It saves you money as you only have to make a one-off payment, rather than an ongoing monthly subscription.
6. Food Storage Containers
*Prevents food waste as airtight seal helps to stop cereal, coffee and other similar foodstuffs from going stale
*Clearly visible how much of each food item you have, so you won't accidentally buy too much of something
*Stackable so they take up less space in your cupboard
Keeping food in airtight containers not only extends its shelf life, meaning you can save money by preventing food waste, but it also helps you to use up every last bit and see when you need to buy more of a product. Say goodbye to somehow ending up with five bags of pasta but running out of coffee every week! Better still, you can bulk-buy this pack of seven different sized ones and keep your food stored in airtight boxes which will save even more money.
7. Rechargeable Batteries
*Rechargeable batteries save money in the long run
*Will pay for themselves after a few recharge cycles, and then save you money after that
*Save money best when used with items which consume electricity at a high rate
Buy fewer batteries by investing in rechargeable ones which can be used over and over. It'll save you money after a few recharge cycles, and you'll be helping with waste by throwing away fewer batteries. Plus, there's no need to panic and run to the shops when your batteries run out, as you'll have the means to recharge them from home!
8. Herb Garden
*Set comes with five starter growing peat pots, plugs, one pair of garden snips and plant markers
*Easy to use and fit even smaller kitchens
*Great investment as the herbs will keep growing
If you love to cook using fresh herbs, you can save money and make your meals that bit tastier by investing in a herb garden.
This set has everything you need to start your herb garden in one box, including basil, parsley, thyme, chives, coriander and rocket seeds.
Five pots, five peat blocks and five plant markers are also included, plus tips on how to sow and look after your herbs.
Once you get the taste for it, you'll be wanting to grow all your produce from home!
9. Coffee Machine
*Make a freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, hot chocolate or tea straight away
*Investment piece which will save money in the long-run, particularly if you're a family of coffee guzzlers!
*Compatible with Tassimo coffee pods, and is a compact size so it fits into even small kitchens
This one will only save money if you're a morning Starbucks aficionado, but it's definitely worth it if you splash out £3 every morning for your flat white! Set aside just a few extra minutes in the morning to enjoy your favourite hot drink with this coffee machine. It's SO speedy, and will have your drink ready at the push of a button.
Extra money saving tip: fill up a flask with your favourite hot drink so you never have to pay for it on-the-go.
10. Kindle
*Saves you money as books tend to be cheaper
*You can choose between 8GB or 32 GB storage
*A single battery charge lasts for weeks
Again – this one will only save you money if you read a lot of books, however it will certainly save a few pennies if you are an avid literature fan!
The new Kindle Paperwhite is even better than before. It's not only got increased storage, it's now waterproof too so you can read in the bath or at the beach risk-free.
It also now comes with Audible so you can listen to your story wherever you are.
You'll also get access to the huge Kindle library of books and magazines, with over 5.5 million titles to choose from. Wow!
11. High-efficiency Washing Machine, £289
*Saves electricity and therefore costs less to run than a less efficient model
*Excellent A+++ energy rating
*10kg drum capacity, 1400rpm max spin speed and 15 wash programmes
Save money by investing in a washing machine which doesn't waste unnecessary energy. This one has a A+++ energy rating, 10kg drum capacity, 1400rpm max spin speed and 15 wash programmes. It'll save you money on your electricity bill and this one in particular washes clothes quickly, which makes your life that bit more hassle-free – especially if you have a big family!
12. SodaStream, £59.99
*Ditch the plastic bottles of sparkling water
*Saves so much money in the long run
*Leaks and spills are avoided as the snap-lock mechanism holds the carbonating bottle in place
If you've got a serious sparkling water habit, this is the buy for you - Sodastream uses a reusable plastic BPA-free carbonating bottle so you'll never buy a disposable bottle again. It turns tap water into sparkling water in seconds - simply fill and fizz!
The sleek black design comes with LED light indicators which make it easy to switch between three levels of carbonation, and using it means you'll use far fewer plastic bottles and cans of fizzy drink.
Read on:
- How to make your beauty routine plastic-free
- 10 clever ways to use less plastic (and save money, too!)
- The best hack buys for making family mealtimes easier