Wouldn’t it be great if we could all just sit down, have a cuppa, and think about how to make life easier? We all know life doesn’t leave much room for relaxed contemplation. But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.
Here are some simple, smart and savvy ideas to save time, headspace and your hard-earned dollars on the things you do every day. Consider these small changes that lead to less stress and more time for you.
Let’s start in the kitchen.
When your fridge is stocked with things that are easy to prepare and taste great, you’re less likely to reach for your trusty delivery app after a long day. And your bank account will be grateful for it.
You can pre-plan and order grocery delivery online – saving you precious time going to the supermarket. Let weekly specials inspire your menu choices to save more or challenge yourself to master your favourite takeaway meal at home for a bit of fun.
Meal kits can make things even easier. HelloFresh and EveryPlate tick a lot of boxes. Inspiring meal ideas, no shopping and no waste! You get everything you need for every meal, minus some regular pantry staples. It’s a more economical way to do dinner, saving precious time and some money too.
Or if cooking is not your thing, fresh prepared meals from Youfoodz are a handy way to eat healthy. Delivered fresh, there’s no cooking or cleaning required – simply heat and eat.
Now you’re well fed, you can think about how to use technology around the house to make life easier and save energy. Smart lighting is handy because you don’t need to be in the room, or even the house to control it. If you rush out with some lights on, just a few taps on your phone will turn them off from wherever you are. This can also work in reverse when you’re away on holiday, where you can schedule lights to turn on at night so it looks as though there’s someone at home. Setting sensors up on your outdoor lights is a handy security feature that means you don’t have to think about switching the lights on or off. As a result, you won’t ever be left in the dark.
But if hands free is more your style, a simple “Hey Google, turn all the lights off” as you walk out the door will prompt your virtual assistant (like Google Home or Alexa) to do the task for you. This can work for turning off the TV, air conditioning, putting the blinds up or down – all without lifting a finger. There are so many home automation devices that are compatible and offer remote operation via smartphone app too.
We are spoilt for choice when it comes to at-home entertainment, with a massive selection of streaming services to choose from. And while monthly subscriptions seem low cost, if you have lots, they definitely add up. Performing a simple audit of your streaming services and cancelling the ones you use least will help you save and will also make your nightly selection that little bit easier.
Try and look at the services giving you the most value or bonuses like bundling online shopping and entertainment. Some include exclusive content, music, eBooks and games for one monthly fee. Look at investing in a yearly subscription to save even more. Some services allow you to share subscriptions with friends or family members in your household for cheaper access to your music, podcasts, TV shows and more.
Another way to save at home can be to bundle your services like gas, electricity and internet in one place. Having these sitting with the one provider is handy when it comes to bill time, and you can get discounts for being a valued customer.
And when it comes to billing, there are things you can do to make things easier on your mental load and bank account. If quarterly bills don’t work for your budget or pay cycle, switch to monthly billing for smaller payments at no extra cost. Another option is Bill Smoothing with AGL. Spreading your estimated yearly energy costs over one annual cycle helps reduce the stress of unexpected high bills and makes it easier to budget your finances. For example, if your bills totalled $1200 last year, then your bill smoothing payment would be $100 per month for the annual cycle.
Any of these changes can make a difference, so try and see what works for you.
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