Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending
introFrom investing in a smart sprinkler controller to freshening up your dry-clean-only garments at home, we reveal smart buys and simple solutions that’ll help you waste less, conserve more and realise savings in the long run.
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Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
perishablesMake Perishables Last Longer – Needless to say, letting fresh fruit and veg go bad is also bad for your wallet. How, then, to keep all those prized pickings from the farmer’s market from spoiling prematurely? Keep an eye out for novel solutions such as ethylene gas absorbers, specially insulated bags and stay-fresh containers – they’ll keep all sorts of perishables in a palatable state for longer than usual, resulting in hefty savings in your grocery bills over time. Our picks: Banana bags, the Bluapple and the Herb Keeper. thebluapple.com, lakeland.co.uk, uncommongoods.com
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Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
showerInstall An Innovative Shower Add-on – Water wastage also drains your bank account, but you don’t have to shorten your shower sessions to conserve H20. For instance, try the Amphiro A1 self-powered smart shower metre for handheld showerheads to track water and energy usage so you become aware and waste less. Alternately, fit an atomising shower head: Nebia, for one, uses 70% less water and turns your shower into a mist haven. Or check out the Shower Start thermostatic shut off valve to save hot water at the start of your shower. fancy.com, nebia.com, thinkevolve.com
2/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
coffeeSkip the Coffee Chain Espresso – Sure, it’s tempting to visit your local café for your daily java, but all those shots are going to wind up costing you more in the long run. Instead, indulge in a good quality analogue espresso maker, like the ROK Presso. It’s extremely sturdy and doesn’t use electricity or expensive pods. There’s a small learning curve alright, but once you’ve mastered the process, you’ll savour the brewing as well as the tasting experience. rokkitchentools.com
3/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
monitorSmarten Up Your Home With An Energy Monitor – With energy costs on the rise, everyone wants a way to pinpoint the power guzzlers at home and reduce their energy footprint. Enter Ecoisme, an intelligent energy monitor that plugs into a socket, connects to the main power line via clamp, then analyses and sends power usage data on all household appliances to a dashboard, alerting you if you’ve forgotten to switch something off. It even integrates with smart devices and solar panels so you can operate your home in a sustainable fashion. ecois.me
4/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
ACNo Smart AC? No Problem – If you don’t have central cooling, a programmable thermostat or a smart air conditioner, you can still optimise indoor temperatures and be consumption-efficient during the warmer months. All you need is the iPhone-connected Ambi Climate: it’s small, it’s smart, and it’ll control your AC, learn your personal preferences, maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, reduce unnecessary cooling and save on your electricity bills. It won’t, however, work with outdated AC units – you’ll need to have an infrared remote-controlled model. ambiclimate.com
5/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
power vampiresKill Power Vampires With Smart Sockets/Strips/Killers – Every household has more than a few phantom devices that suck electricity even when idle, such as smartphone chargers, TVs, cable boxes and the like. Reduce such leakage by investing in (a) smart sockets controlled via smartphone app that cut the power supply to attached devices after a selected interval, (b) smart power strips that switch everything off via remote once you’ve powered down, or (c) phantom load killers that measure standby load/costs and shut off offenders via programmable motion sensors. efergy.com, belkin.com, savasocket.com, p3international.com
6/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
summerSummer Energy-Saving Tips – 1. Consider attaching a Mistbox to your existing AC if you live in a hot, dry place (make sure you do the math on energy savings vs water consumption). 2. Service ACs, clean and replace filters regularly. 3. Facilitate cross-ventilation by opening windows on opposite sides of your home during cooler times of day. 4. Check out these scientifically proven ways to cool your interiors by positioning box fans strategically around your home. mistbox.com
7/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
winterWinter Heat-Trapping Tips – No doubt a programmable thermostat will keep your home most efficiently heated, but a few simple practices will also net you sufficient savings on your utility bills. First off, check your home for thermal loss – simply walk around with an infrared thermometer or accessory that attaches to your smartphone (e.g. Flir One), identify leaks and take action. Consider sealing off cracks, insulating water heater pipes and plugging door and window drafts with practical and décor-friendly draft excluders – you’ll keep the chill out and also use less energy. flir.com, etsy.com
8/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
cook food efficientlyCook Food Efficiently, Use A Flame Protector – Did you know that using a flat, oversized aluminium disk over a gas stove flame will disperse heat evenly, concentrate the flame to where it’s desired the most, speed up overall cooking time and save gas? It works best when the size of pots and pans are small relative to the size of the gas burner, leading to better energy utilisation. And as a bonus, your fine cookware will stay scorch-free and as good as new. amazon.co.uk
9/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
sprinklerGet A Smart Sprinkler Controller For Your Lawn – Saving water in your yard doesn’t mean reducing how much H2O your plants get, or growing only those varieties that require miniscule amounts. Here’s Blossom: the smart zonal water controller. It takes advantage of real time local weather data, optimises water use and prevents unnecessary wastage. So no watering when it rains, more watering when it’s hot and auto adjusting when it’s cool outside – all controlled from your smartphone/tablet. And you’ll save up to 30% in water bills annually. myblossom.com
10/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
LEDsLight Up With Energy-Efficient LEDs – Ditch the regular incandescent light bulbs and switch to LEDs or halogen bulbs – no doubt they’re more expensive, but they’ll last way longer and also consume up to 80% less energy. If you’re a feature seeker, we suggest a LIFX smart bulb – a Wi-Fi enabled, multi-coloured LED that’s bright, flexible, efficient and extremely long-lasting (with a lifespan of 22 years or more). You can tweak and control it from your smart device, plus it integrates with NEST. lifx.com
11/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
bikeTake An Electric Bike To Work – Save on your daily commute by switching from a petrol-powered vehicle to an electric bike, especially if you live in a bicycle-friendly city. This robustly designed, carbon-belt-equipped, motor/pedal-enabled, smartphone-integrated SMART bike is definitely more affordable than a car, faster than a regular bike and environmentally friendly. No more parking issues or getting caught in traffic snarls – you’ll cruise to work faster than your colleagues without getting your trousers dirty, all while saving in terms of lower operating costs. int.smart.com
12/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
produceStore Cut Produce in A Food Saver – Don’t let cut veggie and fruit leftovers shrivel, wilt and waste away in your refrigerator. There’s an entire range of fridge food savers designed to slow down their ageing process and prevent bacteria and moisture from ruining them. Consumer experience tests reveal that Food Huggers made from washable and stretchable silicone, Stayfresh polythene bags (used with clips) and fruit- and vegetable-shaped screw-on storage containers work effectively. foodhuggers.com, lakeland.co.uk
13/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
dry cleanDry Clean At Home – We understand your urge to send those dry-clean-only garments to specialists after wearing them once. But you can extend the time between trips by spot cleaning with care or using a home dry cleaning kit. If you’re in a job where frequent fine laundering is an absolute necessity, invest in a sleek garment care appliance such as Swash or LG Styler. Pop the clothing item inside along with a specially designed pod, and you’ll have fresh, good-looking clothes in a jiffy – without the expensive dry cleaning bills. amazon.com, lg.com
14/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
appsSteal Savings With An App – Save on airfares, hotels, groceries, meals and more with an app on your smartphone; download a money-saving app relevant to your region and steal a deal. A few apps we’d install right away include Skyscanner Flights (cheap global airfares from various airlines), Hotel Tonight (last-minute room bookings), Tastecard (UK-based restaurant discounts, promos and bookings), Checkout 51 (earn cashback on grocery items purchased in the US and Canada) and BigOven (for recipe ideas to use up leftovers). skyscanner.net, hoteltonight.com, tastecard.co.uk, checkout51.com, bigoven.com
15/16
Living
15 Ways To Save… By Spending.
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