Let’s be honest with ourselves - everyone can cut a few expenses around the house sometimes, right? Costs can pile up, money doesn’t grow on trees, and so on and so forth. And before you start rolling your eyes about another list telling you to skip a Starbucks trip every now and again and to pack your own lunches, we’ve got some tips here to help you reduce costs around the house in a more practical way by focusing on actual house expenses! Still with us? Check these out: Reduce Utility Bills: We know, we know, you’ve gotten that speech a million times about how turning the lights off when you leave a room and reducing water use can help you keep your bills down. But ask yourself this: have you ever actually done these tips? We won’t go over the list of things you can do to try and keep your utility costs down, but we will provide a gentle reminder to actually put those tips into practice. (Seriously, you’ll be shocked at how fast that electric bill will go down.) Avoid Contractor Visits: Sure, the second you start having some plumbing trouble or an iffy internet connection, your first instinct might be to call a plumber or cable specialist or someone more ‘qualified’ to handle your problem. But thanks to the proliferation of cheap tools and internet how-to YouTube videos, most minor home repair problems can be pretty easily taken care of at home. Sure, bigger problems might be best left to the experts, but your next clogged drain or leaky faucet can probably be taken care of by yourself. Think about how much money this can save - and how proud of yourself you’ll be when you actually take care of it without calling a plumber (or your parents)! Skip The Storage Units: It’s always hard to hear, but some of that stuff you want to hang onto just isn’t worth keeping - especially when you consider how much those storage facilities may be costing you every month. If you don’t want to have to part with your stuff, it might be more economical in the long run to bring in some wire shelving or garage storage, reorganize your place a little bit, and bring your stuff home where it belongs. And if this still doesn’t work, it may be garage sale time. Make Your Own Cleaning Products: Not only will this help you save more money, this is also a lot better for your home and the environment as a whole! If you find yourself going through a lot of drain cleaner, dish soap, and the like, there’s some cheap and effective recipes online to help you make your own cleaning stuff to save money and keep your pipes and dishes safe from harmful chemicals! Don’t Bother With Fancy Appliances: Now, granted, some things do need to be replaced eventually, like ancient ovens or old faulty refrigerators. In fact, changing old outdated appliances can help reduce those utility costs we mentioned earlier. That said, when you start looking for new appliances, don’t go crazy with the accessories. You probably don’t really need your oven to talk, and you probably don’t need your fridge to have a touchscreen Android panel on the front, no matter how fun it sounds. Try to see if you can get by with your old appliances, and when the time comes, don’t get too crazy with the new ones. We’re not saying you’re going to be a millionaire with these tips by any means, but after a little while of trying them out, you just might find yourself with a little extra breathing room.