"How can I manage my household finances in a way that truly helps me keep my bills paid and eases the strain on my budget?" — this is a common question during times of crisis, when saving and controlling expenses is not only useful, but, above all, essential.

After all, a large portion of your monthly income goes towards household expenses, doesn't it? Therefore, organizing your finances is the first step to overcoming these difficult times more easily and quickly.

With that in mind, we've put together some tips to help you save money and discover the advantages of two new habits: reusing and replacing. Curious? Then keep reading!

Adopt a more conscious energy consumption pattern

To begin with, it's important that you consume energy more consciously. This involves, among other things, using LED light bulbs, which are the most cost-effective option when it comes to reducing expenses.

It's also a good idea to replace air conditioners with fans (which are more economical appliances), avoid leaving cables or power supplies plugged into outlets without charging any electronics, and restrict the use of electric showers to cold days.

Finally, make the most of natural light throughout the day by leaving windows open and keeping passageways to balconies and verandas unobstructed. This way, the interior of your home will be brighter and you won't need to turn on the lights before nightfall.

All of these steps can even be passed on as you teach financial literacy to your children, nephews, and other children in the family.

Learn how to reuse water

Another interesting tip for saving money at home is learning how to reuse water in your daily life. "But how do I do that?", you might be wondering. Don't worry, we'll explain a simple way to do it!

Do you have a washing machine at home? Then, when scheduling your next wash, remember to select the economy mode. This will prevent the machine from immediately discarding the water in which the clothes were soaking.

On the contrary, this will give you time to remove most of it using containers, collectors, or small buckets. From there, you can use this water in various ways.

For example, to wash your car, clean the exterior areas of your home, sanitize your house windows, etc. It's also worth mentioning that some washing machine models save some of this water to clean their own internal components.

Share entertainment services

Economical living doesn't mean giving up the things you enjoy and that entertain you in your free time just because they have a price. Not at all!

In fact, it means continuing to enjoy each of them while reducing your previous expenses. Want an example to make this clearer? Here you go!

Imagine you subscribe to a streaming service for soccer championships so you can follow your favorite team in every game. If you pay for it yourself, the cost is R$30.00 per month.

However, by sharing your account with a friend, each of you pays half the monthly fee. Therefore, what previously cost R$30.00 becomes only R$15.00.

In other words, it is possible to maintain your leisure time and still save money. And the best part is that this tactic can be implemented across various services, especially streaming services for movies, series, music, and digital reading.

After all, many of them offer accounts with up to five simultaneous accesses for a fixed price that can be shared among a group of friends or family.

Start replacing/alternating foods

Did you go grocery shopping for the week and notice that some food items are more expensive than usual? Don't ignore the price increase and keep buying them as if nothing is happening!

Instead, start replacing it with more affordable alternatives. For example, instead of buying traditional boxed juice, how about exploring fruit pulp — which, incidentally, has fewer preservatives and sugars?

Instead of a loaf of bread, how about taking 1kg of tapioca flour — which yields several servings and can be easily mixed with chia, flaxseed, and other nutritious seeds?

This is the simplest way to prevent your food expenses from spiraling out of control and affecting your budget. As a bonus, you can diversify your meals, experiment in the kitchen, and even adopt new eating habits.

Oh, and one extra tip involving the supermarket: remember to make a list of the items you need before you go. This helps you search more thoroughly for deals and avoid unnecessary purchases (especially impulse buys).

Sell ​​what you no longer use

Finally, here's a tip that doesn't exactly involve saving, but rather making extra income to help with your expenses: sell the things you don't use, that just accumulate.

It may seem silly, but many people have this habit. Over time, they buy or receive clothes, accessories, decorative objects, appliances, and the like.

However, instead of keeping only what they will actually use or what will be useful for decorating and organizing their home, they store everything, turning their own homes into veritable storage units!

So, it's time to declutter. Make a list of the items that are in good condition and working properly, and offer them to friends, family, and acquaintances.

Many people might be interested in buying something, you know? In addition, you could create a profile on social media, for example, and set up a virtual bazaar to sell clothes, books, shoes, CDs, DVDs, etc.

See how you can cut expenses and save more by adopting a home economics approach that involves reviewing your habits and proposing some practical changes to your routine? Start getting inspired by our tips now! Also, discover how leading a minimalist life can change your relationship with money and consumption!

If you enjoyed these tips, be sure to read more content here on the Descomplica Finanças Blog!