Waste Not, Want Not

One thing we can do that is good for the budget is stop wasting so much. This can apply to many areas in our lives. From eating to home heating, waste equals money going down the drain unnecessarily.

Cooking for the family instead of eating takeaway or dining out is a great way to save money. But if you're throwing food out, the benefit is reduced. So if you have leftovers, don't let them end up in the trash. Some dishes freeze well, and this makes for easy dinners when you don't have time to cook. You could also eat dinner leftovers for lunch the following day.

If your home is not well insulated, you're probably wasting lots of money on home heating and cooling. Insulating will cost some money up front, but it will pay for itself quickly. If you have drafts around windows and doors, weatherstripping can help maintain the temperature of your home.

Most households waste an unbelievable amount of electricity. This can be prevented in part by using energy efficient appliances and light bulbs. Turn lights, televisions, computers and other devices off when you're not using them, and open blinds to take advantage of the sun's light during the day.

Unplug the dryer and get out the clotheshorse. If you're already heating your home for winter, let the cost of heating help dry your washing. A clotheshorse over a ducted heating vent will dry washing overnight. Put one in a sunny window and the washing will be dry in no time. Sit one next to the combustion heater and you'll be folding and ironing in just a couple of hours. Best of all it won't be costing you $1.10+ to dry a load of washing.

Benjamin Franklin said "Small leaks sink big ships".

It's not the big amounts you waste that will bring your Spending Plan undone, but all the tiny amounts you let slip by "because it's just a small amount".  Plug those small leaks, stop the waste and watch your finances improve.