Overview: Have you poured hundreds, even thousands into your house over the years? Now it is time to let your house pay you back!

Digging under the sofa cushions for some loose change is the traditional way to get some money out of your house. However, a recent Realty Times article discussed several ways to let your home help you save some money. Here we espouse on some of the best ways to help start saving for Christmas!

Use What You’ve Got

A new sofa or coffee table may seem like an inevitable purchase. But before you start flicking through that new catalog (which, if thrown away, would remove any temptation at all!), try and use what you’ve got by getting creative. A relatively cheap slipcover gives new life to sofas and chairs. Artistically, yet cleverly placed plants, magazines and books will cover any marks or cuts in your tables.

Unplug What You Can

It is estimated that the average household can save upwards of $30 a year, simply by turning off or unplugging anything that uses up electricity by blinking, flashing or having any kind of display at all. You might say, “Oh, but it has a clock!” Realistically, you don’t need more than one clock per room, at most; therefore, the clock hanging on the kitchen wall, plus the microwave clock, plus the clock on the stove make for far more clocks than necessary.

Plan Your Meals

Plan your meals a week in advance. If you know there are going to be some hectic days coming up, plan accordingly and freeze some meals. This is especially a good plan for when you are making something that can easily be expanded to make extra to be frozen. By cutting down on calls to the local pizza and Chinese restaurants, and by stopping all those drive-through runs, you could save thousands of dollars each year.

Know Your Pantry

An updated knowledge of what is in your pantry will avoid throwing things that are past their best away, and doubling up on things you did not realize you had. Most of us have a tendency to stockpile - just make sure you don’t combine this trait with an untidy pantry!

Become Re-accustomed to Games and Reading

It is easy to get drawn into the thousands of different television programs that tempt us each week. Getting rid of cable would be something most of us would benefit from, but most would find impossible to do. As a compromise, considering downgrading to a more basic cable/satellite package.

Install More Romance in Your House

Consider replacing your ordinary switches with dimmer switches. Alternatively, you could replace some, or all, of the bulbs in your chandelier with 15-watt bulbs. Finally, you can replace burnt-out bulbs with energy-saving light bulbs, which run off less electricity and can last up to seven years.

Care for Your Carpet

If you spill something on your carpet, clean it up as soon as possible. If you wait, your cleaners may not be strong enough to tackle the stain. You can also extend the life of your carpet by vacuuming regularly.

Do Not Confuse Convenience with Cost Effectiveness

Although paper plates and paper napkins seem like good, sensible ideas, they can end up costing considerably more than using regular dinner plates and cloth napkins. Also, consider using individual place mats rather than a tablecloth, which tends to be more work and will cost more to replace.

By following these relatively simple tips, you will be amazed at how quickly the money you save around the house will start adding up!