How to Spend Less on Home Appliances

How to Spend Less on Home Appliances

The following contribution is from another author.

Today’s homes are full of appliances to help bring convenience to our lives. However, this convenience comes at a cost – many appliances can be expensive to buy and can cost us extra money in the long run through energy consumption and maintenance. Fortunately, there are many tricks that can help you to spend less on appliances. Here are just a few useful ways to save money on your household appliances.

Hit the sales

You can get huge discounts on new appliances by hitting the sales. The January sales and the Black Friday weekend sales are the most popular sales periods, however most homeware stores will have individual sales throughout the year. Online stores may also host sales throughout the year, which is something worth looking out for.

Buy the display model

In physical homeware stores, you’ll often get models that are out on display. It’s worth asking if you can buy the display model as it tends to be discounted simply for the fact that it’s out of the box and may have had people touching it. These appliances are usually still in perfect condition making them a bargain. Some stores may only sell the display model when they’re otherwise out of stock.

Shop second-hand

Second-hand appliances are generally much cheaper, simply because the condition isn’t as great. The older the appliance, the more of a gamble you’re taking with it, however you may still find some old appliances that are in mint condition.

You’re best off always using a trusted seller – second hand stores tend to offer more reliability, although you should always read the reviews first. You may be able to get a better deal buying from a seller independently online, but you should be more careful in these instances. By using local selling sites like Gumtree and Facebook, you can inspect the appliance in person before buying.

Consider the cost of delivery

With bulky appliances such as ovens, refrigerators and washing machines, you may have to get them delivered, unless you’ve got a large enough vehicle to pick these appliances up in. Make sure to factor in the cost of delivery as some stores will charge more than others (homes with trickier access such as apartments may have added fees). If you’re buying second-hand on Gumtree, some sellers may be kind enough to deliver the item to you free of charge – this is something always worth asking if not specified.

Look out for free appliances online

Some people are so eager to get rid of old appliances that they will offer them for free online. These appliances are generally not in the best condition and you may have to pick them up yourself, but such freebies can still be a great option if you’re on a tight budget.

Friends and family may also be able to offer free appliances such as old kettles and microwaves that may be otherwise gathering dust in the loft – if you need such appliances, it’s always worth asking around.

Consider the energy efficiency

When buying any appliance, it’s worth always considering energy efficiency. A cheap second-hand oven might not cost you much upfront, but you could make up costs in the long run if it’s not very energy-efficient. Generally speaking, newer appliances are greener than older appliances. Some modern appliances such as washing machines and tumble dryers (or warmtepompdroger as they would say in Dutch)  may have eco-friendly settings, whilst others may pride themselves as being eco-friendly overall.

Information on energy efficiency will generally be provided when buying a new appliance online or from a store. If you’re buying an appliance second-hand, you may be able to find such information online at sites like https://www.energystar.gov/products/appliances.

Unplug appliances when not in use

Whilst some appliances are best left plugged in permanently such as refrigerators and freezers, there could be others such as microwaves and toasters that are using up small amounts of energy by being left plugged in regardless of whether or not they’re switched on (unless you turn off the switch at the wall, there’s likely some electricity still going into the appliance). Make sure that you’re unplugging these appliances so that you’re not wasting unnecessary energy.

Know when to repair and when to replace

If an appliance breaks down, getting a replacement isn’t always the most economical option. When it comes to high quality white goods, you probably don’t want to be replacing these items just because of a small fault – hiring a company such as https://www.appliancerepairbeaverton.com could be a more financially sensible option. With recently-bought appliances, you should also consider whether there was a warranty included, as this could help to pay for repairs.

When it comes to smaller and cheaper appliances, repairing may work out more expensive and inconvenient than replacing. If an appliance keeps breaking down and needing repairs, you may also want to consider buying a new one before you pay more in repairs than you purchased for it. Broken appliances can be sold for scrap at sites like http://uk.emrgroup.com/selling.php.

Cut down unnecessary appliance usage

You can also save money on your appliances by using them less often. Whilst tumble dryers can be useful for drying clothes in the cold winter months, it could be more sensible to hang up your wet laundry in the summer to let it dry. You also don’t want to be using a portable electric heater to heat up one room when turning on the central heating to heat up your entire home could be just as energy-efficient.

You should also consider whether you really need to buy certain appliances, or whether they are an unneeded convenience. Kitchen appliances such as electric juicers and waffle makers and slow cookers are all great if you’re going to regularly use them – if not, they’re a waste of money. Focus on buying appliances that you need, not on appliances that you want.

Author

Eric is the creator of At Home in the Future and has been a passionate fan of the future since he was seven. He's a web developer by trade, and serves as the Director of Communication and Technology for a large church in Nashville, TN (where he and his family are building a high tech home in the woods).

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