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Valuable tips to help you save money and reduce your day-to-day expenses.
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Be smart with your heating to save money
Heating costs have been on the rise for years, and to no small extent either. Many energy suppliers have dramatically raised their prices, which is why tenants are having to pay up to 75 percent more (source: Haufe.de, 2022). Landlords pass on heating and hot water costs to their tenants as part of the annual heating bill. As these costs are also consumption-based, now is the time to act: To keep costs as low as possible, it is worth taking a look at how you use your heating and learning a few tricks that you can use in your everyday life. Your wallet will thank you for it!
The right room temperature: the key to reducing costs
The right room temperature: the key to reducing costs
You don't need to heat all rooms to the same temperature. For example, the kitchen is often already warm enough due to cooking and baking. If you are looking to spend less on heating, use these temperatures as a guide:
Living spaces (living room, dining room and nursery): 20 °C
Kitchen: 18 to 20 °C
Bathroom: 18 to 24 °C
Bedroom: 17 to 20 °C
However, please remember: The room temperature should be at least 17 °C to prevent cold-related damage such as mold.
Did you know?
Each degree less saves money: By reducing the room temperature by just one degree, you use up to six percent less energy.
Each degree less saves money: By reducing the room temperature by just one degree, you use up to six percent less energy.
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Thermostats: Well-regulated heating is half the battle.
A programmable thermostat is a worthwhile purchase. It allows you to conveniently control any heating system and heat each room as needed.
Whether digital or analogue: Actively use the thermostat to regulate your consumption! For example, turn it down if you’re going to be out of the house for a few hours. You should also turn the temperature down at night. The same applies if you’re going to be away for a few days.
The five levels of the thermostat
Each level on the thermostat represents a target temperature.
Rule of thumb: Each level represents a four-degree difference – only the snowflake is the outlier here.
Three tips for good air quality
By ventilating your home, you help to ensure a healthy indoor climate whilst also saving money. Here’s how:
- Shock ventilation is best for getting rid of moisture. Open the windows wide for five to ten minutes several times a day. This ensures a rapid exchange of air without the walls cooling down. If there is high humidity, for example after showering, cooking or sleeping, you should ventilate the room immediately.
- Rooms that are not heated as much should not be passively heated by other rooms. Because when warm air meets cold, it becomes damp. So close the doors between rooms that are heated to different temperatures and don't leave any windows tilted open for any length of time. Otherwise the walls will cool down too much.
- The lower the room temperature, the more often you should let fresh air in. Turn the heating down when ventilating a room.
Did you know?
The amount of heat lost from the room overnight can be reduced by about 20% if you close the roller shutters in the evening. Closing the curtains amplifies the effect.
The amount of heat lost from the room overnight can be reduced by about 20% if you close the roller shutters in the evening. Closing the curtains amplifies the effect.
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Tips on how to save when grocery shopping
Lay the table – but do it cheaply. Rising food prices are being keenly felt by our wallets. If you plan your food and beverage shopping well, you can still enjoy a balanced diet and fresh food. It helps to plan several days ahead and write out a list – this helps you to avoid making spontaneous purchases and only get what you really need.
Did you know?
Supermarket own brands such as Gut & Günstig, ja!, K-CLASSIC etc. are usually up to 30% cheaper, but of a similar quality to comparable products from well-known brands. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, buying regional and seasonal produce will save you money.
Supermarket own brands such as Gut & Günstig, ja!, K-CLASSIC etc. are usually up to 30% cheaper, but of a similar quality to comparable products from well-known brands. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, buying regional and seasonal produce will save you money.
Apps and websites that help you save money
Bargain hunters can also look for food elsewhere than the supermarkets and discount retailers. There are many useful apps and websites that help you to reduce your day-to-day spending!
For example:
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Tips on how to save on your purchases: Furnishing your home on a budget
With our tips, you won’t have to dig deep when buying furnishings and everyday items such as furniture, crockery, electrical appliances and kitchen utensils. A good guideline: Buy when others don’t.
Buying against the trend
In spring: household and garden items
In summer: beds, furniture and large appliances
In autumn: laptops, barbecues, toys
In winter: household appliances, TVs
Buying at the right time will save you cash
Online retailers change their prices all the time. Sometimes goods are more expensive in the evening and at the weekend because that is precisely when more people have time to shop. Keep an eye on the price trends for a while to figure out the best time to buy. Comparison portals like idealo.de or check24.de and price alert websites will help you.
Cheap second-hand furniture
As buying second-hand is now the trendy thing to do, there are numerous opportunities and offerings for second-hand furniture, home textiles and tableware. You can find great deals near you on websites like kleinanzeigen.de and moebelkeller.de. Those who prefer to browse locally should look around flea markets and second-hand shops.
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On the move for less: Tips on how to save money on buses, trains and cars
Whether you are going to work, to the supermarket or to visit family and friends: Of course, the cheapest way to get there is to walk or cycle, but that isn’t always possible. Yet there are also ways to save money on these journeys.
Bus and train are the cheapest
Is the 49-euro Deutschlandticket worth it for you? Simply divide 49 euros by the number of journeys you make by public transport each month. If the resulting number is higher than the fare per single ticket or 10-trip ticket, it’s not worth it.
You can find an online calculator that takes into account all of your transport use at: fairtiq.com/en/germanyticket-calculator
Car sharing and car pooling: sharing cars saves money
Do your colleagues or neighbors travel the same route to work as you? Then why not make the journey together and share the fuel costs? This is worth doing even if someone is only traveling part of the way – and even if you only carpool one day a week. Those who drive less frequently can perhaps even do without their own car altogether and use local car-sharing service – e.g. Miles, Share Now or stadtauto. These only charge you for the actual kilometers or minutes you clock up.
Refueling for less by using apps
You can save up to 8 cents per liter of gasoline if you fill up in the evening instead of in the morning. Apps such as clever-tanken.de, ADAC Drive or mehr-tanken show you where the cheapest fuel is in your area at any given time.
An extra bonus tip:
You can save around 70 euros per year on average if you adjust your tire pressure every 14 days. Having too little air in the tires increases fuel consumption. The recommended tire pressure can usually be found written on the frame of the driver’s door or on the fuel tank cap. ADAC even advises 0.2 bar above the manufacturer’s specification.
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Saving money in everyday life: borrow, buy used, have a clear out
71 percent of people in Germany spent less money on clothes in 2022 because they bought used textiles (momox Second Hand Fashion Report 2022). But buying second-hand is a great choice for more than just clothes. It’s always worth checking out platforms for pre-loved items, especially when it comes to furnishings that are timeless and durable. You can also earn money this way. Because surely there are one or two things in your home that can be sorted out and sold.
Saving through second hand
Having regular clear-outs and selling on second-hand items pays off. You can find appreciative buyers at your neighborhood flea market or on platforms such as kleinanzeigen.de, vinted.de, momox fashion or sellpy.de – as well as opportunities to scoop a few bargains yourself!
Children in particular regularly need appropriate clothing and toys throughout their early years. Instead of buying new items, you can often find nice things in small, familiar online shops like mamamiassecondhaendchen.de or minimaximix.de. Or you can swap things with your family members or acquaintances.
Save on reading: borrow books or buy used
There are very few books that you want to read yourself more than once. But a book can handle being read by many readers. Save money by borrowing books yourself. The first port of call for cheap reading material is – of course – the library. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, you can find it on medimops.de or other portals for used media. Sell the books you have read and earn a few euros in the process.
Tip on how to save money when renovating: borrow instead of buy
Do you need a special tool for a renovation or DIY project, but won’t need it again afterwards? Ask your neighbors if they have the tool you need and if they could lend it to you. If not: Hardware stores like Bauhaus, Obi or Hornbach rent out tools by the hour or day for a fraction of the purchase price.
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Wasting money on unused subscriptions
Make a list of your subscriptions, the costs associated with these and the cancellation periods. Anything you don’t use or hardly ever use: cancel it! Put your newspaper subscriptions and current mobile phone contract to the test: Do you make use of the landline flat rate, for example? Do you use all your data? If not, you could save a few euros a month by switching to a different plan or even a prepaid contract.
Extra tip for canny savers
If you only manage to make it to the gym once a quarter, jogging in the great outdoors or lifting weights at home might be more your thing – and you won’t have to fork out for that gym membership. Deutsche Rentenversicherung offers a free workout program. Find out more at rv-fit.de. Other preventive courses are subsidized by health insurance providers. It’s worth asking around and weighing up your options!
