7 Things You Can Do to Save on Your Rent

At a certain point in your life, you may feel like you are stuck paying the overwhelming price for your housing and living expenses. It can happen for a variety of reasons; the economy takes a downturn, you take a less paying job or lose yours entirely, etc. Nevertheless, there are certain steps you can take to reduce the funds you allocate to rent. Let’s discuss several ideas that can assist you with saving money until you are back on your feet. These can help you rein in housing expenses.

Utilize Rental Platforms

Contact your local rental company or one of the long-term renting platforms instead of clicking on the ad of the large apartment complexes. You should review several platforms to find the best deals. The small landlords or the medium-size property management can often offer a much better deal than a condo owner. However, keep in mind most of the time the properties are not going to be new.

Save on Food

An alternative method that you can use to find more money is by altering the way you eat.
The best thing you can do is to stop eating out. If you stop eating out every day for dinner and/or lunch, you will save significant funds. Start preparing your meals. Additionally, perform grocery shopping wisely. Plan your meals for the week, make a list of products and supplies you may need, prioritize your spending and buy only those products you need. Most of us are throwing away a huge quantity of food. We tend to buy in bulk, misled by the discounts and promo-campaigns and to end up throwing away kilograms of food.

Save on Heating

There are reasonable means of enhancing your residence’s energy efficiency. Setting your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees below the normal temperature while you sleep won’t significantly affect your quality of sleep, but will substantially help you save on heating costs.

Regular maintenance of your heating and AC system will help you spot a malfunction and save some cash. Clogs in the furnace decrease its heating efficiency. Therefore you should regularly check your furnace and remove any dirt or stains. They tend to accumulate and hinder the work of the heater. Leakage is another major obstacle for energy savings. It is one of the major sources of energy loss. To stop warm air from flowing out, review your windows and doors for unwanted gaps, drafts, and holes. You can seal them with foam strips, caulk or expanding foam.

Save on Electricity

Electricity is another fertile ground for applying cheap saving solutions.

First of all, make sure you take advantage of natural lighting. Second, one of the effective methods for energy saving is switching to LED light bulbs. They can help you to reduce up to 90% of the energy that you dissipate on lighting. Review the lamps in your home — most of them can be switched to LED light bulbs. These are proven to be more energy efficient than regular light bulbs while providing comfortable natural light and greater safety. Additionally, you should check the air coils of all your electronic devices. Invite a specialist to conduct an examination of your water heater, dryer, and fridge. In case if they are outdated, they might consume more electricity than they suppose.

Save on Water

There are numerous ways to save on your water bill and reduce water usage. First, you can lose water due to plumbing leaks. Therefore you should conduct a meticulous examination of the entire system to make sure it is fully operational.

Also, you should be aware that one of the main water consumers in most households is a dishwasher. I would suggest not using the dishwasher at all. Washing dishes is not very arduous; you can manage it. Additionally, many Canadian households spend a fortune on bottled water. You can significantly reduce this expense by installing a water filtration system. That way you’re not only saving money but saving nature from plastic.

Sublease

Another prominent way to save on your rental is to get a roommate. Usually, a two bedroom can be had for only $100 more a month. You still maintain the comfort of your private room but pay half the cost of living on your own.  However, make sure that you are comfortable with your roommates. It’s also essential to set rules for living and establish how you will pay for utilities and bills before you start living together.

Negotiate Your Rent

On certain occasions, you can try to negotiate the rent or the amount of your security deposit or waive certain fees for the application or screening. It depends on the time of year when you’re looking for an apartment and in which part of the country you live. Do not hesitate to ask for a lower price; the worst-case that the landlord will say no. Most likely you will have more flexibility in asking for a lower price with small landlords. They want to keep the apartments full and don’t abide by the strict corporate policies of the large property management.

Apartment hunting at the right time can make it simpler to negotiate. If you reside in a university town, you will have a better chance of negotiating the rent over the summer break when students have left for vacation. Check online rental platforms to review if landlords and property managers post different rates to see when the best time to negotiate rent is.

Photo by Jose Alonso on Unsplash