Everything you buy has a price and a value. Sometimes spending more money than you think
you should at first, can save you some serious cash in the long run. Here’s a list of items
that are evidence of how that rule works in real life.
1. Thermostatic shower faucet
Before you say a thermostatic shower faucet that costs 3-4 times as much as an ordinary
faucet is clearly something extra, hear me out. It can actually save you hundreds of
bucks a year because you won’t have to spend time regulating the temperature of the water.
There are online calculators that can help you figure out exactly how much you’ll save,
and the more members there are in your family, the greater the saving will be. Also, you’ll
be able to turn off the water while lathering — it’ll be the right temperature when
you turn it on again and you won’t be freezing, covered in a soapy foam while trying to regulate
the water temperature.
2. Water saving showerhead
A regular showerhead splashes away more water on you than you need to get clean. A water
efficient shower head reduces the amount of water that goes through your hot water heater
by 7 gallons with every 7 minute shower, and that’s around 2,500 gallons a year. That
also means less water gets heated, so you’re saving both water and energy, and the purchase
should pay itself off in 10 months.
3. Freezer
A freezer might sound like a waste of money and space in your kitchen, but it can help
you stock up and save a bunch! Supermarkets often offer good deals on foods that can be
frozen and stored for a long time. You need vitamins all year round, and seasonal greenery
costs way more off-season. You can buy a whole salmon for two times cheaper than salmon steaks
of the same weight. The freezer costs no more than a fridge, and requires the same amount
of electricity if used properly. It’ll pay for itself within 3 years.
4. Foodsaver Have you ever cooked more food than you can
eat? And then failed to keep the leftovers edible and had to throw it all away in the
end? A foodsaver, which many would consider an extra, works by sucking the air out of
a plastic bag or container, keeping the food fresher for longer. It’ll also work with
long term storage in the freezer.
5. Induction stove
An induction stove costs twice as much as an electric one from the same manufacturer.
But what’s so cool about it is its super high efficiency – according to Electric
Power Research Institute, up to 90% of their energy heats your food. An electric stove,
for example, has a different efficiency - 70%, while only 40% of a gas stove’s energy goes
to heating food. This means that food is cooked faster on induction stoves, so the consumption
of energy decreases. Also, induction stoves don’t work unless you put something on them,
so if you take off the kettle and forget to turn off the stove, it won’t stay on, consuming
the electricity in vain. And since the surface of these stoves doesn’t heat up, the risk
of getting burns is also less.
6. Seasonal tire change
Even considering the cost of tire fitting services, seasonal tires will cost you less
than universal ones because all-season tires have a lower wear resistance. But you save
the most money here as you improve the safety of your car. If it’s colder than 14°F outside,
all-season tires harden, the grip on the road decreases, and the car becomes less controllable.
Expenses for repairing a wrecked car can damage one’s budget significantly, let alone medical
services, if they’re required.
7. Gym equipment
If you visit the gym regularly, and your membership costs a lot, you might consider taking the
gym home. If you buy some quality equipment that’s not crazy expensive, you can save
some serious cash over time. But make sure you only buy the machines you really use,
not just the stuff that was on sale.
8. A high-quality mattress
You spend around ¼ of your life sleeping, and that time affects the other ¾. Good restorative
sleep makes you more productive, and a mattress that doesn’t kill your back will save you
a lot of money in doctor visits later. The same is true about a good pillow.
9. Coffee maker
Does your daily commute to work involve a coffee from a coffee shop nearby? So, you
must be positive a coffee maker is way too expensive? A regular cup costs somewhere from
$2 to $5, with an average price of $3.50. If you get one cup of coffee every day, that’s
a total of about $1300 per year. The cost will be higher if you’re not the only person
in the family that drinks coffee, or if you drink more than one cup daily. Now, coffee
makers cost anywhere from $35 to $500, depending on the kind you get. Even when you add the
cost of coffee beans, electricity and maintenance, your home coffee maker will pay itself off
within one year! Once you buy it, you’ll be getting your daily dose of deliciousness
for production cost only, which is about 20 cents per cup of espresso.
Ooh, got that java jive…
10. Filtered water bottle
There’s one more thing you buy every day, and hopefully, you drink more of it than coffee
– I’m talking about water. A filtered bottle will cost you about $40, and there
are also cartridge refill costs, but it should all be paid off in half a year. You’ll be
able to fill in the bottle from any tap and the water will be cleaned from any viruses
and bacteria. Plus, using the same bottle over and over again is way more eco-friendly
than buying plastic bottles whenever you get thirsty.
11. LED light bulbs
Though LED bulbs have many advantages, their one major disadvantage – high cost – stops
many people from buying them. The price of an LED bulb is about 8 times higher than a
normal incandescent bulb. But at the same time, an LED bulb consumes 10 times less electricity.
Also, the service period of an LED bulb is 10,000-25,000 hours, while for a regular bulb
it’s 1,000 hours. That means that while using one LED bulb, you’d change a conventional
light bulb about 20 times. So, an LED bulb is about 7 times wallet-friendlier than a
normal one.
12. A blade sharpener
Once you get a blade sharpener, you won’t need to toss away your razors when they get
slightly dull. In fact, you’ll be able to use one blade for up to six months!
13. A high quality phone case
A paradox of life is that many people are willing to spend a fortune on a new phone
but get excited about a $1 “great deal” case for it. However, such a case isn’t
going to protect your phone in times of crisis, and you might have to replace the gadget if
you accidentally drop it. Getting a case for $40 doesn’t sound as scary as getting a
new phone for $1000, right?
14. “Smart” power strips
If you’re using a device that has a lot of accessories, for example, a desktop computer
that has a monitor, speakers, printer, and so on connected to it, “smart” power strips
will help you save on the electricity bill. When you turn on your computer, it powers
on other connected devices. When you turn it off, everything else goes off, as well,
and that cuts a lot of the unnecessary expenses you would bear if you forgot to do so yourself.
15. A motion sensor light switch (clap clap ) Clap On. NO not that!
What seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie a few decades ago, is now a real money
saver. Thanks to a motion sensor light switch, you’ll keep the lights on only where you
really need them as you move around the house. The installation is simple and quick, and
although it’ll cost you quite a bit, you’ll notice how much energy, and hence money, you
save in no time.
16. Energy-saving glass
About 40% of the heat loss in our homes falls on the glass. Just remember how much money
you pay for heating; half of this money goes right out the window. An energy-saving coating
helps reducing heat transfer through the glass by 75-90% depending on the type of coating.
If you do some math, you can easily calculate how much you can save with low-e glass. Don’t
forget to add the excess electricity that you use for heating your home, as well as
the electricity used by air conditioners for cooling your home down while it’s hot outside.
Yes, another cool thing about energy-saving glass is that it works for keeping your home
both warm and cool.
Which of the items on the list do you already have? Let me know down in the comments! If
you learned something new today, then give this video a like and share it with a friend.
But – hey! – don’t go out buying a side of beef for your freezer just yet! We have
over 2,000 cool videos for you to check out. All you have to do is pick the left or right
video, click on it, and enjoy! Stay on the Bright Side of life!