Most people budget money so that they can allocate specific amounts for needed items while they save for financial security, plan for long-term and short-term goals and enjoy extra recreational activities. Saving money isn’t difficult but it does require some good strategies and careful consideration. If you’re an online casino enthusiast and you enjoy gambling for real money, you should have a budget set aside for your gambling needs.
Gambling entertainment should never involve using money that’s set aside for household expenses or going into debt in the belief that you can make up money for past losses by playing more games. But if you follow smart practices for saving and budgeting wisely, you’ll enjoy a more rewarding gaming adventure.
Hacks for Smart Savings
There are many areas in the home where Sloto Cash casino gamers can cut corners and save money that can be used to enjoy the fun things in life! Some include:
Energy
Cutting your energy usage is probably one of the most important steps that you can take to save money in your house. The best part is, that you can cut your energy usage without significant negative impacts on your quality of life. Some steps to cut your energy usage include:
- Switch to LED light bulbs. LED light bulbs use less electricity. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, on average, households save about $225 in annual energy costs when they switch to LED lighting.
- Seal gaps in doors and windows. Sealing those gaps is an important step in keeping the outside temperature from impacting your inside temperature. You can do this by buying windows and doors that are designed to keep out the elements. A less expensive way to seal the gaps might involve caulking gaps.
- Unplug unused appliances. Appliances that are plugged in draw electricity, even if they aren’t turned on. This includes appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and dryers and even computers. The US Department of Energy estimates that unplugging appliances that aren’t in use can save a typical household up to 10% every month.
- Turn down heating/cooling elements when you’re not at home or asleep. Your house doesn’t need to be cooled or heated to a comfortable temperature when no one is at home, or when everyone is sleeping. The difference in even a few degrees can mean big savings on your monthly electric bill. You can make it easy to change these settings by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat that will do the work for you and save you significant amounts of money in the long run.
- Wash with cold water. Your clothes and dishes will get just as clean with warm water as with hot. Or, if you rinse your dishes before you stack them and don’t have really dirty clothes to wash, with cold water. You might even consider drying clothes in the sun in warm weather to cut down on dryer usage. Washing machines and dishwashers should only be run when they are full.
- Take shorter showers. Remind family members to take shorter showers. You’ll use less hot water.
- Buy energy-efficient appliances – do your research BEFORE you purchase a new appliance and buy the appliances that are the most energy-efficient.
Kitchen
- Batch cook. Cook in large batches and then freeze portions that you can take out and warm up whenever you want. If you’re getting ready to make a boulonnais sauce, why not double it? Same amount of cooking for 2 meals instead of one.
- Make your own foods as much as possible. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are often more expensive than fresh (not always though, so you should check, sometimes it’s the opposite). You can make your own yogurt easily by boiling milk, adding a little prepared yogurt to it and putting the jar in a warm bath for a few hours. Many commercial sauces, salad dressings and marinades are 80% water – in a few minutes, you can make your own.
- Eat leftovers. You can also use leftovers to create new meals including soups, pies, stir-fries, etc. A stick blender can be used to blend leftover/getting soft fruits and vegetables which you can then freeze and pull out at will.
- Consider buying items whose expiration dates have passed (and are discounted in the supermarket). Expiration dates are notoriously unreliable and the food inside sealed cans and other packages is almost always good for weeks/months after the date has passed.
- Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry. You are almost certain to buy items that you don’t really need due to impulse purchases.
- If your supermarket has a website or an app that shows sales, coupons, offers, etc., look at it before you go shopping. If the supermarket doesn’t have such a website, look for a nearby supermarket that does. This information will allow you to plan your shopping and take advantage of discounts that you might otherwise miss. If your supermarket has an email notification list to notify you of such offers, get on it. If it doesn’t, find a supermarket that does.
- Shop smart. Supermarkets tend to put less expensive brands on the lower shelf, not on the middle shelf where your eye tends to wander. Oftentimes, the cheaper brands are just as good, just not as expensive.
General Tips for your Entertainment Fund
Try setting aside money for entertainment purposes. When you have a set amount put aside for casino gambling and other leisure activities, you can enjoy a more stress-free gaming session.
Try to grow your savings in a high-yield savings account and treat yourself by putting the interest that you earn from those savings into your gaming budget.
Take advantage of the casino bonuses like free spins, match credits and casino cash which allow you to play more games for more time for free.
Never go into debt to pay for your gambling activities. If you bet with money that isn’t specifically for your casino activities, you can get into trouble. Stay away from the temptation to dip into essential savings to make casino deposits. Use only money that’s saved for casino entertainment and ensure that your casino budget is separate from your household financial needs.
Saving money can provide you with extra cash to use when you play online casino games.
