Getting your dream kitchen means building up a savings pot and being savvy with your cash to reach your goal amount.
There are lots of ways to set money aside to make expensive kitchen remodeling work more affordable, so follow these tips to achieve your aims in less time.
Analyze your monthly expenses and make adjustments
If you don’t have a budget in place, you can’t start saving in an efficient way. So take a look at what you spend in a typical month, compare this with your income, and start to look for areas where you can cut back.
Eat at home rather than going to restaurants
Preparing meals at home is good for your health, as well as for your bank balance. So rather than buying food while out and about, aim to get into cooking in the kitchen every day of the week without fail.
Be realistic about what your new kitchen will cost
Whether you’re planning to do the work yourself or pay someone else instead, you need to be cognizant of costs upfront, so that you know how much you need to save.
There are average remodeling costs to go by, but if you’ve got more ambitious plans, or a larger space to adapt, don’t forget to revise your estimates accordingly.
If the price you reach is too high, consider changing some of the material options for more affordable alternatives, or simply extend your savings goal so you know how long it will take to reach it.
Use a credit card that offers cashback
You don’t have to stop spending entirely to save up for a major purchase like a new kitchen. If you’re smart with how and where you splash your cash, saving is easier.
For example, with credit card approval for deals that include cashback on purchases over a set period, you could recoup money simply for using your card over time.
That doesn’t mean you should spend for the sake of it, but rather that when you do make purchases, they can reward you as well.
Buy second hand where possible
Why buy new when you can get used fixtures and fittings for a fraction of the price? Second hand kitchens are widely available, and you could even consider upcycling existing units rather than replacing them outright. A lick of paint goes a long way to make tired cabinetry look fresh again.
Automate your savings
Lots of modern banking apps let you set up a savings pot which automatically gets filled with a set amount of money each month.
You can schedule the cash to leave your main account on payday, and that way you won’t even need to think about putting it aside yourself, or risk being tempted to spend it.
Consider how the design of your kitchen impacts expenses
Getting the right look and feel for your remodeled kitchen might seem like it’s the costliest aspect, but the reality is that more money will go into any layout changes that you have in mind.
For instance, moving a sink from the wall to a central island will involve a whole lot of plumbing work, so if you can instead retain the same footprint and orientation of features as before, it’ll save you a bundle.
Conclusion
The good financial habits you develop as you save for a kitchen remodel job will serve you well in the rest of your life, so don’t just think of it in terms of a single goal being achieved, but rather a positive change being made which will pay dividends indefinitely.
