The essential savings guide for Irish households

The idea of saving money appeals to everyone, however, it can be daunting when you don’t know where to begin.

This is why we have compiled a list of our best money-saving articles that will help you cut the costs of your energy, broadband, banking, and insurance expenses. 

From applying for grants to washing your clothes at night to switching mortgage providers, this article has got you covered. 

Remember no saving is too small if it keeps your money in your pocket. Without further ado, let’s jump into our essential savings guides for Irish households. 

Gas and Electricity

The biggest way to lower your energy bills is to switch energy suppliers each year to avail of new customer discounts. Thankfully switching suppliers isn’t the only way to save money on your energy bills.

So check out our range of articles on the different ways you can lower your energy usage and bills, through our top saving tips and supports outlined below. 

• Are you struggling to pay your energy bills? Fear not, there is support out there. You can read about the different supports available to you in this guide. 
• Discover what appliances use up the most electricity, so you can make more energy-conscious decisions at home and lower your bills. 
• Separate fact from fiction with our guide that aims to demystify the most common energy-saving myths you may have heard. To ensure you develop energy-saving practices that work, we have compiled a list of how you can use less energy in your home in 16 different ways.  
• Here are the 23 most effective ways to save energy in the kitchen. 
• Even though energy prices continue to rise it is still worth your time and money to switch suppliers, you can find out why here. To help you complete the switching journey, take a look at our Quickstart energy guide series on the process so you can save hundreds on your annual gas and electricity bills. 
• Did you know that you could be entitled to energy efficiency grants for retrofitting your home? The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) offers a range of supports to help people during the retrofitting process. We’ve included all available grants for you here.
• Installing solar panels on your home is an expensive investment, however with the microgeneration scheme now up and running, you can get paid for the extra electricity you reduce.
• Feeling the chill at home and in your pocket? Here are 10 tricks that will help you heat your home for less. 
• Did you know that you might be entitled to the winter fuel allowance or the free electricity allowance? 
• Create an energy-conscious culture in work with the help of top energy-saving tips for the workplace.

Broadband

Having a good broadband connection is vital for every household nowadays. However, that doesn’t mean you have to pay an exorbitant price to get a decent broadband, TV and mobile plan.  

To ensure you’re not overpaying on these bills, we have gathered our best money-saving broadband guides to help lower your monthly broadband expenses. 

• Discover 5 different ways that will help you lower your broadband costs.  
• Being a student is expensive, that’s why we found the best student-friendly broadband deals available for you. 
• Our Quickstart broadband guide series outlines how you can get an affordable broadband plan that meets your needs on bonkers.ie

Personal Finance

When managing your personal finances, there are many ways that you can save money. Some might be obvious while others might not be.

Whether you know all the ways to save money or not, we’ve written up some articles for you that will be sure to help in some way or another. 

• Take a look at our guide on how you can save money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. 
• Using too much water is bad for the environment and your bank account. So to tackle this problem, we found 12 ways to use less water in your home so you can keep your money in your pocket.  
• Retrofitting your home will make it both energy and cost-efficient in the long term. Although it is initially an expensive undertaking, there are ways to make it more affordable. Take a look at our guide to explore your options.  
• We understand that working from home can significantly impact your monthly bills. Here are 12 ways for you to cut back on costs while working from home.
• Speaking of working from home, did you know you may be eligible for tax relief? Discover if you meet the criteria and how to apply for it in our guide.
• Check out 13 different ways to lower the costs associated with running a car.
  
• Did you know that there are grants and incentives available to help you purchase an electric vehicle?
• Lower the cost of your holiday by learning how to avoid foreign exchange fees when abroad and by reading our 20 money-saving holiday tips here.
  
  

Banking

Lowering your everyday banking costs is easier than it seems and there are great savings to be had.  

Many people don’t realise the benefits that come from moving their bank accounts to a bank that has low interest rates and charges. 

• Find the right current account for you on bonkers.ie. Our free comparison service will help you discover a bank that doesn’t have an endless supply of charges and fees.
• Here are 9 simple ways you can lower the current account fees you pay. 
• Our free savings account comparison service will help you find a bank that offers the best return on your savings.
• If you’re considering getting a credit card, you should select a bank with the lowest interest rates and charges, we compare the different banking options for you here. 

Mortgages

Your mortgage is the biggest and most important financial investment of your life. It is imperative that you have a mortgage with the lowest rates on the market. 

However, oftentimes, mortgage holders are unaware of the massive savings they could be making by switching their mortgage lender or by shopping around. 

• Find out how you can find the best value mortgage for you on bonkers.ie with the help of our mortgage Quickstart guide series.
• If you’ve decided to go ahead with a mortgage, then saving up enough money to buy your first home can be challenging, that’s why we’ve written a guide to help you. Here are 6 great tips to help you get your mortgage deposit together. 
• If you’re a first-time buyer, there are financial schemes available such as the Help-to-Buy scheme and the First Home scheme to help you purchase your first home. 
• Discover all the extra costs you will be expected to pay during your mortgage journey here.
• Did you know that some banks will pay your legal fees if you switch your mortgage to their bank? To learn more about this incentive and the legal fees you will face during the mortgage switching process, check out this article.
• Now that you know the technical details and you’re ready to switch, it’s time to ask the big questions. How much money can you save by switching mortgages?

Insurance

Insurance is a big part of life, guaranteeing protection for what’s most important - your health, car, and home. 

As it’s so crucial, it’s essential that you avail of the best policy out there (minus the hefty price tag). The articles we’ve written below can help with that. 

• Take a look at our series of Quickstart guides that will help you find the best value premium to suit your needs on bonkers.ie. So whether it’s home, life, mortgage protection or car insurance we’ve got you covered.
• Discover our top tips on how to cut the costs of your insurance bills across the board here.  
• You can’t put a price on having peace of mind, however, we understand home insurance is expensive. That’s why we’ve written about 10 ways you can reduce your home insurance costs. 
• Find out how you can lower your car insurance premium today so you can get on the road to cheaper motor insurance. 

Start savings hundreds today on bonkers.ie

Now that you are equipped with the most informative savings tips articles bonkers.ie has to offer, it is time for you to start cutting the costs of your household bills. 

So put these top tips into action and see how much you could save!

Although these articles can help you lower your day-to-day expenses, we always say that the biggest savings you can make are by switching providers. 

At bonkers.ie, our free comparison services, allows you to compare providers across energy, broadband, banking, and insurance products, so you can discover the best value plans for you. 

Get in touch

Did you find these saving tips helpful? Or do you have any of your own you’d like to share? Let us know today! Send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.