Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to save more money?

December 31st, 2012

Appliance Talk Small Appliances

January 1 not only brings the start of a new year – and a public holiday – but it is also the first day that many choose to do things differently.

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions made is to save more money, but for many, that’s as far as they get with their goal.

So the Appliances Online team is here to offer their practical tips for helping you put away those dollars in 2013.

Buy less takeaway coffee

Ahh yes … while the beloved caffeine hit in the morning is something worth waking up for, it can also cause your wallet to take a bit of a hit too.

As the average price of a takeaway coffee has continued to rise, the quality and ease of espresso machines at home has also increased – meaning that there is really no excuse to not make your daily brew yourself!

The Philips Saeco Intelia coffee machine includes a one-touch cappuccino feature, as well as integrated automatic milk function and automatic cleaning.

If you think you’ve seen the professionals make a coffee enough times to try it yourself, then the Breville Infuser coffee machine offers the best of both worlds – a semi-automatic espresso pour combined with a 360-degree swivel action steam wand and stainless steel jug so that you can froth your own milk.

Pack your lunch

Being prepared is often the secret to successful New Year’s resolutions, and spending less money is no different.

One of the most cost-effective ways to stick to a budget is to take your own lunch to work – and it doesn’t take a mathematical genius to see why! Lunch over five days costing at least $10 each means that you’re wasting more than $50 a week to have someone prepare your food for you!

But you’ll need somewhere to store all of those extra groceries you’ll be buying to prepare your midday meal, and the right fridge will be able to help keep you organised.

The 610L Westinghouse WSE6100WF side by side fridge offers specialised storage compartments, with humidity controlled crispers to help keep your fruit and vegetables fresh and a repositional deli drawer to help keep your favourite sandwich fillings together.

And if you want to go all out and really take ownership of your packed lunch, then why not try your hand at making your own bread?

The Panasonic SD-2501 bread maker includes a 13 hour pre-set timer so that you can wake up – or come home – to freshly baked goods, a large 1.13kg loaf capacity and a jam and compote mode if you’re feeling extra adventurous.

Entertain at home

Heading out for dinner or drinks with friends is a great way to catch up, especially with a new year upon us, but it can become a very expensive exercise for the social butterflies amongst us.

Wine lovers will want to have plenty of bottles on hand as the silly season continues, and a designated wine storage cabinet can help make life a little easier.

Not only does the Vintec VIN30SGME wine storage cabinet hold up to 30 bottles, but the electronic temperature feature helps you store your beloved drop in a humidity controlled environment of between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius.

Of course, one of the major downsides to having guests over is the cleaning up that has to be done afterwards.

The Bosch SMU50E05AU dishwasher can take some of the hassle out of washing dishes, with a load sensor, five wash programs and a half load option just some of the features included.

All the way from the land of the flightless bird, Krissy brings a part of New Zealand culture to the Appliances Online content team. And although she is adamant she does not say 'fush and chups', she can't deny her continuous use of the term 'sweet as' and her ongoing argument with her team on the correct name for jandals (thongs). One thing is for certain, however, her passion for her kiwi slang is matched with her love for sharing news, hacks and buying tips for all things appliances! Krissy's favourite appliance is the Tefal Cook4Me multi cooker, as she believes it's ok to let an appliance do all the work for you.

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