Winter in all its might and unpleasantness (pleasant for some) has officially gripped South Africa. While winter might not be the ideal season for most South Africans, it provides an interesting opportunity to save some extra money instead of spending more.
Stay in
If you are not willing to brave the cold for a night out on the town, consider staying in with a nice bottle of wine and a good book or a few good movies. You’ll spend less money on petrol and you won’t end up overspending on drinks in a club.
Go to gym
If you really need to get out of the house, why not make use of the gym contract you have been religiously paying for months? You’ll feel great afterwards and you would have saved water and electricity by showering at gym instead of at home.
Carpool
With the rising cost of petrol, people are always looking for alternative means to travel. Commuting in winter is not always a desirable or safe option for South Africans. But carpooling gets you to work safely while splitting the petrol bill.
Winter internships/ Job
If you are a student you’ll have up to a month at home during the winter holidays. Why not spend this time doing an internship or completing a temp contract to earn some extra money.
Freelance
On the other hand if you’re not a student, there are tons of opportunities to do freelance work from your home. You could get paid for editing photos or tutoring after hours.
Switch to gas
Ditch the energy sucking heaters and air conditioners and invest in a gas heater. This way you won’t end up with a monstrous electricity bill at the end of the month. Gas is also an effective and cheaper option to using an electric stove.
Get a meter
If you are still being billed, why not approach the municipality to have an electricity meter installed. This way you would be able to monitor the amount you spend on electricity. This will also help you budget for that amount effectively.
Prepare
Take care of issues early that may become a problem later in winter. Roof leaks and broken gutters could cost you a lot of money as roofing companies may push up their costs during winter.
DIY
If you do end up with a leaky roof or a clogged drain, why not try and solve the problem yourself. The internet provides a ton of free information on how to DIY effectively.
Cancel subscriptions
If you are streaming most of your series and watching most of your movies online, is satellite TV really necessary?
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