5 Ways To Save Money In The Kitchen
Kitchens are important places. Inevitably you’ll end up spending a fair amount of time there, so you may as well make it a pleasant environment. Having to cook every night is bad enough without having to do it in a tiny, cramped space where you can’t find anything you need.
No. You want a spacious kitchen, with deep drawers and miles of bench space. And even if we can’t have all that, here are a couple of tips (thanks to TC Thorn of Buzzle) to get a little closer to the dream while saving money.
Redo, don’t replace
If you’re kitchen cabinets are looking worse for wear, fight the urge to replace them immediately. After all, they could last perfectly well for another ten years. Refinish them or repaint them, and see how much that improves the look of the whole room. It’ll save you a lot of money and heartache. Choose bright colours, or a light palate if you feel the room looks a bit small. If, in the end, you still feel they look too shabby, you can always replace them. But at least you know then that it’s a necessary expenditure, not a kneejerk one.
A Face Like Granite
Love the look of granite, but don’t have the budget to accommodate one of those enormous slabs? Why not go with granite tiles instead of unwieldy slabs that require a professional to size, cut and install. Tiling may not be the most fun job in the history of the known world, but it is definitely one that you can achieve and save yourself money in the process.
Thick As A Plank
Hardwood is one of those status symbols- like a flashy car, it’s something we all want and flaunt. But is it really all it’s cracked up to be? And can you tell the difference between laminate and genuine hardwood? Irregardless, if you have little kids, hardwood may not be your best bet anywhere. Repeated exposure to moisture does less-than-pleasant things to your floor if its hardwood, whereas laminate is more durable.
Apply yourself
Appliances are so appealing. They’re bright and shiny, and a very easy way to hemorrhage money if you give in. Stick to basics, buy reasonable quality so it doesn’t break once every three months, and take good care of them. Stainless steel isn’t too pricy and should last you a long time. If you have a blender, resist the juicer.
Try and avoid letting yourself in kitchen stores, all the pretty colours can get a bit overwhelming and you can lose a big chunk of your budget in one fell swoop. Believe me, I’m the proud owner of a crescent knife, designed to chop garlic, that I’ve used once since I bought it.
Lightly
Light is your friend. My favourite aspect of my house is the lights on the kitchen bench; not only do they make the kitchen look spacious and inviting, they are also incredibly practical for cooking dinner. Similarly, the light over the oven helps with food preparation and cooking.
If you want to give your kitchen a bit of zing, head to IKEA and get some cheap light fixtures or pendant lighting for the dining area
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