When bringing another life into the world, you’ll have all kinds of responsibilities on your shoulders. With more mouths to feed and look after, your monthly household expenses may shoot up and be financially crippling. If your letterbox is overflowing with bills, it’s time to take stock of your finances.

There are lots of ways you can cut down on your household bills and expenses, which can save you hundreds of pounds every year. To get you started, here are five changes you can make today.

Switch Providers

Whether it’s your gas and electricity, broadband, or home insurance, if you’re not happy with the bill at the end of the month, it may be time to switch. You can search and compare home insurance quotes at a site like Quotezone, for example, which could save you money. Quotezone provides a totally unbiased and independent service, so you can be sure you’re getting the best deal. You can then put any saved money away for a rainy day.

Check Your Council Tax

Did you know that up to 400,000 households are in the wrong Council Tax band? To ensure you aren’t being overcharged, it may be wise to conduct some research. It only takes ten minutes to check, and if you’ve paid more than you should, you could get a rebate. Also, it’s worth looking to see if you qualify for any discounts.

Shop Smart

When we have children, we want them to have everything they could possibly need. From clothes to toys, to electronics and food, shopping smartly may help you save tons of cash. Shopping for clothing at secondhand stores, changing supermarkets, and checking Facebook Marketplace to score bargains can all help in cutting household expenses.

Become a One-Car Family

Many families rely on their cars more than they need to. If you have more than one vehicle taking up space in your driveway, it could be worth selling one and becoming a one-car family. For those who live within walking distance of work, leaving your car at home will save you tons of money in fuel. What’s more, running one car instead of two is better for the environment, and can help reduce your carbon footprint.

Forego Luxuries

There are all kinds of luxuries we pay out for every month that we may not necessarily need. For example, while a Netflix subscription lets you watch all kinds of exciting TV series and films, you could benefit from cancelling your subscription for a couple of months. Also, if you’re always heading on exotic family holidays, why not opt for a staycation this year instead? Not only will you save money, but you can also take in some of the wonderful sights that the UK has to offer. Until you get your finances in order, it’s worth foregoing luxuries for the time being.

If you’re a family who are struggling to make ends meet, it may be time to look at your income and outgoings and look at ways to cut back on your spending. Doing any of the above should help in your quest of saving money on household expenses.