7 Homeowner Hacks to Save Money (that actually work)
Oct 10, 2025Read time - 4.5 minutes / Disclosure
Saving money as a home owner means:
- More vacations.
- More eating out.
- Less money stress.
Unfortunately, nobody hands you a money-saving guide when buying a home.
Life's Surprises
Owning a home means spending money on:
- Insurance.
- Property taxes.
- Home loan payments.
Most of these things are expected.
It's the unexpected things that can be painful.
When getting my first loan to buy a little condo in Seattle, Washington.
There weren't many surprises.
Needing to replace:
- The carpet.
- The microwave.
- The refrigerator.
...weren't too painful.
But after selling the little condo 2 years later.
And getting a new loan to buy a house.
Things got interesting.
Needing to:
- Repair the roof.
- Chop down a tree.
- Fix a leak in the basement.
...were more expensive than fixing the little condo.
And after becoming obsessed with house hacking.
And figuring out how to buy 5 more properties without a truckload of money (because I didn't have much in the beginning)...
Keeping costs low was super important.
The Homesaver Checklist
Finding ways to save money as a homeowner.
Helps make experience much more enjoyable.
Here's 7 homeowner hacks I've learned the hard way to save more money (hope they're helpful).
Let's dive in:
1. The Insurance
Keeping your auto insurance and home insurance with the same company = big savings
Most insurance companies give you a 15% to 30% discount if you do that.
Having two different companies = paying more money (in most cases)
Combining your insurance policies can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars every year.
2. The Payment
Making bi-weekly payments on your home loan = big savings
Most people make their home loan payment once per month.
But most home loan lenders also offer bi-weekly payments.
A bi-weekly payment means making half your home loan payment every 2 weeks.
This helps you pay your loan off faster.
Choosing bi-weekly payments can save you thousands of dollars in interest costs every year.
3. The Interest
Attacking the loan directly every month also = big savings
For example.
Here's what a $400,000 home loan over 30 years with a 6% interest rate looks like:
It's wild to see a $2,398.20 monthly payment.
Times 360 months (30 years)
= $863,352 in total payments
Double the loan amount.
When many people see this, they often wonder...
Is owning a home worth it?
But after seeing a chart of home prices going back 30 years.
It makes more sense.
Home prices have been doubling every 14 years or so.
In our home loan example, attacking the $400,000 loan with an extra payment of $100 every month looks like this:
$100 extra every month means $55,758 in savings.
And paying off the loan 36 months early (3 years).
Imagine what an extra $200 or $300 could do.
Attacking your home loan with an extra payment every month can save you thousands of dollars in interest costs.
4. The Warranty
Most homes come with a limited warranty.
The warranty is often paid for by the person selling the home.
And it covers things like:
- The electrical.
- The plumbing.
- The dishwasher.
- The refrigerator.
- The water heater.
But most people don't know or overlook this perk.
Using your home warranty during the 1st year of homeownership can save you thousands of dollars (ask your real estate agent).
5. The Taxes
Every year the local government changes the property taxes.
And they send each homeowner a letter.
The letter tells you how much money they're going to charge you in property taxes the following year.
Most people throw away the letter (after a bit of cursing).
But the thing to know...
You can dispute your property taxes.
If you think you're being overcharged.
Google "appeal property taxes (and the county you live in)".
You'll find instructions on how to do it.
Disputing your property taxes can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars every year (if you win).
6. The Upgrades
Turn home upgrades into savings.
When unexpected things happen like:
- Needing a new ac.
- Needing a new roof.
- Needing a new furnace.
Here's a little hack I learned that works well.
Schedule 2 different companies to give you a quote the same day.
Schedule them to come to you house at the same time (if possible).
For the homeowners.
— JOHN HENRY (@thejohnhenry_) January 13, 2024
My old heater went out.
Needed a new one.
1st quote:
$9,100
Said I was "shopping around."
His new offer (5 mins later):
$7,400
Always negotiate.
Getting a quote from 2 companies when upgrading your home can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars as each company fights to win your business.
7. The Planning
Beat unexpected costs to the punch.
Needing to come up with hundreds or thousands of dollars unexpectedly... really stinks.
It can lead to unexpected costs being added to a credit card.
And paying 20%+ interest.
A way to help avoid that is to setup a "House Account".
Here's how it works:
1. Open a savings account at a different bank than your checking account.
2. Link your checking account to your new savings account.
3. Setup an automatic transfer from your checking to your savings every month.
Here's an example:
The first time I set this up.
$100 transferred from my checking to my savings account automatically every month on the 1st.
Having my savings account at a different bank then my checking account meant—
I was less likely to use my savings for other things (in a moment of weakness).
When unexpected house costs came up.
Having automatically built up several thousand dollars in the savings account was a big relief.
Creating a "House Account" helps you prepare for unexpected costs and helps you avoid paying high interest on credit cards.
The bottom line
Homeownership is a big adjustment.
Especially in the beginning.
It can feel a bit overwhelming.
But using a few money-saving best practices.
Can help bring more peace of mind.
And make the homeowner experience more enjoyable.
That's all for today.
See you next Saturday.
