Household appliances

Now that you are divorced you have not only lost your other half but also half the things necessary to set up house. You may have a freezer but no fridge, a tumble dryer but no washing machine or a toaster but no kettle. Choosing and making a decision from amongst the multitude of products on offer is bewildering. Your decision will be guided by different criteria which will include price, energy efficiency and style.

Essentials
At a minimum you will need a cooker (or a hob and a separate oven), a fridge, a washing machine, a kettle and a vacuum cleaner. A freezer, even a small one is extremely useful but it is possible to live without one and tumble dryers, dishwashers  and toasters are certainly not essential if you have a limited budget to spend on household appliances.

Price
Household appliances vary wildly in price from very cheap to incredibly expensive. You will probably have a good idea of how much you have in your budget to spend on a new fridge or a cooker for example and if money is short ask yourself whether you really need a microwave and a cooker. It may be a good idea to spend more on a half decent stove and forgo the microwave if the alternative is a cheap and possibly nasty cooker and a cheaper and even nastier microwave. Price comparison sites can help find you the best prices on all types of appliances and with a very competitive marketplace you should be able to find yourself a good deal without too much trouble.

Style
There is no doubt that we are all living in an increasingly style conscious age. The plethora of household makeover programmes on television and the multitude of books on the subject mean that many of us are now no longer content with mere functionality but want even our toaster to say something about us - that we are cool, visually aware and altogether groovy and that we enjoy a particular kind of lifestyle and not just a life. (And that’s only the thing to toast the bread in!) While it is difficult to make a washing machine look stylish, manufacturers of small kitchen appliances particularly go to great lengths to make their products more appealing with funky shapes and colours and there is some great looking stuff out there.

Energy efficiency
Make a conscious decision if you are looking for new appliances to buy the most energy efficient. Not only will you get a glow of satisfaction knowng that you will be doing your bit to help in the fight against global warming but with rising energy costs you will be saving yourself preciouus pennies if your divorce settlement left you less well off than you were before.