Saving Money Around The House
You spend the most time there, so it makes sense that your house represents your largest expense. Whether it is the day to day upkeep, and operating expenses, repair projects, or the rent or mortgage payment, you allocate a big portion of your income to your home. Because you spend so much money on it, take advantage of the following tips to start trimming your budget.
If you want to possibly save hundreds of dollars a year on your electric bill, make sure that any new appliances you buy are energy efficient. You can find this information on the Energy Guide Labels that federal law requires of all major appliances.
Call your utility program and ask them if they have any cost saving programs such as load management programs or off hour rate programs. Enrolling in these could save you a substantial amount of money.
Ask your electric and/or gas company if they do a free or low cost home audit. They can identify ways for you to save hundreds of dollars a year on heating and air conditioning and often they will help you implement their suggestions for free.
Go over your phone bill and see if there are charges on it for services you don’t use, like three way calling or call waiting. You can save about $50 a year if you eliminate unused services.
When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes—24 hours a day!
If you use electricity to heat your home, consider installing an energy-efficient heat pump system. Heat pumps are the most efficient form of electric heating in moderate climates, providing three times more heating than the equivalent amount of energy they consume in electricity. A heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating as much as 30% to 40%.
You can cut the amount of water you use showering in one year in half, by installing low flow shower heads.
Insulate your water heater and turn the thermostat on it down a few degrees, to save quite a bit on your bill.
Carefully placed trees can help to heat a cool your house. Studies show that just 3 trees strategically planted to give shelter and shade can save you up to $250 a year on heating and cooling.
Provide high efficiency lighting to your home by using linear fluorescent and energy efficient fluorescent compact lamps in your fixtures. They last 6-10 times longer and use less energy.
Use solar pathway lights in your yard to provide nighttime light. It costs less than using electricity to run security lamps.
Refrigerators with freezers on the top are more efficient and therefore more cost effective than those with freezers on the side.
Switching your washing machines temperature from hot to warm or cold cuts a loads energy use in half.
Gas dryers are less expensive to operate than electric dryers. The cost of drying a typical load of laundry in an electric dryer is 30 to 40 cents compared to 15 to 25 cents in a gas dryer. That savings adds up over the course of a year.
When you are drying jeans in the dryer, throw a towel or two in with them. The towel will draw moister from the jeans, cutting down on dry time.
With a little thought and minimal effort you can save hundreds of dollars a year around your house. Start saving today, and imagine how much more money you will have in your bank account in the future.
About the Author:
Linda Polansky writes about Saving Money
Read more articles by: Linda Polansky
This article is distributed by: www.iSnare.com
written by: Linda Polansky
Related Articles:
Your finances are your business. But unfortunately it seems like you need an accountant to help you understand and decode the mysteries of balancing a budget or saving money. At some point you might need to get a loan. When that day comes, this...
In addition to running my regular consulting business, I also work part-time as an Ad Set Supervisor for a national retail store. During this time I have learned many of the ins and outs of the retail business and how to get the most bang for my...
I admit it! I*m guilty! My husband has lovingly accused me of taking *nothing* out of the fridge and making something out of it. I transform it into a scrumptious, edible meal, and he shakes his head in wonder. He*s delighted each and every...
We all know how to spend our money, but do we fully understand how to save it? I am not talking about setting aside a reserve for an investment or rainy day purposes - both of which are good things - rather, saving money on everyday items. Here are...
The craft of making cosmetics and perfumes at home can be expensive if you are not careful. However, there are many things you can do to save money, while enjoying this great hobby. Here are a few ideas: Save money on containers that you use...
If you are looking forward to your next skiing vacation, it's to your advantage to get the most out of your skiing dollar. You know the slopes, now it's time to learn the ropes. Here are three tips to help you save money so you can ski more often...
Looking for ways to cut costs on your wedding but still have the event you've always dreamed about? You can save a great deal of money by hosting your ceremony outside in a beautiful park, at the beach, on a hilltop or even in your yard. (Of course,...
Frugality is a virtue that can be taken too far. Here are a number of pointers on how to find a sensible middle ground between overly stingy and wasteful. Frugality is a virtue that can be taken too far. You know you're there when you're...
Here are four tips that’ll save you money when buying your next computer. Tip #1 -- Rebates: A rebate is not always a bargain. Computers with rebates are often close to being discontinued. You may pick up a good deal or purchase technology that's...
by Lesley Spencer, MSc; Founder & President HBWM.com Inc. One of the most common obstacles many home-based working moms face is trying to start or run a new business on a limited budget. The first few years of a business are usually the hardest...
Related Links:
Resource Center
Submit your topic related site and we'll
review it for our Partner Sites where we
provide link exchange information.
Tour our site using the Site Map. We respect your privacy - see our terms for more info.