Sandra Fulton

Everyone wants to save money around their homes. All day, almost everyday you work hard for enough money to feed the kids, pay the bills and maybe go out and have a good time once and a while. Many people still have trouble with just getting by on their monthly bills. Well, this guide will help any person looking to save some of their hard-earned money.

1. Adjust your thermostat.

Move the thermostat down in the winter, up in summer. Changing your temperature so that it is no more then 68 degrees in the winter and no less 78 degrees in the summer can save you from 300-500$/Yr. Lower your temperature during the night and when your away with a programmable thermostat. Also, open your blinds in the winter months and keep them closed in the summer months to heat up and cool down, respectively, your house. If your heating or cooling unit is more then 10 years old then replace it with a new Energy Star unit. That can save you over 100$/Yr.

2. Insulate your home properly.

Seal all cracks where hot air can escape from your home. Properly insulating your home can save you anywhere from 100-400$/Yr. Polyurethane is the best insulator for your home. Make sure all your home is insulated, including your attic. Hot air rises and a lot of it will be lost in your attic if it’s not properly insulated.

3. Plant Trees.

Plant trees on the West and South sides of your house. This’ll reduce the amount of heat entering your home during the hot summer months. It could save you over 150$/Yr on cooling costs every summer. It may take a while for the trees to grow, so when you’re looking for a new house, look for one with trees on the West and South sides.

4. Eat less meat.

Cut down on your consumption by 10$’s a month and save some 120$/Yr. You’ll lose some weight and gain some money. The world also benefits by you eating less. The amount of food and water that has to be used up to feed animals to produce meat is enormous and a large quantity of our crops goes solely to feeding animals.

5. Take short showers instead of baths.

This can save over 100$’s a year. Also take 5-minute showers instead of 20-minute showers. In reality you do not need all that water just to wash yourself down. You could save 100$/Yr. As well to saving money, you are also saving water. The less water you use, the better for the environment. Consider taking navy showers. You enter the shower, water yourself down, and then shut off the shower. Lather yourself with soap, and then use the shower to rinse yourself down. This’ll greatly reduce the amount of water used up.

6. Don’t run your computer 24/7.

Turn off your computer and especially your laser printer when not in use. A printer running for 5 hours a day, each day will cost you around 120$/Yr. Keeping your printer on for only when your about to print, say 1 hour a day can save you 100$/Yr.

7. Purchase CFL’s.

This is the easiest thing you can do. In 3 years, switching 6 of your 60W incandescent light bulbs to 6 13W CFL’s, can save you 221.37$, or 73.79$/Yr. CFL’s are a really good and cheap investment to make. Very little is lost in the switch from Incandescent to CFL, as technologies are advancing and now some CFL’s look the same as incandescent lb’s and they emit the same or even more light.

8. Buy second hand.

Consider buying clothing at second hand stories, rather then designer ware. How long do you really think that nice new Gucci T-shirt is going to last? Save your money and buy second hand. Possible savings of 80$/Yr. If your friends really judge you by what you wear, maybe consider more considerate people. There is nothing wrong with buying second hand, whether it be clothes or toys or dish ware.

9. Use your washer only on full loads.

Use only full loads in the dryer and washer. This can save anywhere from 40-110$/Yr. If you have an old washer, consider replacing it with a new energy star washer. A new version will probably use half as much water and electricity and the savings will definitely grow.

10. Use a low flow shower head.

Regular shower heads allow up to 10 gallons a minute, a low-flow will reduce it to only 2 gallons a minute. Having a 10 minute shower everyday of the year with a low-flow will instead of a regular flow will save you 58.40$/Yr. If you shower for 5 minutes instead of 10 with a low flow you'll save 65.70$/Yr.

Total savings: 1409.79$/Yr.