There are many tips and tricks you can use and do to conserve
energy, budget and boost your home's equity. Here are a few to get you started.
Conserve energy
1. Keep the heat away Your air conditioner is an energy hog. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), setting your air conditioner a by a
variation of a single degree can change your electric bill by 7%. Do what youcan to keep the house cooler. Don't let the sun in. Keep your television off
unless you are using it - they produce a lot of heat. Try not to use
heat-producing appliances like a dryer or oven unless you have to and only for
short periods.
2. Light efficiently Use chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) light bulbs instead of regular ones. They
use much less electricity. LEDs are more expensive than CFCs but also produce a
lot of light for less power. A good side effect of both of these bulbs is they
don't produce as much heat as regular light bulbs, so they'll help with your
cooling problems.
Budget
1. Save We've all had sudden emergencies where we needed money. Car repairs,
field trips, Vegas get away… have a savings account and consistently add money
to it. A savings account can help with the emergencies and cover optional
expenses such as vacations.
2. Pay one debt at a time Pick your highest interest rate debt. Pay as much as you can
each month on that one debt. Pay the minimum on the rest. This helps you get
the debt out of your life one debt at a time instead of constantly paying the
minimums on all your debts and never paying them off.
1. Paint Pick a neutral color and put a
fresh coat of paint on your walls. The value of the house goes up. A neutral
color makes it easier for a buyer to see the potential in a house - neutral
colors don't feel permanent and look clean.
2. Create curb appeal Pick some native plants that will improve the appearance of
your streetscape and make maintenance easy.
These are inexpensive ways to make sure you are getting the
most value for your money. Use these as a jumping off point to come up with
your ideas to save money.
About the author: David Glenn is a retired business owner and entrepreneur
with over 30 years of experience in the construction/home building industry. He
writes about technology and other topics for large sites including dwell.com.
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