10 Tips for Saving Money Around the House

The modern 21st century home is a marvel of convenience and efficiency. Unfortunately, many consumers spend far more money than necessary to keep their homes running smoothly. If you’d like to keep more of the money that you earn, these powerful tips can save you a boatload on home expenses.

Seal Up Leaks in the House’s Exterior

Adequately heating and cooling a home is a costly endeavor no matter where you live. Drafty homes require more energy to maintain comfortable temperature and humidity levels throughout the year. Caulking the gaps around doors and installing hyper-efficient double-paned windows will yield impressive results in short order.

Embrace Passive Heating and Cooling

You can get more bang for your energy buck by intelligently opening and closing window blinds. During the winter, leave the blinds on south-facing windows open during the day to soak up the sun’s rays. During the summer, keep south-facing blinds closed during the day to block solar energy.

Apply Insulation to the Pipes

Believe it or not, pipes that lack insulation waste a lot of energy due to heat loss. What’s more, sweaty pipes make HVAC equipment work harder to control humidity. Applying foam or radiant-barrier insulation to pipes will save you money by reducing water and electricity consumption.

Make the Switch to Smart LED Lighting

While they cost more than CFL light bulbs, LEDs consume far less energy. What’s more, LEDs can last up to 20 years if you opt for quality hardware. A smart home automation platform like Nest can be used to automatically turn off LEDs when you leave a room.

Upgrade Appliances Well Before They Die

Every year, common household appliances like dishwashers, dryers and refrigerators become cheaper and more efficient. Hanging on to an old appliance until the very end will cost you a pretty penny in electricity. Upgrading power-hungry devices every decade or so will more than pay for itself through energy savings.

Consolidate Telecommunications Services

In this day and age, there’s simply no reason to have separate providers for phone, Internet and TV services. The good news is that most major telecommunications providers offer service bundle packages. Do a little research on the options in your area and pick one that meets your bandwidth needs.

Invest in a Well-Stocked Tool Arsenal

Saving money on home repair is far easier if you do the work yourself. Start your tool collection with the basics such as hammers, ratchets, screwdrivers and pliers. A power drill, a random orbital sander and a chop saw will enable you to complete a slew of renovation projects.

Switch to Reusable and Homemade Cleaning Supplies

Virtually every household in the developed world goes through hundreds of dollars worth of cleaning supplies every year. You can drastically reduce your cleaning supply budget by ditching paper towels for washable rags. Making your own cleaning sprays using citric powder and vinegar is another smart move.

Make Long-Term Food Storage a Priority

Preparing food in bulk and freezing, jarring or canning the excess is a proven way to slash grocery bills. Electric canning machines designed for home use can cost as little as $100. An extra refrigerator or a deep freezer in the garage is never a bad idea.

Become a Coupon and Online Discount Ninja

If you’re like most homeowners, you buy the same goods from the same stores consistently throughout the year. You can save a bundle by signing up for loyalty programs and email lists. Most popular nationwide vendors send out online coupons featuring steep discounts on a daily basis.

Saving Money at Home Over the Long Haul

As with most endeavors in life, saving money on household expenses largely comes down to knowledge and preparation. If you learn just one new trick for reducing your home-related bills every week, you’ll save a staggering amount of money over a lifetime.