Top Tips To Save Money This Winter

Many of you out there might be thinking that you have no way to save money. With spiraling costs of living and wage increases coming in at a snail’s pace, it can seem virtually impossible. We don’t blame you for thinking that way, but we’re here to tell you that you can save yourself a substantial amount of money by cutting back in some key areas.

When it comes down to making a positive impact on your financial position, small gains repeated a few times over can add up to big savings. We’ve found that the number one area to save considerably is your own home. If you own a home of your own, there are a few fundamental areas that could be a slow leak in your financial ship. We’ll be breaking them down for you in the following simple hacks.

Insulation Situation

If you live in an older home, you might want to have a look at your insulation. Unless it’s damaged due to neglect, water leaks near them, or animals burrowing through, insulation should last anywhere between 80 and 100 years. This is according to the Home Improvement Forum. Do you know how old your home is? Check your title deed for information on the year your house was built. If you’ve bought an older home that has been remodeled, then the chances are that the only remodeling done was superficial to get the house to sell. You could still be dealing with old insulation, so be sure to have it assessed.

Does Your Water Need to be That Hot?

Whether you’ve purchased a home with a sufficient water heater in place or you’ve recently had a new one installed, it’s worth checking what temperature it’s set to. While the common default setting on water heaters is 140 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s recommended that you drop that down to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only will this save you up to $100 per year, but it will also prevent scalding incidents. If you have young children around the house, this is definitely something that you should be looking into. Safety plus savings sounds like a win-win to us.

To change your water heater settings, it’s always best to consult the manual that came along with it. In most cases, especially where you’ve bought a home with one already installed, that manual might be long gone. If that is the case, you can have a look through websites like Manuals Lib, the ultimate manuals library, to find a PDF copy of your water heater’s manual. To head to their website, click on this link. Always shut off the electricity to your water heater if you have an electric water heater.

Tinker With the Thermostat

“Don’t touch the thermostat!” Ever hear that one from your parents when you were growing up? Well, now is the time to tinker with that thermostat. Did you know that if you alter your thermostat temperature by just 7 degrees, you could save upwards of 10% on your heating bill each year? Besides, sleeping in an uncomfortably warm room in winter is not good for your natural sleep cycle. Our bodies need a cool, dark room in order for us to achieve deep, restorative sleep. Moreover, rooms that are too hot or too cold can affect newborn babies, with some studies alluding to the fact that irregular temperatures may contribute to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Keep your thermostat set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit if the cold is bearable, but keep it above 72 degrees Fahrenheit if there is a chance of sub-zero temperatures overnight.

If you want to maximize the warmth in your home without turning your thermostat up, consider putting a ceiling fan on. It might sound counterintuitive, but it really works. If you set your ceiling fan to a slow speed, it will effectively redistribute the warm air around your home.

Guard Your Windows

If you can’t afford to have your windows caulked right away, consider getting thicker curtains or adding blinds behind your existing curtains. This will help insulate the rooms in your house, keeping the cold out and preventing warm air from escaping.

Be sure to draw your blinds and curtains to the fullest extent on sunny days so that those warm rays can heat up your home. It would be wise to figure out whether or not your house is north facing as well as which rooms have more of the intense midday sun.

If you can institute these practical tips, you’ll be on your way to saving hundreds of dollars a year