Saving Money Around the House

Most of us live on a budget which requires some sacrifices. Here are some top tips for saving money around the house.

Ten Electricity Saving Tips:

1. Shut living room lights when watching TV, as well as kitchen lights in the evening hours. Use aromatherapy candles instead.

2. You can save money by using the correct light bulb wattage in your home for lamps and other fixtures.

3. Buy appliances that have the Energy Star label.

4. When using the air conditioning, set the AC on Power Saver to conserve energy. Ensure the air filters are cleaned regularly.

5. Purchase low profile fans. They are affordable and run on DC power.

6. Purchase a halogen lamp as your main source of light in your den or work area.

7. When using your washing machine, use the cold cycle. This will save money on heating bills.

8. Only use dishwashers when you have a full load.

9. Use a microwave oven instead of a traditional oven. It uses less than 80% of energy than your regular oven.

10. The refrigerator is one of the appliances that uses the most energy in the home. Set the temperature to 37 degrees for optimum efficiency.

A Summer Check:

* Check to ensure there is enough ventilation in the attic.

* Weatherstrip the windows to retain cool air indoors and leave the windows closed during the summer months to allow the house to remain cooler.

* It is also suggested to keep the thermostat at 78 degrees.

Recycling:

* Make sure that you have enough garbage cans to separate papers, plastic, and bottles from regular garbage. The Department of Sanitation usually gives every household an instruction sheet delineating what is recyclable, how to pack up garbage properly, and how to separate items according to State standards.

General Saving Tips:

* If you are a work-at-home mom and print out daily tasks to be done, use both sides of the printer paper.

* Ink cartridges purchases at your local office supply can be returned when empty for credit.

* Save on gas by finding a station that offers the cheapest price. It may even be cheaper to walk or use a bicycle.

* Buy groceries in bulk.

* Clip coupons from the Sunday paper as well as online and use them to reduce your grocery bill.

* Always check for sales online and in your local newspaper.

* Plant a vegetable and herb garden. With the prices of food soaring, you can save quite a bit on these items.

* Contact your phone company to determine if there is any way to lower your bill by deleting some services.