Bills Got You Down? Tips for Saving Money at Home

Owning a home is a smart idea for most people who can afford it. After all, paying rent just gives you a place to live and you don’t build any equity in your space. That’s not very wise for people who have the funds to invest in a home.

Home ownership also means big bills, at least in a lot of cases though. While it’s still worth buying a house for most people, there are times when you can feel like that house you bought is a real money pit.

Use this guide to help you figure out how you can reduce your bills. It’s well worth the effort and the average homeowner could save $100 or more per month.

• Heating and Cooling

Heating and cooling bills are killers for homeowners, especially those who have a large space to deal with. While you probably won’t be able to go without heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, you might be able to reduce your usage of those two things.

Start by opening your curtains in the winter to let warm sunlight in during the day. Keep them closed during the day in the summer, but let the cool night air in in the evening. Just make sure those curtains are shut early in the morning.

The other thing you can do is to install a programmable thermostat. That will allow you to set the temperature higher or lower when you’re not home to save cash. Then you can set it to come back up or down depending on the season by the time you arrive home from work or the day’s activities.

Using an electric consumption calculator can also help you track monthly expenses before you get your bill.

• Extra Services

A lot of homeowners these days spend a fortune on things like internet, cable TV and streaming services like Netflix. While most are affordable on their own, they can easily add up to hundreds of dollars per month before you know it.

Go through your monthly charges and see what you can cut down on. Do you need the fastest internet available, or would something more affordable make sense?

Are all of those streaming services essential or could you cut back to one? Minor changes can go a long way over the course of a year.

Thank you to today's sponsor who shares our belief that saving money and energy is always a good idea. 

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