A common notion that many people hold is the idea that for the important things in life, effort needs to be put forth to achieve one’s goals. While this is an honorable belief to hold, in reality sometimes finding the easy way out isn’t always a bad thing. Especially when it comes to money, the less effort you have to put forth in order to get more, the better it is. It is this way of thinking that has led countless individuals on a journey of finding simple hacks to save big bucks. Though hacks can be use in a number of places, one of the simplest and most beneficial is our own homes. To start saving money without feeling you’re doing anything outside of the norm, here are some easy hacks to start using.
Using Fans
During the warmer months, the annual struggle with managing the heat within our homes begins. And as we work to ensure things are at a comfortable temperature, we often end up needlessly costing ourselves as the measures we take to cool things off such as using the air conditioning can quickly add up. A better alternative would be to utilize the fans in your home, which are just as effective for far less money. The hack comes into play during the winter months in which fans can still be used to regulate the temperature in your home. During these times, set your fan to run clockwise, the opposite direction of the standard setting. This actually pulls the warm air that rises back down, which helps improve the overall feel of the room and acts as one of the easier ways to conserve energy in your home.
[Guest Post] How To Save At Home With Life Hacks
Vampire Energy
When it comes to your electronic devices, there is a phenomenon known as vampire energy in which those things that are left plugged in even after they have been powered down are still able to use electricity. This ends up costing people everywhere as vampire energy can make up to one-fifth of your monthly electricity bill and cost you several hundred dollars a year based on your consumption. To start saving be sure to unplug your devices when they are no longer in use. You can also make things a bit easier on yourself by utilizing power strips and plugging a number of related devices into them. That way when you’re done using them, simply unplugging the strip powers it all down and saves you money.
Get Into Reading
As kids in school, getting assigned books to read is a common and often despised assignment. And even if reading through them was a habit at the time, over the years it is easy to get out of it. But before you disregard picking up a novel, it is important to be aware of the fact that reading is one of the best activities for saving money at home. Unless you’re relying on a tablet, you require nothing to read. There is no energy or accessories required, just the book itself. You can move around from room to room reading and even go outside. What’s more, if you have a library card you can get your hands on countless novels without having to spend a penny. Many libraries even offer DVD rentals that will save you even more on another fun activity.
Drop The Water Heater Temperature
One of the largest expenses from your home stems from the energy used by the water heater. This cost is brought on due to the fact that in order to supply your appliances, sink, and shower with warm water, water heaters need to heat and distribute the liquid throughout homes. In thinking about water heaters there are two types, water heaters with tanks and tankless. Most people have a tank and the heater keeps the supply of water within it warm so that it can be sent out quickly when called upon. The only problem with that is that it has to be kept warm, which comes at a cost to you. In order to decrease that however, you can simply turn down the temperature to a heat-efficient and cost-efficient temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll still get the heat you like for a cost you’ll love.
Microwave over Oven
The oven is one of the most relied upon appliances for cooking and reheating food. Many people conclude that the incredible temperatures it is able to reach coupled with the flavor it is able to pack in make it the ideal method for preparing food. The only problem with that is that the oven not only requires time to heat up, it expends a significant amount of energy in order to cook food. And because it is common to put a single dish in instead of maximizing the load of the oven, the output is a gross misuse of energy and an expense that should not be incurred so frequently. The microwave is a much better means for cooking food as not only does it use far less energy, it will have your food cooked much quicker.
*Contributed by:
Douglas Keller has been a financial expert for 20 years, helping people reach financial stability. He now provides personal finance tips on his blog Peak Personal Finance, where he helps people save money on their bills every month.