Do you ever feel like you spend more money on utilities than you should? Or that you are constantly patching up the home but not really fixing anything? If you said yes, we need to talk about some home renovations. While it sounds like the thing that rich people can afford but really, some of them will save you so much in the long run. Here are some easy renovations you can work on to change your financial situation.
Get Some Shade
Here is an easy and inexpensive option to save on your air conditioning, plant some shade trees around your home. You can visit any nursery and talk to them about good shade trees that may not take very long. They are in your area so they are going to carry the perfect trees and they can let you know which ones are the fastest growing that are available. Now, this does not mean that within a few months you will have a full grown tree. It does take some time before it will come to fruition. When it does, your summers will be easier to handle and cut your electric bill anywhere from 20-50%.
Change The Toilet
Old toilets may be working just fine but they use a lot more water than is necessary. If you need to bring that water bill down, the first thing I would recommend is changing to a new toilet that is water efficient. Hire a professional plumber, it will take some getting used to but wouldn’t you rather save the money? The low flow toilets cost around $100-$200. Using a tax refund is a great way to take care of the cost of the new toilet or simply saving up for it over a couple of months. Annually, you will save about $20 but it will be well worth it, especially if you are doing other things to bring down your water bill.
Change Your Thermostat
If you don’t have one of the smart thermostats, it’s time to reconsider that! A smart thermostat will keep your home at an appropriate temperature and will make sure it’s using energy efficiently. Plenty of people try to turn off their air/heat when they aren’t home but the cost to cool or heat the home when you arrive will cost you more in the long run. Maintaining a proper temperature means everything runs properly and it’s not as hard to maintain that temperature. How much you save appears to be dependent on the brand. You can easily figure around $150 annually, give or take. It will pay for itself in a short amount of time!
You can also work towards changing out the windows and installing insulation in various areas to help with utilities. Solar panels are wonderful if you can save up enough for that. Starting small never hurts, it’s the little things that add up! And those savings can easily be applied to debt reduction plans or going into savings. The choice is yours!
Read More:
3 Tips For Renovating On A Budget
4 Need To Know Solutions To Pay The Bills
Repairing Your Personal Finances
