Search Results for: blog save on heating fireplace tips

Frugal Tips for Surviving Snowstorms

Fortunately (or unfortunately)for me, I no longer live in blizzard central where I grew up and spent the first decade of my adult life. Still, the news of blizzards in the northeast has me feeling a bit nostalgic. It also has me thinking of all of the frugal things that my parents did during snow storms and blizzards to keep us kids warm, happy, and fed. Hang blankets for extra warmth: Growing up, our homes were fueled with oil. During snowstorms, the temperatures would drop causing us to run out of oil quicker. To slow down the consumption of heating … Continue reading →

Home Heating Costs: Have You Done the Snow Test?

As I sit here in my little office in Pennsylvania, I can see the snow falling yet again. It has been snowing on and off for the past few days. Sometimes it sticks and sometimes it doesn’t. One thing that is consistent about the weather is that it has been cold. Brrrrrr. We are all walking around the house with double socks and pullover or zip-up jackets. The furnace seems to be constantly running, and I have been keeping the little ones in their footie pajamas. One of the benefits of the snow, believe it or not is an improved … Continue reading →

Rearrange Your Furniture to Save Money

I am the last person who knows anything about Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese practice of arranging your living space to achieve harmony. My living space is usually filled with bright colored plastic things that beep and buzz, misplaced sippy cups, and little people shoes that always wind up under the couch. Pressed for storage, the under the bed space is a sea of stockpile, organized of course, but still a sea. Our furniture is arranged in such a way that allows the exersaucer to fit in the living room and the baby swing to fit in the office, where … Continue reading →

Save on Paper: The Three Best Ways

Even in this electronic age, we all seem to use too much paper. Conserving paper means finding other ways to do things that don’t involve paper, stretching out the use of paper by using it more than once and finding new uses for paper that might otherwise be thrown out. Here are the three best ways that you can reduce your paper waste to save money and the environment. Unless you have a legitimate reason not to do so, always print on both sides of the paper or make two-sided copies. This effectively doubles the amount of paper you have … Continue reading →

Save on Water Heating: Insulate!

When we typically think of insulation for our homes, we think of adding insulation to attics or even inside walls to save on heating costs. But, if you have a hot water heater, you are missing a big area that can benefit from insulation. Insulating your hot water heater and the hot water pipes can save you money off of your annual heating bill. Why does insulating your hot water heater work to save money? A hot water heater is always “on.” The heater must maintain the water at a hot temperature, so that it will always be available to … Continue reading →

Save on Heating: Fireplace Tips

Well, it looks like we will finally be moving into our new, larger house. One of the things I am really looking forward to is using the fireplace in the family room. The house comes with 2 acres of mostly overgrown woods, so I know there will be enough dead wood to help us have warm cozy fires for years to come. I can picture the kids happily gathering kindling and roasting marshmallows. Being frugal, I wondered how much using the fireplace would help us save on our heating costs. I was really surprised to learn that most fireplaces are … Continue reading →

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a danger to people and pets — it is an odorless and colorless gas that can lead to sudden illness… and death. It comes from the fumes produced by burning or combustion, like car and truck engines, stoves, lanterns, generators, and heating systems. In enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces, carbon monoxide can build up and poison the people (or pets) breathing it. Common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: Headache Dizziness Weakness Nausea and/or vomiting Chest pain Confusion In severe cases, carbon monoxide inhalation can lead to loss of consciousness and death. Why is carbon monoxide so dangerous? … Continue reading →

Six Ways to Have a Greener Home

The little things that you do around your home can make a big impact in how much energy you can save. if you want a greener home, concentrate on the following six areas. 1. Conserve hot water. You can conserve hot water by taking shorter showers, washing your laundry in cold water and lowering the thermostat on your furnace or water heater. 2. Replace your blinds. If you have traditional metal blinds on your windows, you’ll save money when you replace them with wood or fabric. This is because blinds will suck up the heat and the cold from outside … Continue reading →

How Green was 2008

Many analysts predicted that 2008 was going to be a green year in terms of the home. More people would adopt materials and practices that saved energy and were good for the environment. My own New Year Resolutions for the beginning of the year included being more green in our home. But then we had a downturn in the economy. So did everyone live up to the expectations? Yes and no. Let me start with my own home. We live pretty frugally and normally try to avoid waste whenever possible by reusing items. We do recycle quite a bit and … Continue reading →

Budget Friendly Home Stores

In this economy shopping for your home should be approached with caution. It is easy to spend quite a bit when you purchase things for you home. Aside from a buy nothing policy which isn’t very practical, especially when the roof leaks or your kitchen chair breaks, what can you do? I’ve found that even in a tough economy, there are stores out there that are very budget friendly. They will help you out without breaking a budget. I’m not getting paid by any of these stores for recommending them (It would be nice if I were), so this is … Continue reading →