Easy Tips for Saving Money in Every Room of Your House

Are you looking for ways to save a few bucks with minimal effort? Typical tips for saving money often include cost-cutting on outings by couponing or shopping for sales at the grocery store, but there are ways to save money even before you set foot out the front door. Here are some unique ideas for saving money at home, room by room.

Inflate and Insulate in the Garage

Keeping tires inflated to the manufacturer-recommended PSI (pounds per square inch) rating can actually help improve your vehicle’s gas mileage. Driving on tires that are under-inflated can cost you an extra 3 to 5 cents a gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency’s 2005 Fuel Economy Guide. That may not seem like a lot, but it adds up: A study from Carnegie Mellon University reveals that under-inflated tires could result in a loss of about $400 each year.

Another way to save on energy costs is to make sure your attached garage is well insulated. That’s not to say that insulating the entire garage will save a lot of money, though it’ll help stabilize the garage’s temperature. Where insulation can increase your home’s energy efficiency and result in some savings is in the walls that connect the garage to the house. This insulation prevents heat from your home escaping into the garage in the winter and prevents heat from entering your home from the garage in the summer.

Cut Kitchen Costs

Some of the best tips for saving money are aimed at energy-hungry kitchen appliances. Run dishwashers during non-peak energy hours (typically nights and weekends) to cut your electricity costs, and avoid using the dry cycle. Instead, towel-dry dishes, or leave the dishwasher door open so that dishes can air-dry. Unplug small appliances such as coffee makers and toasters when you’re not using them to cut their standby power and electricity usage.

Wipe Up Washroom Savings

Pinch your fresh toilet paper roll before putting it on the holder. It’ll unravel less smoothly, and your household members will be less likely to use unnecessarily large amounts of toilet paper. If you have an older toilet model, save on your water bill by reducing the amount of water needed to fill up its tank. (This won’t apply to a high-efficiency toilet.) To do this, add a 2-liter plastic soda bottle filled with water to the tank, or even a brick.

Make a Frugal Furnace Room

Did you know that heating and cooling makes up more than 54 percent of your home’s utility bills? To save on energy costs, boost your home’s energy efficiency by upgrading and maintaining your thermostat, insulation, and air sealing. This regular maintenance could conserve energy by 20 to 50 percent, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Savers brochure. Simply adding a programmable thermostat that sets temperatures back by 10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day could yield savings of 10 percent per year.

Block Living Room Leaks

Those gorgeous sliding doors off your family room may be a favorite feature in your home, but in the winter they could be letting in more than sunlight. Cold drafts that cause your furnace to work harder could be costing you more in fuel. In fact, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says that air leaks can add up to 40 percent to your energy bill. Make draft stoppers to block cold drafts from sneaking in under sliding doors or windows in the winter.

Inspect every area of your home with a critical eye for money-saving opportunities. Once you get started, you’ll find all sorts of ways to cut costs in each room of your home.

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