Electric Heat? You Can Still Save Money on Electricity This Winter

Cold weather often means you go in debt with the electric company every winter, especially if you have electric heat. However, you don’t have to go in debt if you take the right steps to reduce the amount of electricity used in the winter. The following will help you to get your electric bill lowered and still allow you to keep your home warm this winter:

Lightbulbs The lightbulbs you use in your home are important, especially when you wish to save money. On average, if you have eight lights lighting your home with 60 watt lightbulbs, you could use as much as 480 watts at a time to light your home. By switching to a lower wattage bulb, you can save money. LED bulbs will use less than ten watts. Those same eight lights would only be using 80 watts to light your home. This adds up to a lot over the winter.

Upgrade the Old If you have an old refrigerator, the chances are likely that you are using too much electricity to keep your food cold. A simple upgrade to a new, energy-efficient model could lower your electric bill by as much as $30 a month. Over the winter, this can add up to as much as $150 or more in savings. Upgrade to vinyl replacement windows and you can save even more.

Unplugging to Save If you take a look around your home, how many items do you have that are not being used but are still plugged in? Your television, DVD player, and stereo system, when plugged in, are eating up a huge amount of electricity to keep the lights going. Even though they may be off, they are still using your power and causing your electric bill to rise. Unplugging all items that are not being used will lower your monthly bill.

Adjust Your Temperature Your body will take time to adjust from the warm summer months to the colder weather, but it will. Instead of cranking the heat up to get warm, consider adding another layer of clothing. You may not like to wear heavy socks or a sweater when relaxing, but if you are serious about reducing your electric bill, it is a small step to take that can save you hundreds of dollars in the winter.

By taking the above steps, you can reduce your electric bill this winter. The electric company may not like it, but you will when you see the savings.

Decorating for Cold Weather

The arrival of autumn often ignites the excitement and anticipation associated with the upcoming holidays. The crispness in the air reminds us that cooler days and nights are quickly approaching. You can implement certain decorating ideas and include specific accessories in your autumn decor that will make your home feel warm and cozy.

Layering accessories Just as layering clothing in the winter is a fashionable and practical way to keep warm, layering accessories in your home can create visual and physical warmth. If your decor doesn't include rugs, now would be a good time to add some to each room. If your decor already includes rugs, you can add another layer of rugs to help insulate a room and update the decor. Faux fur rugs are great for layering on top of almost any type of rug. They have a unique ability to complement most decors.

Blankets and throws are a cold weather essential. There are a variety of ways to make them a part of your layered-look decor. You can stack them in an armoire and leave the door open so their beauty becomes part of your decor. You might want to display them on a decorative ladder, place them across chairs or on the beds or stack them neatly on a trunk or bench.

If you notice cold air coming in your windows as the outside temperature drops, you can layer your window treatments to keep a room warmer. With all of the busyness that surrounds the holidays, you may not want to begin any type of home improvement project. However, as soon as possible, you might want to arrange to have vinyl replacement windows installed to increase the efficiency of your home. Your layered window treatments can still be a decorative part of your decor.

Adding warming accessories If your home doesn't have a fireplace, adding a free-standing fireplace to a room would increase its comfort level. Arrange your furniture so that you have a cozy conversation area or reading area near the fireplace. Incorporating candles, lamps and string lights into your decor will warm the atmosphere of your home. Changing the wall art in your home is an easy way to keep your decor fresh and seasonal. For fall and winter, you might want choose abstract designs that include autumn colors or scenic designs that depict the beauty the fall and winter season has to offer.

Are You Prepared for a Big Storm This Winter?

Your home is prepared and your car is ready to go with snow tires. However, if there is a big snow storm that lasts for several days, how prepared are you and your family? The weather is unpredictable and, if you wait to prepare for a storm when you hear about it, you and your family could be left in the dark. By preparing ahead of time, you are ensuring the safety of yourself and your family.

Water and Food During the winter months, you will want to keep several gallons of water and extra food on hand for emergencies. For each family member, you should count on at least a gallon of water each day. If you have a family of four, consider having at least twenty gallons on hand for emergency use, or maybe a little extra for necessities like flushing the toilet. As for food, be sure that you have several days’ worth of food. Canned food is often best, as you can heat it on the grill if you are without power. You must also think of storing extra food for your pets during this time as well.

Batteries Flashlights are only good as long as the batteries last. Stocking up on batteries is a must if you don’t want to be left in the dark. Be sure that each family member has their own flashlight for emergencies only. These should be kept out of reach for everyday usage, but close enough to get to in an actual emergency situation. If you have a battery operated radio, but sure that you plan on stocking enough for the radio as you will want to keep updated about the storm.

Heat Source If you do not have a generator, consider an alternative source of heat to use when you are without power. Many people hire a professional to install a wood stove in their home, but this must first be approved through your insurance company. The important thing to remember is that safety is a must. Many types of heaters can put you and your family at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, so always be sure that the source of heating that you are using is safe. The best investment may be the generator that you have been putting off.

Winter often brings large storms that can knock out the power. By keeping the above things in mind, you and your family will be safe and warm.

Holiday Window Decoration Ideas

When it comes time to decorate for the holidays, be it Halloween, Christmas, or anything else your family may celebrate, there’s a lot that has to go into it around the house - but have you considered your windows? Whether you have new vinyl windows or the windows that came with your home, there’s plenty of ways to make your windows just as festive as the rest of your home.

Stickers and Clings You probably haven’t thought about these since you were a little kid, but there’s still plenty of options out there for easy, removable window clings to help get you in the holiday spirit! Holiday- or party-themed retailers will offer a wide variety of vinyl static-based window clings that will hold tight to your windows through the whole season without any mess or cleanup!

Window Paint Or if you prefer something a little more personalized, there’s plenty of options to paint directly on the window! Tempera paint provides a safe and easy to clean option for painting directly on the window pane, allowing you to paint pumpkins, turkeys, Santa Claus, or anything else you want directly on the window for a more personalized look - and you can wash them right off when you’re done! This might be a fun project for the kids to get in on to help them feel like they’ve had a hand in the decorations!

Repurpose Other Decorations or Items Why stop at just using items intended for windows? Depending on the shape and layout of your windows and the rooms they hang in, you can take other decorations and re-use them on your windows instead. String garland and Christmas tree ornaments along the tops of your window panes, or re-use holiday-themed table settings to create impromptu window treatments.

Don’t just stop here - there’s plenty of decorations that you can use to make your windows just as festive and decorated as the rest of your home during the holiday seasons!

Tips to Use Storage Space in a Small Kitchen

Living with a small kitchen can be tough. Countertops can become overcrowded, which leaves less room for food preparation. However, there is a solution for homeowners as most kitchens do not take advantage of the vertical space. The following are some tips to help you organize and decorate using the vertical space in your own kitchen: Floating Shelves Floating shelves can be placed almost anywhere in your kitchen, including on the sides of cabinets. Those that are closest to your workspace can hold items that you normally place on your countertops. This will free up that space for your food prep.

Vertical Wall-Mounted Spice Rack For those who love to use spices in their cooking, finding the right spice in an overcrowded cabinet can be tough. Instead, place a vertical wall-mounted spice rack on the wall in your kitchen. Not only will it help you to stay organized, it may just give you more inspiration when cooking.

Wire Shelves in Cupboards If you look in your cupboards, you will most likely find a lot of wasted space above the area where your items are stored. If you place wire shelves in your cupboards, you can store two or three times as many items inside and it will give you the opportunity to be more organized.

Hanging Pot Rack To free up some of your cupboard space, consider hanging a large pot rack above the island in your kitchen. This will get your pots and pans organized and can put everything you need to cook a fabulous meal right in front of you.

Unused Window Space Another way to organize your kitchen is to place a tool rack horizontally in front of your window. This rack can hold your kitchen tools, like spatulas and spoons, and provide you with more space. It can also help to create the atmosphere you want for your kitchen by placing your most useful tools in sight while still allowing the view through your window.

A small kitchen is not hard to live with when you factor in the vertical space that is available. It is simply a matter of using your own imagination to figure out the best way to utilize it.