Tips for Saving Money When Cooking

If you are like many people, every month you look at your electric bill and wonder if there’s anything you could do to bring it down a little bit. You may have winterized your home, installed vinyl replacement windows, or invested money into insulating your garage to keep the cost down, only to discover your bill is still higher than what you’d like. One place you probably didn’t realize you were using so much electricity in is the kitchen. Most people cook every day and it does take a lot of electricity to make a nice meal. However, you can make some changes to keep your electric bill down:

Plan a Meal Marathon

Most people cook every day. If you spend an hour cooking each day, you are using approximately seven hours of electricity each week. However, if you plan one day a week to cook your meals for several days, you can save. Most stoves have two racks, which means you could potential cook more than one thing at a time. As it takes less energy to reheat a meal, you could save as much as three or more hours a week by planning your cooking in advance.

Use the Right Burners on Your Stovetop

A lot of people often find that using the front burners of their stovetop is simply habit. If you are using the front burner all of the time, chances are likely that you are wasting a lot of electricity. The front burner is often the largest and should only be used for large pots and pans. Smaller pots and pans should be placed on the smaller burners. Using larger burners will use more electricity.

Grill Throughout the Year

While many people put their grills away when cold weather arrives, they still crave barbecue. Even if the temperatures drop, you can still use your grill once a week to fulfill your craving and save money. You will, however, have to be careful. Do not attempt to grill your foods from inside your garage as it can create a risk of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Plan to grill on days when weather permits. If you want to lower your electric bill, reevaluating your cooking habits could help make a difference. Making just one small change in how you cook could add up to big changes!

Winter Home Improvement Projects

The winter can be a very dreary time of year. Between the shorter days, the colder weather, and having to spend a lot of their time indoors, many people start getting depressed this time of year. The good news is that winter home improvement projects can be a great way to help fight off the winter blues. Not only will they give you something to do, it’s also nice to be able to give your home a new look while you count down the days to warmer weather. Best of all, many of these projects can help add value to your home, something important to keep in mind if you’re considering selling your home in the near future.

Here are a few home improvement projects you may want to consider tackling this winter:

Add New Tile To Your Kitchen

Renovating your kitchen can cost hundreds of dollars. However, you can make a major change to your kitchen without spending a ton of money all at once. One project you may want to consider is adding new tile to your kitchen. There are several types of tile you can choose from, including natural stone and metal.

New tile can help emphasize the appliances and countertops in your kitchen and it’s a relatively simple process that can really make a drastic change in your kitchen’s appearance. However, it can be a rather time-consuming project. Don’t be tempted to cut corners. Remember to take the time to prep the area correctly and lay out a template properly.

Lighten Up Your Rooms

You can boost your mood and fight off the winter blues by adding more lights to your rooms. There are many types of lights you can choose from, but one type of light you may want to try is LED lights. LED lights can help you save money on your light bill because they are more energy efficient than many other types of lighting.

Replace Old Kitchen Appliances

If you have kitchen appliances that are old, then you may want to consider replacing them. New appliances will not only help make your kitchen look better, but they can also help you save money on your energy bill.

Work On Your Bathroom

Your bathroom is another good area of your home that you can work on improving during the winter months. Improving your bathroom doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, either. For example, replacing the toilet seat is inexpensive and it’s something that you can easily do yourself without having to hire someone else to do it for you. You may also want to consider replacing the flooring in your bathroom. You can add a small sheet of vinyl or vinyl tiles to the bathroom floor. This is relatively simple to do. In fact, in some cases, you may not even have to take up the old floor. You can simply place the new flooring over the old.

New Year's Resolutions for Your Home

With a new year comes the traditional promise of change and renewal. We all make our own resolutions at the start of each year to try to improve ourselves or something about our lives - but what about our homes? After the hectic holidays are finally behind you, you’ve got plenty of time and the perfect opportunity to sit down and really work out what you want to improve, replace, or renovate around your home for the coming year. If you’re considering some home improvements for the new year, we’ve got a few suggestions:

Simplify and De-Clutter

Clutter in a home can build up faster than you expect, especially around the holidays with all the guests coming and going and the sudden influx of gifts. Resolve to set some time aside this year to really go through your drawers, your kid’s clothes and toys, and anything else you’ve let pile up and get rid of everything you don’t feel like you actually need. Even if some of it is hard to say goodbye to - your mom really thought you’d love those ugly plates - you and your home will feel refreshed and recharged when you’re done.

Cut Back on Bills

This one might look a little daunting at first, but the long-term benefits will be more than worth it. Start by sitting down with your family and start setting down some ground rules about energy usage, like keeping the heater/air conditioners down and turning off lights when you’re done in a given room. From there, you should consider some home improvements to help increase energy efficiency and reduce your utility bills. New compact fluorescent bulbs, low-flow shower heads, energy efficient washing machines, and energy efficient replacement windows can all come together to help reduce your home’s energy usage - and with it, your bills!

Make A Plan To Get (And Keep) Your Home Clean

With these bigger tasks out of the way, all you need to do is to clean your home and keep it that way! Get the family together and work out a list of chores that everyone can stick to every day - loading the dishwasher, picking up kid’s toys, tidying up the dining room, and so on. Resolve to make a list of these chores and make sure everyone sticks with it - come next year when your home is already spic and span, you’ll be glad you did!

Hacks to Help You Store Your Holiday Decorations

The new year is here, the holidays are over, and it's time to put away all of those wonderful holiday decorations. While packing them all up properly may seem like a lot of work, many people treasure their family’s holiday decorations and don’t want them to get damaged or broken. These hacks will help you keep your decorations organized for next year and are simple to do. From lights to ornaments to wrapping paper, keep reading to find out how storing your holiday decorations can help you get your home organized and take the work out of this annual chore.

Ornaments are lovely hanging from your Christmas tree during the holidays, but they can be tricky to store if you want to keep them intact for next year. It's easy to just throw them in a box or tote but, undoubtedly you will wind up with at least a few broken ornaments that way. Use empty egg cartons or plastic drinking cups to place your ornaments inside of instead. Then, layer those inside of a sturdy plastic tote. This will keep them organized and less vulnerable to breakage when you put that tote in your attic or closet.

What are you going to do with all that leftover wrapping paper? Don't just throw it in a closet or cupboard. Instead, use an empty wine box or crate to store the rolls vertically while keeping them organized.

And then there are all those pretty lights. Don't just throw these in a box so that they become a tangled mess that you will be cursing at next year. Instead, use a clothes hanger, plastic or metal hangers will work nicely, to neatly wrap the strands of lights around. This will keep your lights neat and organized and a snap to put up next year. Already have a nest of tangled lights that you can't get around the hanger? No problem! Just place those inside a potted plant on your porch to light up your topiaries year round for a classy way to improve your home's curbside appeal. All of these hacks also make the actual storage of your decorations more organized as well. With everything able to fit in a large plastic tote, you can easily put it away without it taking up too much space or struggling to find items next year.

Ways You Can Make Your Living Room Look Bigger

The living room is where many of us spend a lot of our time, but not everyone has the luxury of having a living room that’ nice and large. If you do not have a lot of space in your living room, don’t worry. There are a number of things you can do in order to make it look more spacious than it really is without having to either move to a new house or knock down any walls.

Add Storage

You should try to keep your living room as clutter-free as possible. Clutter can make a room appear cramped and “bursting at the seams,” so if your space is free of clutter, it will look bigger. If you don’t have room for any more shelving, you might want to look for pieces of furniture that can open up and be used for additional storage. Many coffee tables, for example, have tops that can open up for storage. An ottoman is something else that can be used as storage space that is both functional and decorative.

Furthermore, you may want to add some decorative boxes to your living room. Decorative boxes can be used for storage space and help to enhance the look of your living room.

Use Raised Furniture

Choosing the right furniture is one of the keys to making your living room look bigger. You should consider choosing raised furniture. Raised furniture creates the illusion of more space.

Paint With Light Colors

Dark colors can be very stylish, but they can also make a room appear smaller than it is. When you’re dealing with a smaller space, it’s best to stick with pale colors such as cream, white, and pale grey.

Use Mirrors

Adding mirrors is one of the simplest things you can do to make your living room look bigger. You can hang one large mirror on the wall or you may also want to consider putting multiple smaller windows on the wall.

Color Code Your Living Room

You may want to consider arranging the items in your home by color and height. This will help make your living room look bigger. It will also help you keep your living room organized.

Add One Big Piece Of Furniture To Your Living Room

When you’re dealing with a smaller room, it’s best to select small furniture for a small space. However, you may want to consider adding one big piece of furniture to your living room. That way, you can make a statement with one prominent piece of furniture and without cluttering your living room with several smaller pieces.