Money-Saving Home Improvements: Upgrade Your House And ...

From Terri Bennett, founder of DoYourPart.com:

Do you cringe when your utility bills arrive? You can Do Your Part to save a lot of money when you make a few energy efficient upgrades. Don?t worry; you won?t have to shell out a lot of money to make a big difference. Here are my ?Top 7 Upgrades for Under $50?.

List, captions and photos courtesy of DoYourPart.

• DIY Door Sweep

  This is one of the quickest, cheapest, and easiest ways to save money instantly. A door sweep costs a couple bucks and attaches to the bottom of your door to keep the cold air out. You can find door sweeps that attach with screws or ones with self-stick adhesive.

• Fireplace Fix

  If your fireplace is more ornamental than functional, use a chimney plug to prevent warm air from rising right up and out of your house. These will usually cost you around $50 and take just minutes to install and inflate.

• Lighten Up

  Certain light bulbs can outlast traditional ones by ten times and others can save you 75% in lighting costs. Some energy efficient options include CFLs, LEDs, and halogen bulbs. Be warned, not all will work efficiently in every fixture.

• Program Your Thermostat

  Investing in a programmable thermostat will help you slash your utility bills by roughly 10%. You can use them to automatically adjust the temperature while you're away. You can also program it to lower or raise the thermostat while you sleep.

• Water Heater Blanket

  A hot water heater blanket will cost you around $20. It is super easy to put on and it helps keep the water inside the tank warm, which means the water heater won?t have to work as hard.

• Power Strip Savings

  Anything with a remote, continuous display or a charging cord all sip power even when they are not in use. That can add up to a 10% increase in your power bill for electricity you?re not even using. Some of our electronics need power to remember programmed settings (DVR, alarm clock, etc.). All of the others should be plugged into a power strip with an on/off switch. This is the only way to truly cut the power to the others that don?t need continuous power.

• Go Old School

  Clothes dryers are one of the biggest energy hogs in any home. To slash your utility bills, line dry your clothes. Even if you don?t have the room outside for a clothesline, there are plenty of new indoor drying rack options that will hold a complete load of clothes.

About the Author:?
Terri Bennett is a veteran TV meteorologist, syndicated columnist and author, and founder of DoYourPart, everyday green living ideas that are better for you and the planet. Send questions to terri@doyourpart.com and follow DoYourPart on Facebook and Twitter. Terri's new book "Do Your Part: A practical guide for everyday green living" is now available at DoYourPart.com
?? 2011 Terri Bennett Enterprises, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/money-saving-tips-home-improvements_n_2132037.html

whip it gabby giffords gabby giffords geithner gabrielle giffords juliette lewis chelsea handler