The New Year is almost here! Why not make a home-related New Year’s resolution? Check out our easy ways to make your home safer and more comfortable, and save money while you do it.
Be safe
Be honest, did you change your smoke alarm batteries when we turned the clocks back an hour this autumn? If not, the new year is a great time to do it. Add a calendar reminder to test alarms every six months and replace batteries as needed. Another way to protect your family from fires is to clear out your dryer’s lint trap. Resolving to vacuum out the duct is another great step.
Get organized
Keeping your home organized can feel like a full-time job. Take these small steps to make a dent in the clutter.
- Load the dishwasher and wash pots right after meals.
- Go through your mail every day and recycle the pieces you don’t need to keep.
- Put clothes in the laundry bag or hamper instead of leaving them on a chair or the floor.
- Add handy storage for newspapers, magazines, toys, books, crafts, and hobbies. These can be regular plastic totes or a decorative ottoman with space inside.
- Start tossing or donating possessions you don’t need. Before you buy something new, make sure you really need it.
- Create a cleaning schedule and assign tasks to everyone in the family.
Tackle a project
Do something to make your home more comfortable and inviting. Maybe your old couch could use a slip cover or your bedroom could be brightened up with a new paint color? Treat yourself to little updates like changing the towels and soap in the bathroom or hanging a few new pictures.
Save energy
Set programmable thermostats to a lower temperature when you are out of the house. Other ways to save money during the winter months include…
- Covering drafty windows
- Opening curtains to let sunlight warm a room, and closing blinds at night to keep heat in the house.
- Switching to LED lights, which use 75% less energy than incandescent lighting.
- Cleaning or replacing HVAC filters. Dirty filters make your system work harder.
- Sealing leaks around windows and adding weather-stripping around doors.
