Frugal home energy conservation takes place in a myriad of ways. There are more than four ways, but I will hit on the main four we have tried in our home. Only speaking of personal use, I can tell you that these four frugal home strategies have helped us to keep our bills down to a reasonable amount.
Try one or all of them and note which ones make the difference in your home. Then, after that do more to keep the savings snowball and frugal living going forward. Spending the difference isn’t frugal living. To obtain a frugal home, the savings has to snowball and continue.
Blackout Curtains and Blinds
We purchased blackout curtains for our room, and our kids’ room. They work wonderfully to hold in the warm air, and keep out the cold. In all of my rooms we have blinds that get pulled each night when the sun goes down, and heavy duty blackout curtains. This combination works well to keep our heat in and the rooms warm. Winter drafts are no fun in the middle of the night. In addition to curtains and blinds, we do seal and caulk any leaks in windows before winter.
A regular fall system helps us with winterization. Planning for winterization starts in the spring. That is when materials for winter are cheaper because no one is buying them. Usually, there is plenty in stock. of course, what I can’t get now goes on my winter list to get in the fall.
Blackout curtains and blinds work independently as well as a duo. Sometimes I do not want to close the blinds and curtains, some sun will come through the blinds. If I want to shade us from the sun, then I will just shut the blind or pull the curtain together.
At night though when the heat needs to keep us warm because we are not moving around that is when I pull both blind and curtain. I don’t know why, but the kids’ room stays extra toasty and warm.
Frugal Home Space Heaters
Space heaters are great because they provide heat and mobility. When we use our space heater in the basement during homeschool, I can bring it upstairs when we are done. I chose a space heater with several different temperature settings. Sometimes I am dressed more warmly than others’.
I also use my space heater in the summer. Air conditioning freezes me and my toes. I keep the space heater next to my desk in the summer because our basement stays so cool. The regular temperature stays between 70 and 71 degrees. Our upstairs maintains a hotter temp. At night I turn the air down to keep us from waking up in sweat, the blind and curtain comb hold in cold air also.
My space heaters work well for me because I get cold easy and they are an affordable way that I can transport heat in the home. For safety reasons’ space heaters should not be left on all of the time or overnight.
Furnace Upkeep Schedule
Our furnace gets cleaned and checked each fall. Just like an oil change for the car, a clean, well maintained furnace runs longer. In addition to maintenance on the furnace we also change the filters regularly every three months. Utilizing a good furnace in our frugal home upkeep schedule increases the time we have with a furnace. Lowering the probability of replacing another furnace system and making what we have last a lot longer.
Upgrade to a New Furnace System
About 8 years ago we invested in a new furnace system. I am so glad we did. Since we upgraded our furnace system, the money spent upfront was worth it. Our bills have been very manageable.
Purchasing a new system if it is not necessary would be a waste, but I would consider an upgrade or wood stove if I had an older model. The new system has helped a great deal in the summer months also with air conditioning.
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