All Posts Tagged With: "air conditioner"


How much owning a home can ACTUALLY cost you

 Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Thu, Nov 19 2009 | 3 Comments

owning a home

When you rent, there are things that you no longer have to worry with such as broken refrigerators and other appliances, as well as leaks and other problems with the actual property. In most cases, you don’t even have to cut the lawn, the landlord takes care of all of it.

As a homeowner, you do have expenses that HAVE to be taken care of; and even when the mortgage is paid off, there are things that you still have to deal with when it comes to the cost of a home.

So, if you have a mortgage, there are things that are added to your payment that are held in escrow and the mortgage company actually pays with the money. Property taxes and homeowner’s insurance are held in the escrow account. Once your mortgage is paid off, these are bills that will come around every year and you will HAVE to pay. There are some occasions where property taxes can be deduced from your income tax that you have to file at the beginning of the year, but at around $150 per month for the average home, this is still one bill that some may forget when they pay off their mortgage.

Another expense that all homeowners face, mortgage or not, is repairs. I can’t emphasize this enough. From personal experience, in the past year we have had to fix or replace the air conditioner, the refrigerator (which still isn’t fixed completely), both toilets (our water basically eats the parts) and the front and back doors. Things that still need to be fixed or replaced include or dishwasher and carpets. Something that we should probably start doing is setting aside a bit of money every month to help pay for something when it decides to break.

The same could be said about any other types of repairs, such as exterior repairs, that need to be done to a house. Roofs need to be replaced every 20 years or so and they cost a LOT of money when it comes time to replace the current one. Painting the exterior of a home can also cost a lot of money, particularly if you hire someone to do it. A 1,200 square foot brick home could run you about $4,000 for just two coats of paint if you hired someone to paint it. Then, you can’t forget how much it costs to maintain a yard. Chris loves playing in the yard and thanks to his concentration on the yard work, we have a nearly weed-free completely Bermuda grass lawn (in our neighborhood Bermuda grass is the best to have and is NOT considered a weed). He spends about $40 per month on just the lawn treatments and he does all the work himself.

If there are some things that should be considered when thinking of the cost of ownership of a home, include them in the comments below!

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Keep your bill down in the summer

 Lizzie Tyner | RSS | Fri, Jul 03 2009 | 0 Comments

sun

In my home, the electric bill jumps up to over double what it is in the winter because of all the extra electricity being used by the AC and other things. While I don’t think you can eliminate your electricity bill (as long as you stay on the grid), you can do a few things to help slow down the drain that your bill has on your wallet.

You really have to start looking at all the major energy sucking appliances. The worst ones include the dryer (for your clothes), you can replace it by air drying your clothes outside on a line, not only will it save you money but your clothes may end up lasting longer. Also, washing your clothes in cold water versus hot water will save on your water heater bill, the exception being really funky clothes caked in mud or some other kind of foreign substance.

Electric stoves are also a major energy drain, it makes it hotter in the house so your air conditioner has to work harder, you can help cut down on this part of your bill by cooking outside on the grill. Ovens also have the same effect on your air conditioner and your wallet, I have started using a toaster oven for things that will fit just to help cut down on how often and for how long I have to turn on the “big” oven.

You also really need to avoid what people are calling energy vampires. These are the electronics that area always using energy even when you’re not using them like Playstations. You can decrease the amount they use by putting them on a power strip and making sure the strip is turned off. You can cut the power supply to your [husband's/kid's] Playstation and TV at the same time and they won’t be able to drain anymore power.

Also, when it comes to kids, you should find ways to entice them to turn off the lights, tv, etc when they leave a room. Once your children can start walking it seems that they can find ways to use electricity and forget how to “turn things off.” It is the same with open doors in the house, you just have to keep a watchful eye out for it. Having a “crack” in a door can let out a lot of the work that the a/c has been doing all day trying to keep your house cool.

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Recycling hits bottom with the economic slow down

 Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Sun, Dec 07 2008 | 0 Comments

Last year and even into the summer of this year metal prices were at all time highs. Recycling metals was so profitable that new laws and regulations were set in place by state governments to require identification (and sometimes waiting periods) for people who were bringing in recyclable metals to facilities. The laws were put into place to deter people from stealing wires and other metals. There was a news report out of Memphis that thieves were taking copper wire from air conditioners from churches.

Now, the price of scrap metal and other recyclables has fallen dramatically. Most metals have fallen equally (sometimes more) with the price of oil. The drop in prices has caused recycling facilities to cut jobs just because they can’t get the same revenue as they used to. Some people aren’t recycling as much either. Several cities that have started curbside recycling are scaling back.

The real loser in the price drop is the environment. When prices were up, people were more inclined to recycle because of the money they could get. Also, at the time recyclable materials prices were up, gas prices were up and consumers were becoming more environmentally conscious…now, with gas prices and other commodity prices down, awareness has also taken a hit.

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Basics of Frugal Living

 Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Thu, Oct 23 2008 | 2 Comments

In an economic downturn, most of us have to tighten our belts in order to pay the bills on time and make sure all the necessities of life are met. Living on the cheap does not necessarily mean that you have to do without, but do differently.

Frugality means spending smarter and becoming creative with the ways you shop. When utilizing all resources available, dollars can be stretched further and wallets have a bit more cushion.

The first step to frugal (and green) living can be summed up in an old and simple clich?: ?Waste not, want not.? Recycling not only can benefit your bottom line, it benefits the planet. Several different brands of lunch meat are packaged in reusable plastic containers. In my household, we now reuse these containers for leftovers. This way we don?t have to buy Rubbermaid or Ziploc containers. The other great part about these containers is they feature a plastic recycling number on the bottom so when the container has served its purpose, it can be recycled at a proper facility.

Recycling aluminum cans may not offer a large amount of money per pound (around $0.77) but something is better than nothing. Over three months, I can accumulate enough for around $20. That is $20 I would not have otherwise had. Some states offer cash back from deposits on glass bottles.

On the side of greener living, saving energy can save you money. Change the light bulbs to CFL?s. They use a quarter of the energy a regular light bulb does. Also, in the warm summer months, try to use a microwave or toaster oven in place of the regular oven, especially during the heat of the day. The heat from the oven can raise the temperature of the house by 2-5 degrees, making your air conditioner work harder.

Rising food costs add to the strain on our wallets. Every nightly news cast seems to mention that inflation is up and food costs are through the roof. The easiest way to stretch a dollar at the grocery store is coupons. The Sunday news paper is a great place to get plenty of coupons, but it is not the only place to find the discounts. There are now ample online resources for coupons (ex. http://couponmom.com/ ). After all that coupon clipping, to get the most out of the coupons, try to find a grocery store that doubles coupons (and find out up to how much they double them). Some grocery stores even triple coupons on certain days, which can lead to serious savings on items you may have purchased anyway.

Another tip that has personally helped me save hundreds of dollars: Purchasing second hand items does not mean that it has to look like second hand items. EBay is a great resource for used items (many in excellent, very good used condition, or even new but without tags). I recently purchased a pair of $70 jeans on eBay for $10 (shipping included). They were never worn, but were missing tags. As far as clothes shopping goes, make sure you know your measurements so you get clothes that fit. Getting such a great deal on clothes online isn?t a rare occurrence. I purchased a second pair less than a week later for $8 shipped. I understand that eBay isn?t for everyone. If that is the case, then local thrift stores also offer second hand clothes for significant discounts. Most weekends, no matter where you live, yard and garage sales can be found and deals are everywhere. Regardless of which option is for you, remember, you will have to dig around a bit for a great deal.

I believe the key to living frugally is cutting costs. Over time, the pennies and dollars you save add up and can help with things you are saving for. With a little practice anyone can become affluent in frugality.

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An air conditioned idea to lower your electric bill in the summer.

 Jennifer McClelland | RSS | Wed, Aug 06 2008 | 1 Comment

In the summer lots of people are pinched by the cost of electricity. In the hot and humid Mississippi summers I have grown accustomed to, the electricity bill is well over what I would like for it to be.

First, I would like to say that I am a warm-natured person and like to have the house cool.

In the middle of the day, it is highly doubtful that a 1300 sq. ft house will ever reach 72 degrees. So here’s something we do, we turn up the air to between 77 and 75 and sometimes the air conditioner actually gets the house cool and cuts off during the day. If somewhere between 75 and 77 is too warm, ceiling fans really help cool the room. I prefer to sleep cold and have a hard time sleeping when it’s warm. I keep a fan on at night and don’t have to move the thermostat and am able to sleep very comfortably. :)

We also don’t use the oven at all until dinner time, and dinner comes later than in the winter. We have a toaster oven and microwave that do the job during the day. Not only does it save energy, but it also keeps the kitchen cooler.

These tips have kept us from sweating it out through these extremely hot days. Keep cool!!

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