Simple Winterization Tips to Help You Save Money

Have you noticed how expensive it is to heat your home nowadays? While you can point the finger at inflation, it isn’t entirely to blame. A drafty home with inefficient appliances could be cooking the books, causing you to spend more to heat your home. 

Luckily, there are steps you can take to insulate your home and save some money. Check out this guide to learn how to winterize your home. 

Step One: Understand Your Finances

It often takes money to save money, so start with a budget. You’ll need this to help you bankroll your updates and repairs. 

When it comes to most “honey do” lists and other non-essential upgrades, you have the luxury of time. Day, weeks, months — even years! You can delay these projects until you save up what you need. 

Of course, not all repairs are created equal. When a massive hailstone shatters your front window, you can’t put off its replacement. A gaping window lets out all the hot air and runs up your heating bills — not to mention, it can be a security issue. 

In situations where you can’t wait, you can consider borrowing a small personal loan online. You can find out more about small personal loans online by researching your local options. Make sure you dig into the rates and terms to understand what these online loans will cost you.

While a personal loan may help in an emergency, it isn’t the best way to finance cosmetic upgrades or non-essential repairs. Keep an online loan in your back pocket for when you have no other options.

Get a Furnace Tune-Up

Your furnace should get a once-over every year to make sure it’s in tip-top shape. If you’re lucky, a furnace tech will give the green light to use this appliance as normal. 

Don’t be discouraged if your technician suggests a fix. An annual tune-up helps these professionals catch issues before they blow up into enormous and costly problems. 

Replace Your Furnace Filter

Ill-fitting or clogged filters can cause your furnace to work harder, driving up bills and increasing the chance of a breakdown. You should pop in a new filter once every two to four months to give this appliance a break.

Insulate Your Windows

Your home’s windows aren’t effective at keeping the hot air inside or the cold air out. Heat loss (and gain) through your windows is responsible for 25%–30% of your entire energy use. 

The best way to reduce this heat loss is by updating to three-pane, high-efficiency windows. But that might not be practical with your budget today. 

Luckily, you can cut down on your windows’ heat loss with the following projects:

• Add a heat-shrink layer of plastic over your windows
• Install weather-stripping to block small openings around the interior of your windows
• Use door sweeps on mantels and door gaps
• Caulk the outside of your doors and windows to repair cracks or imperfections letting drafts in

Stop Jack Frost from Nipping at Your Home

When the weather outside is frightful, and the forecast promises a cold snap in the future, the last thing you want to do is be productive around the home. 

But trust us, you’ll want to get off the couch to get through the tasks shared here today. Just a few quick upgrades, and you’ll be warmer all season long — for less money, too!