How has your summer been so far? Maybe a better question to ask is this one: how hot has your summer been? If you have central air-conditioning or even trusty window units, then your home probably is keeping you cool and comfortable even when outdoor temperatures swelter.

Your a/c unit, though a technological marvel, needs regular care and maintenance. Also, your home needs to do its part to keep the cool in and the hot out. Let’s take a look at some tips at how you can make your unit work efficiently and save you money on your electric bill:

Use A Programmable Thermostat — A timer can kick in at just the right time, bringing in cool air moments before you arrive home for the day and automatically adjust upward soon after you leave for work. By programming your a/c, you’ll cool your home only when it needs to be cooled, saving you money.

Change Filter — Help your a/c run efficiently by periodically changing the filter. A clean filter works in harmony with your unit; a dirty filter will cause it to work harder, using more electricity in the process.

Keep It Maintained — An annual maintenance of your unit will cost you around $125 but it will pay off in a unit that runs more efficiently, pollutes less, and lasts longer.

Improve Insulation — Is your home properly insulated? If it is, then your a/c unit won’t work as hard to bring you a cool house, but if it isn’t look for gaps around windows and doors, close up blinds and shades during the day, and keep doors open to all of the rooms.

Keep Them Free — Inside, you want your air ducts to be free of obstruction in order to deliver cool air to your home, but you’ll also want the condenser to be free of leaves, yard waste, shrubbery or any other obstructions which can get in the way.

Replace Your Unit — Older units are much less efficient than the ones available today. Contemporary units all come with a SEER rating — Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio — which determines how efficient your equipment works.  Some newer units can pay for themselves over time as they deliver energy savings for you.

Many people cannot imagine living without air-conditioning especially folks suffering from medical conditions, the very young, and the elderly. When summer heats weighs in you’ll want your a/c to respond accordingly — keep it in top shape and it’ll provide you with many years of indoor climate control.

Further Reading

All About Air Conditioning

Ten Tips on Buying a New Air Conditioner

Resources

Check Your Credit Report

Home Services — Contractors

Making Home Improvements

Tags: air conditioning, air filter, central air, electric, programmable thermostat, SEER

Four dollars per gallon gasoline is making a mess of many home budgets as is higher food costs, mortgage payments, and other consumer goods. The average American is feeling the sting of diminished earnings, putting a real crimp on savings.

One of the last things you want to do when life is tough is to cut back on savings. That extra money can pay for future emergencies, help fund your retirement, and cover vacation, home improvement, and other anticipated expenses.

But, saving money when your disposable income has shrunk seems virtually impossible to do. Or is it? Can there be a way to set aside money even when the cost of living continues to rise? Let’s take a look at some common sense ways you can lower your bills and still have more money left over to save.

Food — Milk, bread, bananas, you name it has been going up in price, much fast than the inflation rate. Transporting food from warehouse to store has gotten costlier and those costs are being passed on to you. Wherever possible, clip coupons to save on your favorite foods while switching to generic or less known brands when you can. Shop the warehouse clubs and you could save 10-30% off of your food order.

Insurance — If you combine your homeowners insurance with your auto insurance, then you should receive a ten percent discount on your bill. Shop around too and take a good look at your 2001 model year car with high miles — it could be time to drop collision coverage.

Debt — Pull out your credit card statements and examine which ones have jacked up their interest rate recently. If you are carrying balances on high interest rate credit cards, then transfer those balances over to a lower rate card. Many card providers are still offering 0% interest on balance transfers with some waiving transfer fees too.

Cable and Phone — If you haven’t combined your phone and cable service yet, consider doing so at once. Get an internet connection, cable service, and local and long distance coverage for a flat monthly rate. You should be able to save 10-50% by combining your bills to one service provider.

Electric and Gas — If you have central heating and air, keep the indoor temperature at 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. Supplement cooling and heating with ceiling fans, reversing oscillation for the proper season.

Dental and Health Care — If you are covered through your employer, then medical costs are a known quantity. Still, you can reduce your expenses by using “in network” doctors and labs, get your prescriptions filled at WalMart or a similar store offering cut rate medication services. If you need insurance on your own, shop through a cooperative to get the lowest rates.

Miscellaneous Expenses — Perhaps the greatest savings can come through the elimination or curtailing of various vices. Quit smoking, stop drinking, avoid gambling (including the lottery!), and take a hard look at your entertainment expenses. Take in a matinee instead of a night movie; eat out less each month.

Finally, with all of the money you save you can start setting aside some cash for savings. Maximize your employer’s 401(k) plan and set up automated savings through an online bank such as ING Direct to withdraw money on a regular basis from your checking account to a savings account.

The national economy will eventually improve, but you don’t have to let your personal economy take a hit while you wait for that to happen.

Tags: budget, cable, checking account, credit card, electric, food, gas, Money Management, personal finance, save money, savings, telephone, utilities