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Household

Extra Costs To Consider When Becoming a Homeowner

When you move from an apartment into a house for the first time, you may be surprised by all of the extra costs associated with owning a home. Rent often includes some or all utilities but once you live in your own house you are stuck paying for everything! When my husband and I first moved from our apartment into our house, we discovered that our living expenses increased significantly. Water bills, natural gas bills, and property taxes weren’t even a part of our vocabulary. But that all changed when we bought our house.

If you are hoping to buy your first home, I would recommend that you first sit down and create a tentative budget for your living costs at your prospective new home. Find out how much the previous owners paid for their utilities so you can get a rough idea of how much to budget for.

Also, remember that you will have to pay closing costs, legal fees, and other bank fees in order to process your home purchase. Be sure to find out how much these will cost so you won’t be surprised at the last minute. It’s smart to spend less than you can “afford” on your house so you will have adequate funds to pay all of the fees, as well as to pay for the extra things you will need to buy that you never needed while you rented an apartment.

For example, much to the chagrin of our neighbors, we didn’t have a lawnmower or any garden tools or supplies when we first moved in, so our yard was a mess for a while until we had a chance to pick everything up. Fortunately a friend of ours wanted to get rid of his old lawnmower so we didn’t have to buy one, but purchasing household items can certainly add up.

Owning your own home is great, but make sure to plan ahead to ensure that you can truly afford to live in it once you’ve purchased it. Don’t feel like you have to furnish your entire house right away, either. Do it bit by bit as you can afford it. You will enjoy your new home more if you aren’t faced with financial pressure. Make wise decisions that you won’t live to regret.

July 13, 2009

Household

11 Ways To Save Money In the Kitchen

There are many ways you can save money in your kitchen. Here is a list of just a few of them to get you started:

1. Clean out your refrigerator and freezer regularly so you know what’s in there. You will be less likely to waste food and you will know what you truly need to buy the next time you grocery shop.

2. Use a slow cooker instead of your oven whenever possible. They use less energy and won’t heat up your home in the summer.

3. When using your oven, instead of opening the oven door to check on your baking, use the oven light so you don’t waste extra energy.

4. When cooking soups, etc. on the stove, use lids to preserve the heat. Your food will cook faster and less heat will have a chance to escape.

5. A simple way to save money and help the environment is to get into the habit of using small plastic or glass containers to store your leftovers and for bringing your lunch to work instead of using sandwich bags and excessive plastic wrap. If you do prefer to use plastic bags, reuse them whenever possible by rinsing them and then letting them dry. Sticking them to your kitchen cupboard is a great way for them to air out. Although sandwich bags are not that expensive, if you consider how many you go through in a month, as well as consider the amount of waste you are producing, the environmental and financial cost can add up quickly. Small plastic containers can be purchased inexpensively at most dollar stores and you can buy them bulk and pay even less.

July 1, 2009

Household

9 Ways To Save Money in the Bathroom

use a water amplifying showerhead to save money and conserve water There are a million and one ways to save money around the house. Here a few easy ways to save money when it comes to the bathroom:

1. Stock up on toilet paper when it goes on sale. It’s never fun running out of toilet paper and then, out of desperation, running to the nearest convenience store only to pay 3 times as much for it.

2. Use a water amplifying showerhead so you decrease the amount of water you use when you take a shower. You will save money on your water bill and conserve water.

3. Conserve water by flushing only when necessary. As the saying goes, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”

June 3, 2009

Household

20 Neat Ways To Use White Vinegar

After reading some books and browsing the Internet, I have come to discover that plain old white distilled vinegar is an amazing product. It is inexpensive, nontoxic, and can be used for so many different things around the house and yard, not to mention in the garage. Below is a list of some of the ways you can use vinegar in place of more expensive, and possibly toxic products:

1. Clean pen marks off of painted walls by dipping a cloth into vinegar and dabbing in onto the marks. Repeat until the marks disappear.

2. Clean your piano keys by mixing half a cup of vinegar with 2 cups of water. Use a soft cloth and wring it out thoroughly before wiping down the keys. Use a dry cloth to remove the moisture and then leave the keyboard uncovered for 24 hours.

3. Clean your computer, printer, keyboard, and other home office gear by mixing an equal part of vinegar and water and wiping them down. Be sure to shut them off first and wring out your cloth well so water doesn’t damage the circuits inside.

4. Get rid of the cigarette smoke smell from inside your home by pouring some vinegar into a bowl and setting it in the room with the strongest odor. Within a day the odor should be gone. If the smell is really strong, set out a few bowls.

5. Remove salt from your boots by wiping it off with a cloth soaked in vinegar. No need to dilute the vinegar.

6. Clean your windshield wiper blades by wiping them down with full strength vinegar.

May 26, 2009

Household

Ways to Use Cornstarch Around The House

Cornstarch is popular for making gravies and sauces, but you can do a lot of other things with it as well. Using cornstarch is a great alternative to using more expensive, potentially toxic products. Check out some of the ideas below:

1. Sprinkle some cornstarch onto the knots in your shoelaces and it will make it easier for you to untangle them.

2. Get rid of grease spots on your kitchen walls by sprinkling cornstarch onto a cloth and rubbing the spot gently. It will soon disappear. You can also use cornstarch to remove grease spots from leather (shoes, sofas, etc.) by sprinkling the starch directly onto the spot and letting it sit overnight.

3. Freshen up your carpets by sprinkling cornstarch onto your carpet and letting it sit for about half an hour. Then vacuum as normal.

4. Give your dog a bath without water by rubbing cornstarch into your dog’s coat and then brushing it out.

5. Cornstarch can be used in lots of different ways to inexpensively entertain kids:

A. Mix it with water to make a paste to make glue. A great alternative to white glue and all natural!

B. Mix it with water and let your kids put their hands in it. It is a gooey mixture that is a lot of fun to play with. Put in some food coloring to add to the fun.

C. Make finger paint by boiling a quarter cup of cornstarch in two cups of water and then mixing in some food coloring.

D. Make face paint by mixing 2 parts cornstarch with one part vegetable shortening and add some food coloring. It’s nontoxic and works great for Halloween!

May 9, 2009

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