Creative Christian Mama

God bless all Mothers

money

Unnecessary Heating Mistakes We Make Every Winter

by Leave a Comment

 

As the winter sets in, as it is right now, many of us turn to our heating in order to give the home a good warm through. Naturally, using the heating for a pre-longed period of time like we do in the winter means far more money being spent on our gas bills, and whilst it is normal to accept this, many of us are spending far too much.

The reason as to why so many of us are spending too much money is because of basic errors which many people make throughout the winter period. Let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes which you may have been making, and how you can avoid them.

Timer

It is nice to have a warm house to come back to and to wake up in, but heating an empty or an inactive house, makes very little sense. It is for this reason why everyone should use a timer which they can set to switch their heating on at the appropriate times. For example you could set the timer to come on just before you wake up or get home, a far more efficient way of heating the house.

Windows and Doors

Replacing windows and doors is not something which many of us do often, but failing to do so for a long time, can result in us wasting money on our heating. The reason for this is that over time, the insulation seals on our windows and doors can wear away and allow heat to escape. If heat is escaping then your house, then money may as well be finding its way out as well.

Curtains

If you have curtains in the home then during the winter it is important that you replace them with thick curtains which will keep the heat in, and the cold out. Make sure that you keep your curtains closed as much as you can during the wintertime so that you can seal that valuable heat in, and ensure that the cold stays where it belongs, out.

Loft Insulation

It is good practice to ensure that you have loft insulation and cavity walling up to date in your home. The places where air sneaks in is through the walls so make sure that they are sealed. In terms of the loft, don’t forget that heat rises and this is your last line of defense in terms of keeping the heat in. Make sure that you get your insulation checked out before the cold air comes.

Bad Practice

Finally, make sure that everyone in the house is doing all that they can to keep the house as warm as possible. Basic stuff like closing doors behind you, making sure that windows are shut, closing the curtains and only turning on the heating at appropriate times, are all things that can help you to save heat and money this winter.

Don’t give away money for nothing, make sure that your house is locked down this winter.

How To Trim Off Needless Costs of Car Ownership

by Leave a Comment

Just buying a car can be expensive enough, without the monthly costs of actually running it. For anyone looking at ways in which they can save money each month, trimming down the costs of running your car are very important as these can often be the biggest spends. Now, there are some areas which you cannot trim, unless you have an emergency, such as if you have taken out finance on your car. If you do have finance and you are struggling with payments, contact the lender to see if you can renegotiate the terms. Other than the finance, there are many ways in which you can trim down on monthly costs.

Gas

Gas in the car is one of your biggest monthly expenditures but there are many ways in which you can manage things to ensure that you bring the costs down to a minimum.

  • Driving Style – If you are an erratic driver who drives at high speeds, brakes late and over-rev the car, you are using a huge amount of gas in doing so. Drive safely to minimize how much gas you are using.
  • Car Pooling – Car pooling to work or using it for the school run is an eco-friendly and cost effective way of reducing how much money you spend on gas each month.
  • Cheap Fuel – If you shop around your local gas stations, you will see that the price of gas varies greatly, find the cheapest and make sure that you use it.

Washing

Throwing $10 per week to get your car cleaned may not seem like much but you can easily save this $500 per year if you do it yourself. Car washing is not hard and you don’t need any high tech equipment to be able to do it. Spend a couple of hours on a weekend, giving you car the love and car that it needs, and save yourself plenty of money in the mean time.

Check-Ups

There is little worse than having something go wrong with your car, especially if you are not financially ready for it. In order to minimize the risk of something going wrong, make sure that you take the car to the garage for check-ups, before long journeys, and before a harsh winter. Mechanics can spot potential problems and if you nip them in the bud early, you can greatly reduce the chance of your car breaking down.

Gadgets

There are all manner of gadgets out there on the market which you can put inside your car from tech items, to air fresheners, and everything in between. The key here is to simply ask yourself whether you really need such an item in your car. Usually the answer to this question will be no and you can avoid getting sucked in to buying things which you don’t need, if you follow the 10 second rule. When you see something which you want to buy, hold it in your hand for 10 seconds and think about whether or not your need it, nine times out of ten, the answer will be no.

Be vigilant about how much you are spending on your car, and you can reduce it in no time.