Protecting Your Pot of Gold
Posted by Century Support Services on Mar 15, 2019
St.Patrick’s Day is approaching quickly! Use this green holiday as a motivator to save some green in your monthly expenses.
Save Green by Going Green
Seal up your home and improve your home’s efficiency to save money on fuel and energy. Weatherstripping is an inexpensive product that can prevent cold air from escaping through the cracks in your windows and doors. Check your air ducts in search of leaks, and if you find them, use duct mastic to seal the holes. 
The filter in your HVAC system helps the furnace and air conditioner run more efficiently. Change the filter if you’ve been using it for more than three months. You’ll find it in a slot near the return air duct. Just pull it out and put the new one in. Filters are available for sale (inexpensively) at home improvement stores.
If you have a programmable thermostat, program it to lower the temperature significantly when you’re asleep and while you’re at work. According to the EPA, you can save as much as 10% on your heating and cooling bill by turning the temperature down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours each day.
Clean your air conditioner condenser before the cooling season starts. Cleaning the condenser prevents the air conditioner from working harder than necessary to do its job. To clean the condenser, cut the power to the unit and remove the lid. Use a shop vacuum to suck leaves out of the unit, then spray the inside with a strong jet of water from a hose.
Protect Your Pot of Gold with Good Budgeting
Establishing a household budget to save money. There are many inexpensive apps for smart phones that make budgeting easier.
Mint is a free app that connects to your bank, reminds you to pay bills and can help you decide how much should be spent on entertainment (like your St. Patrick’s Day party).
Wally is an app that works for Android and iPhone to help you budget and track expenses. Using Wally, you’ll be able to determine where your money is going and how you can cut back. There are other budgeting tools out there, so pick the apps that work best for you.
When you’re making your budget, leave a margin of error for emergencies, and save what you don’t spend. Protecting your pot of gold makes the rest of the year luckier and more enjoyable.