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10 Ways to Save Money on Electricity

There are many things you and your family can do to shrink your monthly electric bill. They are simple, and the savings might surprise you. Not only will you be paying less, but you will be doing your part to help conserve the planet’s precious resources.

Laundry

When you do your laundry, make sure you are only washing and drying full loads of clothes. If you can, wash your clothes in cold water. You can save between 2 to 4 percent on your bill by doing this. In the summer season, hang your clothes out to dry instead of using your dryer. Your clothes will be soft and fresh, and you will appreciate the savings.

Light Bulbs

Replace each one of your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. Compact fluorescent bulbs cost a little bit more, but they last nearly 10 times longer and can save you hundreds of dollars each year on your electric bill. You will be living “greener” because they only use one third of the power that incandescent bulbs use.

Program Your Thermostat

Another great way to save money is to program your thermostat so that it isn’t heating and cooling your home when there isn’t anybody there. Have it programmed to turn on when you arrive home from work, and if possible, shut it off at night if you don’t need it. You can save up to 5 percent on your electric bill by lowering your heat only one degree! In the winter months, dress warmer. In the summertime, use ceiling fans to cool off. Ceiling fans use only a fraction of the energy that your air conditioner uses.

Washing Dishes

Only run your dishwasher when it’s full. If you only have a couple of dishes to wash, just do them by hand. Turn off the drying function on your dishwasher. It isn’t necessary- let your dishes dry naturally or dry them off with a towel.

Refrigerator

It’s alright to keep your fridge stocked, but don’t over-fill it. Clean your refrigerator regularly and throw out old food if it is no longer edible. The more items that you have inside, the harder the fridge needs to work to keep your food cold. If you need to defrost something for dinner, take it out of the freezer early and defrost it in the fridge. Always remember to let any hot items cool before storing them in the refrigerator. It will have to work a lot harder if there is something piping hot in there.

Let Your Hair Dry Naturally

Have your family shower at night before going to bed instead of in the morning. That way everyone can let their hair air-dry instead of using a hair dryer. You will conserve energy and have one less thing to do in the morning before school or work.

Change the Air Conditioning Filter

Be sure to change the filter for your air conditioner regularly. The cheaper the air filter you buy, the more often you need to change it. By routinely changing the air filter, you can save up to 5 percent annually on electricity. As an added bonus, the air in your house will be much cleaner and free of dust!

Doors and Vents

If you are not using certain rooms in your home, shut the doors and vents in those rooms. You don’t want to be heating or cooling rooms that nobody is utilizing.

Weather-Proof Your Home

In the winter months, put plastic on your windows to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. You can also weather-strip around doors and windows to keep your home warmer. Your thermostat will not have to work so hard to heat your house when the temperatures outside are frigid, and you can save anywhere from 1 to 4 percent on your bill.

Turn Things Off!

One of the easiest ways to save money is to turn things off when you aren’t using them. Only turn on the lights that you need and remember to switch them off when you leave. That simple action can save you a lot of money each year. Don’t leave TVs on if nobody is watching them, and if you aren’t using your computer, turn that off, too. Also, don’t keep any of your electronics on “standby” mode. When electronic devices go into standby mode, they use almost as much energy as they would if you were using them. Make it a habit to walk through each room before leaving your house to make sure everything has been turned off.

Saving money on your electric bill is easy. By making these suggestions part of your daily routine, you will spend less and planet Earth will thank you for it.

Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes about insurance and other topics for the Homeowners Insurance Blog.

Tax Tips for Freelancers

Written by Evan in Taxes

There are some extraordinarily good benefits to being a freelance writer. The word “free” should be a tip off–it’s a satisfying, enjoyable career, and you’re your own boss. It’s a freedom many people long for, but few attain. There are a few caveats, however. You must be a self starter because there’s no one pushing you to get things done. If you don’t do it, no one else will. You’re also responsible for every phase of the business, including taking care of your taxes. The good news is that being self employed has some tax advantages. Following are some tax tips for freelancers.

It’s a Job

When filing an income tax return, it’s imperative to make sure all the deductions you take are legitimate. The IRS is well aware of the tax benefits of being self employed and are constantly on the lookout for dishonest people who claim to be a self employed business person but in reality only have a hobby. In order to qualify for a number of deductions associated with being a freelance writer you must, in fact, be operating a business.

Prove It’s a Business

One important step to take in order to prove your freelance writing profession is a business is to have a dedicated business bank account, separate from your personal account. Another way is to have a record of your expenses organized in such a way that they can be readily accessed. You should also be able to prove how much time you spend doing the job, and be able to produce previous records of having made or lost money as a freelancer. According to the tax reform act of 1986, a person is considered to be a professional in their field if they’ve shown a profit for three of the last five years.

Tax Write-Offs

A portion of virtually everything you do as a freelancer is eligible to be considered a tax write-off, providing it’s connected to the business. Meals, entertainment, business related automobile expenses, including parking fees and miles driven, are all genuine business expenses. In addition, you can take a portion of the value–called depreciation–of the equipment you use for your business, such as computers, fax machines, tape or digital recorders or any other valid business related gear, as a tax write-off. Usual office supplies, such as pens, pencils, paper clips, envelopes or paper are also valid business deductions. Other things that are legal to write-off are postal expenses, such as stamps and packaging material, and the cost of any business related conferences or seminars you took part in, as well as any fees for professional organizations you belong to. The costs associated with subscriptions to professional literature related to the business are also tax deductible.

Working from Home

If you have an office dedicated to your business, then the expenses associated with running that office are tax deductible. However, many freelancers work from home. The good news is that you can still write-off your office expenses. The bad news is that you must have a dedicated office space in your home–a place set aside exclusively for your freelance writing business. It also needs to be used on a continual basis for business purposes. Merely setting up a laptop on the kitchen table doesn’t qualify as office space. For further information on qualifying for tax deductions for people working from home visit the IRS website, www.irs.gov, and check out Publication 587.

Be Organized

The best way you can ensure your freelance writing business thrives is to be as organized as you possibly can. By being structured in your thoughts and actions, you’ll be aware of how much money you spend, and what you spend it on. Cutting expenses is a time-honored way of making a profit, but by taking special note of the expenses that are tax deductible and taking every deduction you’re entitled to, your profit margin will also rise. By consulting with a tax attorney or an accountant, you can make sure you know what can and cannot be considered a legitimate tax deduction.

Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes for www.insurancequotes.org, a site that provides quotes for car insurance.