It's your first holiday season as a new homeowner, and there's nothing quite like it.

While decorating your home with wild abandon at year end, you're enjoying the satisfaction of knowing it's all yours. But your first holiday season as a homeowner may not be exactly carefree. Your budget's probably been rather tight since you graduated to the status of homeowner. Between your mortgage payment, utilities and shopping for friends and family, you're feeling broke. Starting 2001 in debt wasn't exactly the New Year's resolution you had in mind.

But you don't have to resort to telling your loved ones "Let's just skip the gifts this year," or choosing between gift-giving and eating next month.

You can start 2001 on the right foot by taking a series of actions which, over time, will pay significant dividends in terms of your monthly expenditures -- leaving you a little wiggle room for expensive occasions such as the holidays. In many cases, when following these guidelines, you probably won't see instant savings, but given a few months' time, you'll start to notice the difference in your budget -- especially when you take several of these steps, and the savings begin to add up.

• Low-flow shower heads can save the average family an estimated $250 per year in water bills. We're not talking about the kind of shower head that emits only a tiny trickle of water -- don't worry, you won't have to go to work with soapy hair plastered to your head, a la "Seinfeld." Visit your local home improvement store or hardware store, and ask for assistance in selecting a shower head that conserves water without forcing you to stand under the shower for an hour to wash the soap out of your hair (which, of course, won't save you any money, either).

• Turn the dial on your washing machine to use cold water only. Energy-efficiency experts have estimated that nearly 90 percent of the cost of running your washing machine comes from using warm or hot-water cycles instead of cold ones.

• Either install low-flow faucets for your kitchen and bathroom faucets, or make an effort to keep the faucets turned on low pressure while brushing your teeth, rinsing dishes, etc.

• Run your washing machine only when you have a full load. And run your clothes dryer only for full loads. If you have to dry multiple loads of laundry, try to run them through consecutive heat cycles; the second load will benefit from an already warm dryer and will therefore require less time to dry. Between each cycle, check your filter. A filter clogged with lint not only extends the length of time to dry your clothes; it's also a fire hazard.

• If it's within your means to replace your water heater, or your current water heater is nearing the end of its life cycle, make an instant water heater your next purchase. Some of them can cut your gas bill in half. Keep the temperature turned down on your water heater (you don't have to freeze, but there's little point in maintaining high temperatures that will only pose a risk for burns and increase your utility bills), and insulate both the tank and pipes, which can save you money, as well.

• The turbines that spin on your rooftop help to cool your house in the summertime by forcing rising heat off of the roof. In the wintertime, however, you want to trap as much heat in your home as possible without running your home heating unit. So keep your turbines covered during the colder months.Of course, never block heating system exhausts or chimneys.

• Keep the pilot light in your furnace turned off during the summertime.

• Keep your floors insulated with carpeting -- this includes area rugs if you have wood floors. If you have wall-to-wall carpeting, is it adequately padded underneath? Worn padding, or the absence of padding altogether, makes a world of difference in your home's ability to stay warm. In many cases, a freezing concrete slab is what lies beneath your carpeting, so adequate padding is a must.

• Make sure both your attic and your walls are adequately insulated. If you're not sure how to insulate them yourself -- and let's face it, it's a formidable job, particularly for us homeowners -- hire a professional. It's a worthwhile expense that will save you money for the next several years of energy bills.

• Where is your air conditioner located? If it's sitting in full sun, don't be surprised if it never seems to stop running in the summertime. Take steps to shade your air conditioning unit; plant a tree next to it, or build a trellis adjacent to the unit. How many volts does your air conditioner have? Units with 220 volts are considered among the most energy-efficient, although not all homes are wired for them. If you're in the market for a new air conditioning unit, you'd be wise to investigate this option.

• If you don't already own an electric thermostat, consider replacing your existing unit with an electronic model that automatically lowers the heat during the night while you're asleep. Most people sleep better when their homes aren't overheated, and you'll save on your energy bills. Keep your bedroom door shut during the night, and keep the vents outside your bedroom open only slightly.

• During the winter months, many homeowners believe they should keep their drapes open to invite in the warm sunshine. Actually, keeping your drapes closed helps to trap the heat in your home.

As those holiday bills begin rolling in come 2001, you can re-assure yourself with the reminder that you've taken several measures that will save you significant amounts of money throughout the coming year. As stated before, you may not notice the difference right away, but come next year, you're likely to find a few more dollars in your pocket -- precisely when you need it most.

Published: December 22, 2000

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