Lowering Your Bills to Fund Your Fixes
That $50 a month Carol puts into her home upkeep fund has to come from somewhere. For most of us, the easiest place to find extra cash isn’t a side job; it’s by plugging the slow leaks in our monthly spending. Utility bills are often the biggest and leakiest buckets. A few small, consistent changes can easily free up $20, $40, or even more each month—money that can go directly into your repair fund.
Let’s start with electricity. Your power company charges you based on the kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is a measure of energy use. Think of it like a gallon of gas for your home. To save money, you need to use fewer kWh. The easiest win is lighting. If you still have old incandescent bulbs, you are essentially paying to heat your home with light. Swapping a single 60-watt incandescent bulb used four hours a day with a 9-watt LED bulb can save you over $5 per year. If you swap ten of them, that’s $50 a year, or about $4 a month, right there.
Another silent energy drain is “standby power,” the electricity used by devices even when they’re turned off. Your TV, coffee maker, and phone chargers are all culprits. Plug them into a power strip with an on/off switch. When you’re done using them, just flip the switch. This simple habit can save you another $5 to $10 a month. Finally, adjust your habits. Wash your laundry in cold water whenever possible; modern detergents are designed for it, and you’ll save a significant amount on heating the water. The federal ENERGY STAR program provides trusted, objective information on efficient appliances and savings strategies.
Next up is your water bill. A constantly running toilet, which we’ll learn how to fix, can waste hundreds of gallons a day. That’s like flushing money away. Even a small drip from a faucet can add up to thousands of gallons over a year. Finding and fixing these leaks is your top priority. You can also save by installing a low-flow showerhead. The EPA WaterSense label identifies fixtures that use at least 20% less water without sacrificing performance. Swapping an old showerhead for a WaterSense model can save a typical family thousands of gallons of water per year, which translates to real savings on both your water and your water heating bills.
For your gas or electric water heater, check the temperature setting. Most are set to 140°F by default, but the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recommends 120°F for most households. This is hot enough for all your needs, reduces the risk of scalding, and can cut your water heating costs by up to 10%. These small, consistent actions create the financial breathing room you need to confidently tackle home repairs.
