Real Estate and Home

plunger

The Basic Necessities

 When I left for college, I was unprepared for life alone. I did not think about anything that I needed, and basically bought a whole bunch of useless junk; I bought things that I thought were cool and that I would use frequently. I even bought a $400 air purifier, because I thought it be a great addition to my small bedroom. I did not realize it back then, but in reality I only needed a few basic necessities.  So you are just starting off your life and have never lived alone before, let me give you a few tips ...

roommate cost savings

How a Roommate will save you money

Having a roommate is a great idea for those who are willing to trade a bit of privacy in exchange for some hefty money saving.  There are tons of basic living expenses that can be split between two or more people. One of the biggest things you can save on is rent. The highest cost of living alone is rent. If you ever looked for a 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment, you know what I am talking about; the availability of 1-1s is limited, hence they usually go for a premium. So why not get a roommate? The cost of ...

house costs

Costs of owning a Home

If you are single or do not have a huge family, think about renting instead of buying a house. You might be thinking if mortgages rates are so low why am I even renting? Yeah, you could buy a house with a really low mortgage rate, but have you considered the real cost of owning a house? The biggest cost of owning a house is the property tax. The actual cost of this tax will vary on what state and county you are located in. In Texas, the property tax can be very high- up to 3-4% of your home’s ...

dishwasher

Save Money use a Dishwasher

When I grew up my family did not own a dishwasher, so we washed everything by hand. But now that dishwashers are more common and efficient, you should try to get your hands on one. Why? Dishwashers will use less water than if you washed your dishes by hand. An Energy star efficient dishwasher uses around 4-6 gallons for each load. Whereas, if you were going to hand wash all the dishes you would use around 10 gallons. If you do not believe me, next time try washing as many dishes as a dishwasher does and tell me how much ...

Energy Efficient Upgrades

Best Energy Efficient House Upgrades

This infographic from 1bog.org that shows the most common home upgrades.( Click the picture to enlarge)  All of the upgrades except for two, are really worth it- high efficiency shower heads, and a programmable thermostat.    I was surprised that High-efficiency shower heads were one of the best ways to save money. Whenever I move into a new apartment showerheads are the first thing I change, and I did not even think about the water saving benefits. I only changed the shower heads because it always felt gross to me to use someone else’s.  Having an upgraded shower head makes ...

Grocery Store

Why you should live close to a Grocery Store..

Alright so you are looking for a new place to live. Great. I am sure price is your number one concern, but what is next on that list? Well, it should be location. I already wrote an article about why you should live close to work. But let me elaborate further.  Not only should you live close to work, but you should also live as close as possible to a major grocery store. Why? Everyone needs to buy food at least a few times a month, unless of course you are a farmer and grow everything. But if you are ...

water heater

Clean Your Water Heater, Save Money

I am not much of a home improvement type of guy. But I do love easy fixes that save money. Earlier this week I noticed that my hot water would always run out before I finished a shower. (No, I do not take hour long showers) I did some research and found out that water heaters build up mineral deposits. This is bad because it can lower the operating efficiency of your water heater, causing higher electricity bills and lukewarm water. So did I do? If you cannot view the video, flushing your water heater can be done in a ...

driving to work

Why you should live close to work…

Before I moved into my new apartment, I lived 30 miles away from work. This meant I had to wake up insanely early, deal with crazy rush hour traffic, and commute a total of 60 miles a day. The only reason I did not move out sooner was because I was getting free rent-courtesy of my parents.  I was clearly living the life; I got free rent, food, and clean laundry. So what prompted me to move away? Ever hear that saying “Time is Money”? Well I am a firm believer. The most important resource that any human has is ...

House

Renting versus Buying

If you do not have a family or do not need the space, there is no reason why you should buy a house. Gasp, but is that not the American Dream? I thought everyone’s goal was to buy a house? Well, in this economy it might not make sense. You might think I am stupid, but let me explain. First, having a house ties you down financially. Why? You will most likely have to take out a 15 or 30 year mortgage to buy a house.  This means for the next 15 or 30 years, you will be working to ...

Self cleaning oven

Save Money & Time using Self-cleaning Ovens

I just moved into my new apartment and realized that the oven was extremely dirty; there was a thick layer of burnt shit on the bottom and dead insect larva all around it. The previous tenants had probably burnt something inside and just left it there. First I thought I was going to just clean it by hand. I had some 409 spray and thought that would do the job. Nope. Soon I realized I had three options; buy easy-off, buy a degreaser, or try the self-clean option, which I never used before. The first two options required me to ...