Homes, unlike other investments (the stock market for example) are valuable in two ways: 1) Psychological value - homes have value because everyone thinks they should, and 2) "real" value (people, homeowners and renters, need shelter).

2) When recording debit card purchases, round up to the next whole dollar. For instance, if you put $9.25 on your debit card, round it up to $10 when recording it in your register. Over the course of a month, with transactions ranging from groceries, to gas, to coffees, to eating out, you should have quite a chunk of change saved up.

In order to save money over time, choose energy-smart appliances. You should also unplug any device that has a light or display that stays on all the time. This small change can save you money in the long run, and these simple changes offer big benefits for the planet.

My daughter works at the Tulsa County Courthouse, her husband works out of the Allstate office there, and their youngest daughter, Camden, attends school at Indian Springs Elementary in Broken Arrow, a suburb of Tulsa. After the storm hit Sunday, yesterday and today my daughter's workplace had electricity, while her husband's workplace and Camden's school were without. Fourteen schools in the Broken Arrow area are closed due to lack of electric service. This storm is the third bad one since they moved into their present house in Broken Arrow two years ago. Camden's school was closed for a week last year during one ice storm.

Today thirteen people who had taken shelter in one house in the Tulsa area were taken to the emergency room because they were running a generator inside the house and the people were overcome by carbon monoxide.

Carbon Monoxide is produced by fuel burning appliances such as gas burning stoves that need to be vented to the outside. It is important to check the venting system on a regular basis to see if it has been clogged up. Recently, we inspected a home that had a serious exhaust leak in the laundry that was making the lady sick every time she did laundry and the hot water heater turned on in the room. The exhaust vent had a birds nest in it that was removed.

One livability project that many people overlook is increasing storage space. Many homes simply don't have enough closet room. Adding a clothes organizer to a closet can be a big help both to you and to the value of your home.

Insulate your house. With a small investment you can properly bao hanh may nuoc nong ariston isolate walls and windows from the winter cold. Cover up all leaks, look for each small hole that communicates with the outside, buy some double curtains for you windows, and install thermal isolations onto the walls. You will spend little money and you will succeed in making you home more comfortable while reducing carbon usage by more than 12%.