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One lesson many young adults have learned to their dismay is the reality that a living space can be expensive. Rent and mortgages are one thing, but the “real world” truly hits home when one has to consider what vacuum cleaner to buy and whether the living room actually needs a new coat of paint.

So one netizen decided to ask the internet to give them the best changes people have made. People responded with a variety of smart tips and good ideas, so prepare to take some notes as you scroll through and upvote the best pieces of advice you encounter.  

#1

“Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny House plants. The amount of color and life simple and easy-to-care-for plants add when the days are dark is amazing.

Flowering trees. If you have a yard, plant some trees that add scent and color and encourage wildlife to visit. We get so many birds and our yard smells like heaven in June with our pink crab apple blossoms and lilac trees.

KimBrrr1975 , altheaton Report

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SkekVi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

remember to look up what plants and trees are native to your area and which are invasives! do your part to help rewild your little bit of earth.

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    #2

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Black out drapes are amazing!

    Final-Substance1233 , casti33 Report

    #3

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Reflective film for the windows. Especially the light facing windows. 10 degree drop in the house. Electrical bill dropped by half. Few hundred bucks and an afternoon of tedious but not hard work. 

    Orange-Yoda , positiveandmultiple Report

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    Joelle Jansen
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That stuff is great, but be warned, if you have well insulated glass, check if it's okay to use. Some double/triple glazing can crack if you put that kind of reflective stuff on it.

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    #4

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Premium mattress. Paying for a quality mattress that actually matches you and how you sleep will literally change your life. I wasn’t a believer and thought it was all a gimmick until I took the plunge.

    MuffinDunking69 , XBL_blue110 Report

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    #5

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Replacing the aerators in my bathroom faucets. We thought was had bad water pressure, but that didn’t make sense since other fixtures were fine. Turns out the aerator was just badly clogged with sediment. It was a night and day difference.

    ThatA**holeMrWhite , eric_has_a_reddit Report

    #6

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Best one by far in my opinion living in a noisier city area would be double or triple pane windows. Not cheap but essential when you want to shut out the noise of the world for a while.

    consideration , abz888 Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember an office I once worked in at the end of one of Heathrow's runways had triple glazing. When you were in the office, you occasionally saw a shadow flick past as a plane went over. Outside you had to shout to speak to the person standing right next to you!

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    #7

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny When I bought my house (built in the mid-1950’s) the only thing that nagged at me were the old, rusty looking floor registers that lead to the duct work. I replaced them with new art deco style registers. They weren’t expensive and made such a difference. Took minutes to replace the old ones.

    hb122 , andreyred Report

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    Angela B
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would LOVE to find some of these to replace the ones I currently have.

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    #8

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Soft close toilet lid.

    d-wail , Bella Bathrooms Report

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    #9

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Under cabinet lighting. Less than $100 and it makes such a difference.

    raisingragamuffins , Melloncollieocr Report

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    Ample Aardvark
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We got the cheap-ish rechargeable ones that are fixed in place with magnetic strip, already a huge improvement!

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    #10

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny > Roomba Avg cost ~$150-650

    I just spent $1200 on an auto map, mop, vaccum, auto-refill, auto empty robot vaccuum cleaner and this SOB is worth twice what I paid for it, it runs 3x a week and I f'ing love it.

    YoureInGoodHands , BubbaYoshi117 Report

    #11

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny A washer and dryer.

    I lived in a small place that didn't have a washer and dryer. Added a small apartment sized WD. Not having to go to the laundromat was a life changer.

    Minimum_Loan229 , 11jimdickson11 Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or if you don't have the space, a combined washer-dryer. Had one for years and have a dishwasher in the other space.

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    #12

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny So many great ideas here! I'll say additional insulation as we recently bought a house that I felt attic did not have enough and... what a difference! Temperature stays consistent, I can't hear planes overhead and road noise better. I feel like not only am I saving money immediately, but my qualify of life improved too.

    Final-Substance1233 , Ok_Adeptness8636 Report

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    #13

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny I made automatic curtains for my bedroom, and it was a shocking quality of life difference for me. Rather than wake up with an alarm, I just set my curtains to open in the morning, and I wake up softly a few minutes later. Add to that the not-depressed feeling that open windows add (but I’m somehow too lazy to consistently do manually) and it’s a solid addition to my life.

    I made my as a diy project, so it was shockingly cheap (like maybe 30$). You can get commercial ones but I believe they are much more expensive

    Crazyjaw , djjlipod Report

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    LadySparre
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Living in Scandinavia it would mean I wouldn't get up until like 9 am in winter 😂

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    #14

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Probably not the cheapest upgrade at $30-50 each, but I changed all of our doorknobs to lever-style handles. Huge quality of life improvement, especially if you're carrying something with both hands. Plus, our dog can let herself in from the back yard (unless we deadbolt it to purposely keep her out for a bit). She still hasn't figured out how to pull open the door from the inside though.

    CoolHandMike , Dawk1920 Report

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    Manda Hart
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I call these sleeve cuff catchers. So annoying and painful if your aim is less than precise.

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    #15

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Silicone and felt pads for every cabinet and bedroom door. That quiet little voice as they close is so nice. Makes even the cr*ppiest cabinets feel better.

    Mikeismycodename , NGF86 Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Soft-close doors and drawers. They're absolutely brilliant right up until you go and visit someone who doesn't have them!

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    #16

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Ceiling fans in all rooms. I’m in FL, it cuts down the AC use significantly. Cost varies by fan chosen, able to DIY since the house came wired for them (but only boob lights installed).

    Idgie-Threadgoode , hehasntreddit Report

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    CHRIS DOMRES
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless you have dry eye syndrome. Air movement from a fan dries out the eyes even more.

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    #17

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Not in the “cheap” category, but soooo worth it:

    Covered porches / porticos. No, really. No fumbling for keys while you are being rained on. Leaving? Deploy your umbrella outside but before you are in the rain.

    No snow piled up against your door.

    So worth it. I could never go back.

    Background_Lemon_981 , mrpoopsalot Report

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    David
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A covered stoop is super common here in Washington state where it rains a lot. I sort of take that for granted. I WISH I had a whole covered porch - like the kind you can hang out on. Have lived / had use of but never owned one. So awesome to sit on the porch and watch a major rain / thunderstorm but be dry.

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    #18

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Kitchen trash can in a drawer equipped with push to open. Just tap it and it opens itself. No more opening the trash with grimy hands.

    lyr4527 , uknow_es_me Report

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    sbj
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Downside is that inside of the draw tends to have a smell that lingers

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    #19

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Best thing ever is my undersink Reverse Osmosis water tap with re-mineralization. I stopped using bottled water altogether and it only took 30 mins to install ourselves. We used the existing 3rd hole for soap as the new dedicated tap.

    PrinceBastian , A15auce Report

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    Rose the Cook
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We have this and it is great. The only disadvantage is that in an apartment where the kitchen is already small it takes up precious cupboard space.

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    #20

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Keypad lock for the front door, roughly $200, an hour to install.
    Allows the kids to come home and unlock the door without having to worry about them being responsible with keys. Also allows us to lock/unlock the door remotely and to get into the house without fumbling with keys. The big improvement here was once we had a car with keyless entry and start. We no longer have to handle keys at all. 

    bhasden , SydneySmartLocks Report

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    Ivy
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I watched a video about how these digital locks are super easy to break into. It’s almost like not having a lock.

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    #21

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny A motion sensing front porch bulb $5. It's great I never have to worry about leaving the light on. Anytime I come home or someone enters the front porch the light comes on. The only thing is your fixture can't block the line of sight between the bulb and the area below for the motion sensor to work.

    A_SNAPPIN_Turla , SqueezyCheez85 Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Having the sensor built into the light fitting is more reliable. Did this for my MIL as she had got into the habit of not putting the light on for the carers in the evening and there are no street lights. Was harder to do for my parent's corridor as it had recessed lighting, but found some motion sensing spotlight bulbs, which come on as you get near them. No more fumbling for the lightswitch to go to the loo in the night.

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    #22

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny * **Tools**. I'm able to fix a suprising number of things without having to hire someone using a small set of basic tools (and YouTube). Fix furniture, fix plumbing, car repairs, fix appliances.
    * **Organizers**: Shelves, storage bins, racks, tool chest and other organizers. All my tools, electronics, documents and random things have their place
    * **Easy Connectivity**: Power strips, extension cords and usb hubs. All my devices have a convenient place to be plugged into in each room (it's an old house which doesn't have outlets everywhere).

    mikew_reddit , TheLukey21 Report

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    CD King
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the town where I live they have organized a tools borrowing place. You sign up for a membership $20 a year or can do a one off for $4. You can borrow anything from a pressure washer to a skill saw. They have the whole line. They keep getting more and more tools. It is fantastic for a person living in an apartment or a DIY'r on a budget. Also the people who man it have a once a month 'Fix it' day where you can bring down small items and appliances... lamps, toasters, shop vacs, etc and they will try to fix it

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    #23

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny I’m converting most of my kitchen cabinet shelves to pull-outs. It’s absolute heaven having a place for everything and really being able to use the entire depth of the cabinet. My cabs are always neat now and putting away dishes takes about one minute. No more teetering stacks of cookware, it’s life-changing. Also made a two-tier silverware drawer organizer and hung the measuring cups on hooks inside a cab door, one cup per hook. So tidy. And built an under sink organizer with more slide-outs. 

    gardenbrain , Germanicus32 Report

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    Joshua David
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My refrigerator has pull out shelving and maybe everyone has that too. Thought it was cool.

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    #24

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Heated bathroom flooring. We redid the bathroom and in the process put in a ditra heated floor system. My wife and our cat love it. I am happy about it as well.

    SuperFrog4 , the-crow17 Report

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    Lucas
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We put this in when we redid the bathroom floor - it is lovely, cannot lie. My dogs are also big fans!

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    #25

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Quiet exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath.

    People don't use the exhaust fans enough because they're noisy and annoying. Leading to black mold problems because of the humidity. Also add motion detector switches to the bathroom fans. People never run the bathroom fans long enough.

    Minimum_Loan229 , TechnetiumAE Report

    #26

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Upgraded skinny, deep box style kitchen cabinets by building in rollout shelves. Turned our deep cabinets that we always lost food in the back of into high volume; quick access storage.
    Time: 3 hours, mostly sanding and painting.
    Cost: $50, mostly splurging on nicer wood.

    This is house specific, but having storage that functions smoothly, not just as a box, has felt like serious luxury. We also added fancy slides to the big wooden drawers on our built-in bedroom closets. Felt amazing to not heave a screeching drawer every day. I can access my stuff without disturbing everyone in the house.

    kevbotwhite , vcspinner Report

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    Strings
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I added "door shelves" in our pantry. Was basically a 5' deep void: built a pair of "doors", lined them with shallow shelves, and hung them so they nest. Finished off with deeper shelves in the back

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    #27

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny New curtains was such a game changer for me, brought the room to life and only cost €30 from Argos - makes such a difference to any room & doesn’t cost an arm.

    Tricky-Practice-9411 , Nbspray Report

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    jjdubs W
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That picture though (surely not yours, OP). The curtains look way too tall for the window.

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    #28

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny I did the hack where you hammer a very slight bend in the middle hinge pin of a door to our bathroom. Nothing in our house is hung straight and it kept closing on its own and hitting my back while I’m brushing my teeth. Cost $0. Time, 30 seconds. Life changing.

    tweedlefeed , Akarili Report

    #29

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Sunrise alarm clock. $14

    I get up at 4:30 and work at 6. That sunrise alarm clock helps me wake up in the morning and makes the drowsiness go away.

    reddeadp0ol32 , jodiethedemonpig Report

    #30

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny If you have cats, an automatic litterbox. Only having to change out the bag every week or so and add litter every so often is a game changer compared to scooping multiple times a day.

    BenAdaephonDelat , litterrobot Report

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    Tuesday's child
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have one of these! Looks like a kitty spaceship.cats were kind of scared of it at first but now they love it

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    #31

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Came here to say “nice shower head” but I see everyone is already in the know.

    Emotional-Resist-208 , EvaStankbreath Report

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    2x4b523p
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I despise those devices or shower heads that are designed to lower water flow/pressure. Often found in hotels, I get the idea why they want to save water. But I want to be in and out as fast as possible. These “water saving” features make me spend 4x as long in the shower and still feel like I have shampoo left in my hair.

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    #32

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny A little dehumidifier in the bathroom. $20 - $40 on Amazon Never touching a wet towel or stepping on a wet bath mat - priceless.

    anon , investingadvice- Report

    #33

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny If you have lumps/rolls showing up in your carpet, you can get it stretched and it looks 1000x times better. Blew my mind when my realtor told me about it when I was selling my house. I don't even think it was 200 bucks.

    moondoggle , faxpam Report

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    Binny Tutera
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not only does it look better, it makes the carpet last longer. Those ripples will make the carpet weaken and split, then you have holes.

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    #34

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Bidet. ~ $80. 30 minute install. Life changing! A must IMO.

    ganglyangler , maurice32274 Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    30 minute install my a**e! If you haven't had one previously, you need to install all the plumbing work.

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    #35

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny The best home upgrade, for the price, is fresh paint on walls and trim. If you paint youself, the paint and materials are relatively inexpensive.

    OldDog1982 , that_other_person1 Report

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    SkekVi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    oh yeah i can't wait to do that in our place... we have like 2 layers of wallpaper to rip down first but to her credit the house is trying to help by shedding it like lizard skin... XD

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    #36

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny For those of us in cooold climates where we need to drip water to avoid freezing pipes - a water bypass. It means no extra water bill from running faucets because the water cycles through the pipes but dumps back into the house supply. I don't know 100% how it works, it was here when we moved in and it's amazing. 

    KimBrrr1975 , PlumbingtheRoto-way Report

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    MAL
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My grandparents had this installed in their home in northern Wisconsin. They never worried about a burst pipe again. They said this and the generator were the best money they ever spent on their house.

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    #37

    If you are remodeling and having some electrical work done, add an outlet into any of your closets, and one in any long hallways. Outlets in closets are great for things like cordless tool battery chargers, cordless vacuum chargers, AA and AAA battery chargers, et cetera. The outlet in the hallway is great because you can plug your vacuum into that, and hit multiple rooms without needing to re plug it in anywhere behind furniture, under desk, etc (if you're not into Roombas).

    NecroJoe Report

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    Kel_how
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My first apartment was an ADA apartment, meaning built for someone with a disability. There were outlets everywhere! And the shower was walk-in with a bench. I absolutely loved that luxury and was never afraid of falling in the shower, especially while shaving!

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    #38

    Life changing home things : regular prepaid scheduled maintenance on furnace and A/C. Has saved our butts over the years more than I can add up!

    KaleidoscopeThis9463 Report

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    Spencer's slave
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Chimney/flue cleaning annually if you have open fires or log burners. Many home insurance policies stipulate this must be done or you could end up with invalid insurance in the event of a chimney fire causing a house fire.

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    #39

    Art - something that tells a story and is appealing to all at the same time - a photo you took, a map of your home town etc. Photos of you and your family and friends greatly add to the warmth of a home.

    PKsHopper Report

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    Vermonta
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have watercolors an artist I know made. Acrylics I painted. (Kadinsky fan). We had a staircase that you opened a door to use (we kept the door open). We had all the family pictures on the wall in there and called it The Wall of Shame (pictures from the 1980s). The house was built in 1842 turned into a 2 family home later. We lived in the part with the backstairs.

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    #40

    I googled how to make my microwave be silent. As someone who is sensory sensitive, it's been so nice to not hear that obnoxious beeping anymore.

    wiredandtired1980 Report

    #41

    1953 house. In addition to most of these suggestions (switch and outlet covers, shower head, keypad entry, roomba), I lubed all our door hinges and tightened the front door hinges. Now they all work right and are quiet. Super nice to be able to sneak out of the baby’s room without waking her.

    weeksahead Report

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    #42

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Touchless kitchen faucet is my new favorite thing, best thing we added to our new house!

    Dreamer1524 , WorkIsBoring Report

    #43

    Water softener. 3-5k. Maybe not needed everywhere but sure makes a huge difference with Florida’s hard water. Use less cleaning goods. Like 80-90% less. Food is better. Clothes are cleaner. Water based appliances last so much longer.

    Orange-Yoda Report

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    Auntriarch
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Skin feels better, using about one fifth of the soap shampoo washing powder etc, no buil up in the toilet, it's well worth it

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    #44

    Putting in an additional bathroom when we only had one.

    DeeSusie200 Report

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    SkekVi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    absolutely. finding WHERE you can fit one is sometimes a bit of a challenge... currently playing that game with my house...

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    #45

    This is probably too expensive, but insulated garage doors! During some recent cold snaps, my garage reached 5° F. Swapping doors and over the last winter it never got below 45!

    anon Report

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    Kim Burke
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just installed new insulated garage doors, can't wait to see the difference in the winter.

    #46

    I haven't seen in the comments yet:

    -An over the sink dish rack. I gained so much counter space and made my general dish washing process a little more efficient. Bonus, use in combination with either an over-sink roll-up grate or in-sink grate for large articles. Paid $60 for mine, $20 for roll-up grate.

    -Furniture slides. They make them both for carpet (hard smooth plastic material) and hard surfaces (soft smooth felt-like material, similar to stick-on feet). They work, and make moving large furniture around a breeze, provided you can lift it just enough to tuck the slide under each foot/leg. Keeping them permanently underneath say your metal bed frame makes rearranging cake. They're cheap, HD sells a variety pack for like 15 bucks.

    RadioKnight915 Report

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    #47

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Timer switches on bathroom exhaust fans. Game changer for controlling moisture and odor without having to remember to turn it off. Saves energy too because you aren’t creating negative air pressure for longer than you have too.

    Mikeismycodename , andjosaus Report

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    ZGutr
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Take a fan with built-in-timer connected to the light. The turn on with the light, but keep running for x minutes after you turned them off.

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    #48

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny I installed Cat6 cables to every room in the house. Can't remember the cost off the top of my head, but for all the tools and cable it's less than $300. Probably more if you get really good quality tools. But the cable and outlets aren't super expensive on their own. Then $100-$200 for modem and router. Maybe $300 if you get a ubiquiti dream machine.

    Having Ethernet in every room is the best. Every previous place I've been in and rented from, internet has been a pain in the a*s. Like a roommate that didn't know he was paying $10/month extra for a Wifi router from the ISP. Mesh routers have their issues in bigger homes. College roommates bought the cheapest $14 router on Amazon and say "it works for me" when it's 2 feet from their computer. Some places I've lived where I just stopped gaming online altogether. Last place the router was the complete opposite side of the house. Had to buy my own extender to get a signal.

    So now that I have my own place, first priority was hard wiring every room. Working from home, streaming 4k, online gaming, downloading huge games. Everything is so much easier now. Of course this is only worth it if you have a fast Internet company near you.

    Travy-D , lunatuna2017 Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Depends where you live. If you live in a detached house, WiFi is usually reliable. If you live in an apartment and all your neighbours have WiFi, it is next to useless. I use cables for everything important (work computer, NAS, etc) and WiFi for stuff that doesn't matter as much. There is an irony in not being able to get a stable WiFi signal in the next room, but being able to use it just fine in the communal garage two floors below. Retrofitting cables is a pain, so if you have the chance to put them in when remodelling, do it!

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    #49

    Depending on how they are when you move in, replacing bulbs. The house we bought last may had all old incandescent bulbs of mismatching tones. We replaced them with bright LED’s of a neutral tone (not the standard blue-white) and it made the home feel a lot more modern already.

    9911MU51C Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have warm white LEDs everywhere. They typically take about 10% of the power of incandescent bulbs and last about 10 times as long. I went from 300W in my lounge to 35W. Also get rid of anything that takes a lot of standby current. After getting a smart meter installed, I was able to determine that my NAS was not hibernating correctly, and with a quick change of settings was able to reduce the power consumption by 10-20W, which when it is on 24/7, adds up to quite a bit.

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    #50

    I hired a house keeper. My favorite $120 I spend every 2 weeks. No matter how bad money gets in my house, she’ll always be the absolute last thing to get cut.

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    SkekVi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Being able to have staff is genuinely a huge help. I say this as a former servant. If I could afford what Bertie Wooster can I would have a full compliment of staff in a heartbeat. My quality of life in this regard being limited to what my disabled body can do all by myself is so awful.

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    #51

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Good quality wifi mesh starting around $150 Price keeps going up depending on brand and equipment quantity, the best wifi is the one no one complains about. I even have an access point outside in the backyard, full bars everywhere.

    mossyturkey , TMahlman Report

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    Gabriela Cink
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have rather new router, conected to modem, provided ones are c**p and with low security. But any of this is cheap.

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    #52

    Hood vent that vents to the exterior of the home. Spent $600 on mine. Already had a vent installed but the hood was a recirculating one. Previously couldn't boil a pot of water without steam everywhere. Now I can sear steaks without setting off my smoke alarm. It's loud but functional.

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    #53

    Also take the water flow regulator out of your shower head. It's a little piece of metal mesh. You can thank me later.

    Jim_from_snowy_river Report

    #54

    Carpet runner on wooden stairs, $900-$2000 (depends labor and what kind of carpet you get).

    Our footsteps are quieter so our small children are less likely to wake up when we go up and down the stairs. It literally helps the kids sleep through the night and my goodness I'd pay double for that!

    Our elderly dog is no longer scared to use the stairs. Everyone is less likely to slip-slide in socks. We splurged for a nice wool design and it looks fantastic.

    Wuippet Report

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    SkekVi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    See I've heard the opposite: that carpet is MORE slippery. 🤔😵 given how much i go barefoot i really want carpet in most rooms...

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    #55

    Driveway sensor, $50
    We have a long drive. It's solar-powered, when working from home it's nice to know when packages are arriving or when guests are arriving.

    Good camera system $500 and up (if you can DIY) $1000 and up (have it professionally installed)
    But a good hardwired system that goes back to a recorder. No worries about batteries, internet outage, or subscription fees for video storage.
    Sure its peace of mind for security, but during the winter I use it to see if I have to get up to clean snow, check if the wife is at home, check for packages etc etc. I've even used to see how something got damaged during a storm.

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    #56

    My favorite that hasn't been mentioned yet is the motion activated light switch for the laundry room. No more fumbling for the switch with the basket.

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    Pheebs
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Our garage has this on the overhead. Such a small thing, but made a huge difference.

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    #57

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny Smart Garage door opener. Typically an easy self install and added security that you know when it’s opened or closed.

    77GoldenTails , Highfalutintodd Report

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    Frank Heidsick
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You can add them to your Alexa-System, but still have to say a four digit code. Workaround for that: Use Google. When I say „Alexa, open sesame“ in the car, the Alexa Speaker at home says „OK Google, open Garage door“ then waits a few seconds for the Google Speaker to say „Please tell me your code“. Alexa tells the code, Google then opens the Garage Door.

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    #58

    Not a homeowner, just someone in my 20s focusing on picking up trade skills-

    Sealing your HVAC system makes a HUGE difference in the monthly expense. The jist of the process involves roughly sealing your vents / returns, hooking a machine up the ducts, then letting it heat up a substance very close to elmer's glue until it vaporizes. It's forced thru the ducts and quickly clogs any micro to ~0.75" sized hole. As far as I know somewhere in the 2000s it became code here in Michigan and installs range somewhere between like 2,500 - 4,000

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    #59

    1. Eufy outside cameras - $90 each. Great for piece of mind when I travel for work and pleasure. You'll be amazed at what it catches. I've seen wildlife that supposedly doesn't exist around here (foxes and coyotes) and people taking shortcuts across my yard at 4am.
    2. Anti-fatigue mat for the kitchen - $75. I can wash the dishes without my feet feeling sore.
    3. Bed bug interceptors and high quality mattress protector. I hate to tell you but bed bugs are everywhere. I stay in high end franchise hotels and you'll see them all the time. After experiencing a minor infestation years ago, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. $$$ out the window and took years to mentally relax. The interceptors cost $20 (per pack) and guarantee they won't climb up furniture/bed. Also a great way to know they're there. The mattress protector costs $200 and will prevent them from hiding.

    iCryAtNight21 Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a wireless security camera in my (open) garage and it is amazing what it captures. We have a fox that regularly comes through and blue tits clinging to the brickwork looking for spiders.

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    #60

     USB sockets in appropriate places for charging phones. 

    77GoldenTails Report

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    Data1001
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The USB standard just changed a few years ago (USB-C) and it may change again. Instead of hardwiring a socket which might become outdated before you know it, why not just plug in a small adapter at various locations in your place?

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    #61

    For those in row houses.... storm door with sliding window. I cant tell you how much more fresh air gets through when you have a direct path on the same floor from front to back.

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    Hey!
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We have a back split level and our two doors are across each other so it works like that for us too.

    #62

    Zoned AC was worth it. It’ll probably take years to pay off, but I can keep the office at a different temp on the weekends from my bedroom at night from the living room in the early evening. $1500 I believe.

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    Rostit .
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have not seen minisplits listed yet. I saved a few hundred a year putting one of those in.

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    #63

    We just got a new construction home and are trying to do everything right to take care of it. One of them being sealing all the grout/granite/stone before we moved in. It’s amazing how well it keeps everything clean even if it’s only been a few months. 

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    #64

    Programmable digital wifi thermostat.

    East_Tangerine_4031 Report

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    SkekVi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    we have one of these connected to our radiators! There was no manual so it took days to figure it out but once we did? AMAZING

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    #65

    Dusk to dawn lightbulbs for my outdoor fixtures. $10. Lights are always on at night for security purposes. Never on during the day.

    ww_crimson Report

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    Francesa Miller
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Light pollution from people like you really bothers your neighbors. The lady across the street from me forces me to keep shades pulled on one whole side of the house because she wants her driveway lit while she sleeps.

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    #66

    Whole house fan. $1000-2000. Cools the house down in 15 minutes on a summer evening. Love it way more than my AC. I'm in the Bay Area of CA. Results will vary by region.

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    CHRIS DOMRES
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes. In a humid climate, all it will do in the summer is suck more warm humid air into the house. That makes the attic crawlspace humid and causes mold growth.

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    #67

    “Electrical Bill Dropped By Half”: People Share 35 Home Upgrades That Were Worth Every Penny I LOVE the glass rinser I installed when I switched out my sink. I use it for everything, from shot glasses to my coffee machine portafilter.

    XFiraga001 , the_greetings_from Report

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    #68

    Not quite life changing but nuisance-removing: we bought a house where the previous owner had replaced all the hardware except for the door hinges. Replacing all of those super old brass hinges with matte black to match the doorknobs has given me peace.

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    #69

    Motion wall mounted soap dispenser. Helped my elderly mother remember to wash her hands. I think it has helped her not get any more UTIs
    Was 50 dollars

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    #70

    For us, I'd add: - putting a washer and dryer in the master closet. (We also have one downstairs for the kids). - a separate pantry room (perfect for hoarding Costco supplies) - 'beer fridge' in said pantry (where we store beverages and over-flow items). Keeps the kitchen fridge manageable.

    so-very-very-tired Report

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    Dani M
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    how much space and money do ppl have? two laundry installations, extra rooms, etc. weird

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    #71

    Painting kitchen cabinets or refinishing countertops.

    kittycatjack1181 Report

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    SkekVi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh, I WISH refinishing was all my countertops needed... they're warped as all hell. :(

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    #72

    If you live in an old neglected house:

    1. Replacing the valves on the sinks and toilets - $10 x # of sinks & toilets ~ 2 hours
    2. Leaky tub spout - $10 ~ 5 minutes
    3. New mat outside front door - $15 - 30 seconds
    4. Re-caulk bathtub - $10 caulk, $5 caulk gun ~ 20 minutes

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    #73

    A long time ago when I replaced my father's washer/dryer, I demanded one feature - I wanted the dryer buzzer to have a switch to turn it OFF. So many times we've left the dryer running and gone to bed, only to have that f*****g thing buzz just as I was getting to sleep, waking me.

    On the original washer from early 80's, we did some surgery to remove the buzzer, because we f*****g HATED IT.

    But I was afraid Dad wouldn't realize this was a great feature, so I made absolutely sure the new dryer buzzer had an OFF switch. it has 3 settings - OFF, soft, LOUD.

    supershinythings Report

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    SkekVi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    my washer sings a little song when she's done. i don't think dryers have *buzzers* anymore, do they?

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    #74

    On demand water heater for my kitchen sink. Cost about 200 but it's a game changer not having to wait 5 minutes for the water to heat.

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    #75

    Belt drive wifi garage door opener. ~$300 2 hour install.
    Belt drive is so much quieter, and the wifi is so nice. You can assign one-time codes to delivery divers or friends if they're dropping stuff off or picking up. It also shows who opened the door and open/closed status on your phone for when you can't remember if you closed it on the way out.

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    #76

    An entry door directly into my garage. $1500 parts and labor, I recognize many homes might come with one, but ours didn't and to add one was only possible in one spot (where we didn't want it). Great access to our extra fridge during get-togethers, a place to let in the dog and wipe her paws when she's dirty, less impact on our plants that we put in the garage in the freezing winter weather by limiting how often the full garage doors need to open, etc.
    Industrial racking (ex, Costco Whalen racking). ~$200 each (have gone up in price recently), easy to modularize in the garage, basement, etc. Super safe and great use of storage without having to build anything or anything less durable.

    cmatthews11 Report

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    #77

    Wall-mounted wireless switch for the living room which lacks a hardwired light fixture: $15. It's a stopgap until we get around to wiring in a light, but it's a huge improvement over fumbling in the dark. 

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    #78

    Switch from an electric furnace to gas… I live in North Dakota. 3 year buyback and then I’m saving $1500/yr on heating.

    Ok_Reporter7375 Report

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    Sammie 19
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately no gas in north Sweden, everything is electric. I'm still paying off my debt from the high bills I received over the winter which sucks. They weren't allowed to switch off my electric as I couldn't afford the bills because of being disabled but they add it on monthly to my normal summer bill and it's really tight. If I was able to pay in full the electric company offered to put me on a new tariff where I'd pay the same monthly all year round so no high bills over the winter and I'd be in credit when winter does arrive but I don't have the $400 I need to pay it off. Got nothing from gofundme.

    #79

    Expensive but hear me out - hot tub. We spend so much time in there, and our water bill went down because my husband as a water baby took baths all the time. We all get away from our electronics and it’s a fun reason for the family to hang.

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    Neb Skram
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    absolutely get a hot tub it was the best idea i had when i bought my house

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    #80

    Ring alarm. You don’t need any subscription pay at all to self monitor. Just for the cameras if you wish. Arm & disarm with door chimes. If the siren goes off, remote into the cameras to see if you know the intruder, NO SUBSCRIPTION for all this!! Also good wifi by Unifi or eero

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    #81

    Towel warmer. About $60 for a cozy warm, dry towel out of the shower every day.

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    MAL
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Waste of electricity. You're already warm when you get out of the shower/bath so why do you need a warm towel? I'm sure it feels nice, but this seems unnecessary.

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