14 Nov 2019 by Dollar Dig
With winter rapidly approaching, getting ready for the snowy season doesn’t have to be a hassle thanks to Cashback Rewards from Dollar Dig.
Keep energy costs down and get money back on your online purchases as you prepare your home and car for winter.
Don’t have a winterization and preparedness routine, or would you like some more ideas for yours?
Here are some tips to get you started…
Prepare Your Vehicle For Winter
Winter is a harsh time of year. Temperatures become frigid, and the roads we depend on for travel often become treacherous to drive on. Our day-to-day routine does not stop simply because the roads are covered in snow.
Check Your Brakes
Driving in the snow can be a slippery slope. If you suspect it might be time to check your brakes, having the peace of mind that your brakes are in working order makes all the difference when driving in dangerous snowy conditions.
Inspect Your Tires
Having a good set of winter tires is a must-have investment into your safety this time of year, and they’re surprisingly affordable!
The savings mount further when you consider the cashback rewards you can receive by purchasing through Dollar Dig! Goodyear and Discount Tire Direct are a fantastic place to start.
If you’re on a tighter budget, BestUsedTires.com has great prices on gently used tires.
Replace Motor Oil and Fluids
It’s essential to ensure your car’s maintenance is up to date. You don’t want to stall out or break down on the side of the road in freezing weather!
Pep Boys provides fast and affordable services to get you prepared for this winter as well; an oil change is an excellent place to start!
In addition to an oil change, topping off the antifreeze, replacing worn windshield wipers, and using freeze-resistant wiper fluid will greatly improve road visibility.
Check the Battery
If it’s been more than 3 years since you changed your car battery, you may want to consider a new one. Over time, the battery loses its power and even mores in cold temperatures. Also, check the battery cables, tray and brackets for corrosion.
Chrome Battery has options for you. They also have batteries for snowmobiles, motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and more.
Winterize Your Home
The winter months are the coldest months of the year and keeping your house warm and toasty comes at a price. The following winter home preparations can help lower energy bills, protect your investment and avoid pitfalls.
Replace Air Filters
Start preparing your home for winter by making sure your filters are freshly changed and air is properly circulating throughout your home. If you have a fireplace, a clean and properly ventilated chimney (and stocking up on firewood) is especially important.
Your furnace is going to be working around the clock to keep your home warm, and a dirty filter is going to reduce its efficiency, increase heating bills, or worse, cause a fire!
Places such as Airfilters.com and Discount Filters will be able to provide you with precisely what you need very quickly.
If you haven’t already, now is a good time to change your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries. You’ve already got the ladder out!
Energy-Saving Smart Home Automation
If you’re looking to maximize your home’s efficiency this coming winter, smart home automation is the way to go. Smarthome provides all the automation tools you need to lower your heating and electric bills.
One great benefit of home automation is thermostat control. You can set the temperature lower throughout the day when no one is home and have it warm the house back up right before you get back home.
Proper Lighting
As the days get shorter and the night gets longer, having adequate lighting minimizes the risk of a slip and fall injury. Walpole Outdoor’s lantern posts provide a variety of lighting options to light up walkways and their quality detailing and craftsmanship will add style and elegance to your home.
When it comes to lighting, switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs is the faster way to cut energy bills and still have the same amount of light.
According to Energy.gov, replacing your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR, you can save about $45 each year, which adds up with additional steps you take towards energy-efficiency.
Backyard and Patio Preparation
If you have a swimming pool or a hot tub, shut down the water supply (including outside faucets and sprinkler system) and cover it up properly so that you can enjoy it as soon as summer rolls around.
Pool Supply World is a one-stop-shop for every kind of pool need, from covers to special winter chemicals, to protect your pool during winter.
If you need a hot tub cover, The Cover Guy has a huge selection of hot tub covers./p>
For patio furniture, the grill, outside electrical box covers (or anything else you want to cover), The Home Depot has you covered!
Inspect Gutters and Drainage for Blockage
If you have trees around your property, falling leaves and other debris can clog up the gutters and drains. Blockage can cause all types of problems such as water backing up, overflowing and possibly freezing, which could damage your home’s foundation.
Perform a DIY Energy Audit
Performing a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) energy audit helps you identify the areas around your house that can help you save on energy and utility bills. Here are some things to inspect along with a few energy-saving tips.
Replacing standard lightbulbs to ENERGY STAR lightbulbs will greatly reduce your energy bill
Inspect the attic insulation and make sure it’s properly ventilated to prevent moisture from building up, which can lead to mold, uneven temperatures throughout the house, or unwelcome critters finding a warm, moist area to call home
If you have central air, check all the ductwork connected to the heating unit keeping an eye out for tears in the seams and dirt
Move furniture, curtains or anything else obstructing the vents throughout your house
Seal spaces around the windows and doors where warm air can escape and cold air can seep in
Set the thermostat 10 degrees lower when you’re not home could cut down your energy bill by 10%
Draw the curtains and blinds allowing sunlight in to warm the house up
Reverse the ceiling fan to force warm air down from the ceiling
Unplug devices and switch off lights that aren’t being used
Winterizing your household can seem like a daunting task. For those of us who aren’t too knowledgeable on how to carry out some of these tasks, or do not have the time, thankfully, there’s also a solution for that.
Handy allows you to quickly book handymen to complete these tasks for you from their trusted network of professionals at an affordable price!
For everything else, you can’t go wrong with Home Depot. You’re going to want to make sure you have tools to clear snow off of walkways, driveways, patios, and porches. It’s also a great idea to have multiple bags of salt on hand to lay out the nights before an expected freeze over.
Being prepared for the upcoming winter months can become a bit of a hassle. Thankfully, your wallet does not have to shiver as much as you do when it gets cold out because you’ll be filling it with the cash you get back from shopping online through Dollar Dig!
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