Tag: decorations

3 Easy Ways To Save Money During the Holidays – and Still Have a Bright and Festive Home

One of the best parts of the holiday season is the spreading of festive cheer. Decking the halls, giving the gifts, baking the cookies, turning the front yard into a glowing winter wonderland – it all amounts to a lot of warmed hearts and smiling faces. And with this year’s heightened challenges and anxieties, now’s the time when a little holiday cheer is most needed.

But with so much uncertainty and a fluctuating economy, it’s also a time for people to hang on to as much of their hard-earned cash as possible. Here are a few tips to help save money and still spread the joy this holiday season.

Make the Switch To Energy-Saving LED Lights

Anyone who’s about to dig out their boxes of decorations to start the process of untangling those ancient string lights – go no further. LED holiday lights are becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason. Unlike traditional incandescent bulbs, which produce light by heating a tiny metal filament, LED bulbs generate almost no heat. In addition to making LEDs safer in general, this also makes them highly efficient because they waste virtually no energy in the form of heat. 

Though they are a bit more expensive than traditional string lights, they’ll save loads of money in the long run – upgrading to LED bulbs can reduce energy usage by around 90%. They also last about 50 times longer than incandescent bulbs and are less likely to burn out or come loose. As an added bonus, their near-lack of greenhouse gas emission makes them better for the environment.

Get All the Baking Done At Once

Another way to cut down on needless energy expenditure is to consolidate as much of the holiday baking and cooking as possible into one efficient marathon session. Whether the home’s oven is gas or electric, the cost of preheating and baking over and over again can really stack up. It’s far more efficient to get the oven hot, keep it hot, and fill it with all the gingerbread, snickerdoodles, and family favorites it can handle. If the oven has a convection setting, even better – the hot air inside will be continually circulated, further maximizing efficiency.

A similar principle applies to those big holiday feasts. It’s best to develop a plan that will allow multiple dishes to be baked at once to minimize cooking time in general. It also helps to use the microwave when possible, as it is generally the most energy-efficient appliance in the kitchen.

Use Automatic Timers for Electric Decorations

Plugging both indoor and outdoor decorative lights into a timer-operated power strip not only saves money but also eliminates the hassle of manually plugging and unplugging the lights every night (and remembering to do so). Keeping outdoor decorations lit into the wee hours of the night consumes energy and benefits almost no one – except perhaps the occasional nocturnal critter on its way through the yard. 

Additionally, a timer can reduce the risk of fire in a home if someone forgets to turn the Christmas tree off before leaving the house or going to bed. Having the lights turn on around sundown and turn off a little after bedtime is an ideal energy-saving schedule, but this can easily be customized to the homeowners’ preferences. 

About Patriot Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Inc.

For years, Patriot has been Wenatchee, Washington’s one-stop-shop for home services. Patriot believes in delivering outstanding professional service and top-quality work at an honest and affordable price, which is why they provide financing options, membership plans, and a 100% guarantee on every job. It’s no wonder local residents trust them with all their electrical services in Wenatchee. As an award-winning and highly-reviewed local business, they also support numerous charitable organizations in their community. 

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