There is no shame in renting as opposed to buying and owning. The old stereotypical mindset which says it is cheaper to buy to own over renting is has been proven to be wrong. I am not talking just about buying a home. There are times renting a cars, tools, and other items cost less than buying out right.

When it came to working on my car, if I needed a specialty tool or widget, I would buy it. I would count that tool or widget as part of the cost of doing the repair myself. I didn’t take into consideration the fact I would maybe only using that specialized tool only once. What resulted was having a shed half full of tools I only used once or twice.

My neighbors and friends capitalized on stupidity. When it came time for them to need some specialty tool or widget, they would come by my place and check if I had it. If I didn’t have it they would go down to the local tool rental store.

On television there is this commercial where a well dress lady comes on and talks about certified pre-owned cars. Her whole pitch is that they are so like new you are getting new most people cannot tell the difference. Her closing line is, “Why pay the difference when you can’t tell the difference.”

About 4 blocks down the street of the car dealership that is promoted in the commercial is a recently build dealership of just certified pre-owned cars. Instead a mixture of several makes and models, these are just Nissan’s. This raises the questions, “Are they really good as new, without paying the price of new?”

With the ever increasing gas prices, the cost everything else is on the rise. We can cut back on some things. Other things we are stuck riding the wave in ever increasing prices.

We may not be able to control the unit cost of our electricity, water or sewer. However, we can control how much we use. In cutting back on the basic utilities we can help the environment as well as our bank accounts. Along with everything else our electric, gas, and water are ways to reduce our usage.

I was able to compile 10 things we can do to cut our utility bill. Actually, there are more than 10 things. It was when I got start putting this list together, I kept coming up with more. At the end is a special YouTube video by two young gentlemen who added a couple ideas of their own.

Seal Air Leaks – We are going from the heating to the cooling season. It does not matter if it is hot or cold outside, if there is hot air leaking out or hot air leaking in. Cracks along window and around door frames will raise utility bills. Just by investing in some caulk and weather stripping to plug up these drafts can save you a lot of money. A home that is insulated and sealed improves energy efficiency up to 20% on year round heating a cooling bills.

HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) Equipment Inspection – The equipment including the duct work that heats and cools our homes needs to be inspected at least once or twice a year. Hire a certified technician for an annual check that their home’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system is operating at peak efficiency. Leaking ducts, for example, could reduce energy efficiency by up to another 20%.

Air Filters – Change at least once or twice a year furnace filters. Depending upon the area you live and the amount of dust in your area. The furnace filter restricts air flow as it filters out dirt in the air. The more that filter gets dirty the more you furnace/air conditioner will have to work to do its job.

Heat Generating Appliances - Limit the use of heat producing appliances like the oven, dishwasher and clothes dryer during the hour when temperatures are coolest. In winter time when it is cold, things like cooking with the oven, and running the dishwasher will actually assist you heater keep the house warm.

Close the Blinds – Rooms that face south and west should have light colored blinds. These blinds closed during the second half of the day will reflect heat from entering those rooms.

Use Box or Small Fans – The breeze from a fan blowing air through a room makes it feel a few degrees cooler. Just be sure to turn it off when leaving when you leave that room.

Computers and Chargers – Computers and cell phone charges that are plugged and on will draw some electricity. It may not seem like much, but it can add up over time. When they are not being used unplug or disconnect them from their power source. This could be as simple as flipping a switch on a power strip.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb – If you have not got rid of your old style light bulbs, it it time. They have proven to be energy hogs. Even lower the wattage of the lighting will make a difference.

Timers for Light Switches – Putting a timer on light switches on rooms like the bathroom will pay for itself in a very short time. If you have not notice that the bathroom, laundry room, and garage is the three places where people will go into for a short time and leave without turning off the light.

Water Usage – If you are one of the lucky ones who have to pay per cubic foot of water you use, then you are constantly looking for ways to cut back on the use of the volume of water you use. Here I got three tips in one.

1. Shower when you are at the gym. That averages to 2.5 gallons of water for every minute in the shower.
2. If you have only a few dirty dishes, not enough for a 3/4 of a dishwasher full. It is better to do them by hand. Have the water running out of the faucet for rinse at the lowest possible flow level.
3. Put a quart or half gallon jug in the water tank of your toilet. This will cut back on the amount of water used every time the toilet is flushed.

Bottom-line: There are many many more ways you can save on you utility bills. I have put the video at the bottom of this article to give you more ways you can save on you utility bill, especially as the summer months are headed our way.

I was at a coffee shop when at the check register, I looked down and saw a pile of cards that read, “Banks Suck”. I picked up one of those white cards. The words were printed with large black writing in a block type on a glossy white card stock. So I pick one up. After I set down and took a sip on my coffee, I flipped the card over and read the fine print.

The first line on the back stated, “Did you know that less than 25% of Short Sales Attempts actually close.” Then in smaller print was two short paragraphs on why you should have a short sale expert process you short sale. At the bottom of the card was a phone number, email address and a website. The website was ShortSaleByDesign.com.

We are weeks away from Christmas. I you are like me, I am thinking more about having enough money for Christmas than what is happen with mortgage. However,  for those who are still looking to buy a new home there is a few update I want to share with you.

Considering everything that has happen in the past few years. Loans given out to people who should not of have gotten. Other folks who found themselves out of work facing foreclosure. Banks and loan institutions have tighten what qualifies for a home loan.

Craig Ballhagen over at MyFirstBoiseHome.com wrote on his blog about how Idaho mortgage guidelines are constantly changing.  It is very important for future home buyers to take the time to be informed.

I don’t care where in the Northern hemisphere you live. The weather is changing. It is getting colder. This means air conditioners are use little or not at all. In a few weeks, if not already heater are starting up for the first time in months.

If certain things are not done, you could be spending double or triple what you should for heating this winter. That is why I would be amiss if I did not take one day a look at way you can make your home or apartment more energy efficient for this winter.

I remember when I moved from an apartment to a my first house. I was so happy not having to be concerned about the neighbors who lived below me. I did not have to put up with their Friday and Saturday night parties. It only a couple of days in the house before the newness wore off. I was hit with a shocker. I had just traded tolerance of my neighbors for a bunch of extra chores.

It was mid October when we made the move. There was no time to rest up from the move. We had got the house at a reduced price because it had needed some TLC. Winter was coming and there was a bunch of TLC needed to be done before then.

In my opinion there are three times you should have your home inspected. I mean by a professional who does The first is before you buy. The second is 10 years after you have purchased. The third is when you are going to sell it. whenre you hire a professions and then the one you do.

There are two reasons for doing a home inspection. One, to confirm the quality of the building.  Two, look for defects or problems that may not be oblivious over the course of time.

Foreclosure is a word that has been striking fear, remorse and a lot of negative emotions in virtually every home owner in the past few years. News agencies have been reporting 1 in 10 home owners are facing foreclosure.

The most common foreclose is for failing to pay the mortgage. Foreclosure can all happen for failing to do something else not related to money. This can be not adhering to ruling and regulations of the neighborhood association.

We are one of the millions of people who rent their home. Last month our lease was due for renewal. So before going in to discuss any term changes on the lease, I decided to do a little homework.

The Wall Street Journal has had, this year, several articles stating that apartment vacancies were at a 30 year high. 2009 ended with the vacancy rate of 8%.

CNN Money.com reported that rents are going down on the average of 3% per rental unit.