Ah, tomorrow is September 1 and while the kids will be gearing up for school, the adults will be bracing themselves for the ever-increasing costs of running a home during the cooler months. With rising unemployment and decreasing job opportunities, everyone will be looking, even more than before, to save month without layering themselves in 12 sweaters. While some of you may like this over-zealous, cash-saving approach, there are other ways of saving money without turning yourselves into a waddling pumpkin.

Try these 5 no-brainer tips this autumn to not only save energy, but save money!

1. Use Energy Star-approved energy-saving light bulbs: According to It’s All Green (www.itsallgreen.wordpress.com), if every home in the US replaced just ONE incandescent bulb with a low-E compact fluorescent bulb our nation could cut the emissions of greenhouse gases to the equivalent of 800,000 cars. Not to mention that the bulbs last more than 9x longer than the standard bulb!
2. Use your ceiling fan to circulate to push down the rising heat and circulating it around you by putting it on the lowest setting instead of turning up the thermostat!
3. Put heavy door jams in front of all the exits, where door seals may not be in the best condition. This will prevent hot air leaving through the imperfections of construction.
4. Close blinds and curtains at night. If possible, hang heavier material during the cooler months.
5. Check the seams of the window to ensure no air is escaping. A simple caulking job will fix this!