Tiny Homes — The Biggest Life Hack

8 Reasons You’ll Never Want to Live in a Standard House Again

If you had the freedom to do anything you wanted with your life, what would you do?

Would you quit your job? Maybe buy your first home? Take up a sport? Spend more time with loved ones? Volunteer? Open up a business? Travel the world? Make babies? Go back to school? Become a Buddhist monk?

Mentalize your answer. Okay, next question. What is holding you back?

The three most common factors that keep the majority of us from living the life we desire are money, time, and our own self-imposed limitations. Fortunately, there is one thing that can help free you from these limiting factors — a tiny house.

What Exactly is a Tiny House?

As far as size, there is no official document stating how big or small a tiny house must be, however, it is on average 186 square feet while a standard house in America is around 2,687 square feet. In other words, you can fit 11 tiny houses in one standard American house. To be legally considered a mobile home, it must have wheels.

At this point, you may be thinking how you could possibly live in a human-sized chicken coop! But when you experience what a tiny home is really like you will realize that it provides you with the space that you need without any excess. The reason why having a tiny home seems like a crazy idea at first is because we have forgotten the true purpose of a home. The home should be a place of safety, comfort, joy, and love. Instead, we become prisoners to our own houses — overcome with debt, stress, and chaos.

The Prison That We Built for Ourselves

We have been working 5 out of 7 days, full-time, just so we can pay our bills, instead of investing in a better life. We pay for rent, mortgage, electricity, water, health insurance, car bills, schooling, food and water, taxes, then we (try to) save some money. At the end of all that, we take the small amount of money we have left and (try to) enjoy our one or two days of rest. But the whole time we feel like we are walking a tightrope, ready to plummet into foreclosure with any misstep.

What happens when you don’t have enough money to pay off all your bills? And what about time? Working full-time how can you find a way to go on a nice, relaxing trip, indulge in activities you’re passionate about, or do those things you wrote down on your bucket list? Shouldn’t life be more simple, relaxing, and enjoyable?

It’s Time to Break Out of Prison

In this article, you will discover how you can live a big life in a tiny home, that will allow you to have a dream life that most only achieve, after long years of hard, consistent work and self-sacrifice.
Yes, you can have financial and emotional freedom once and for all. No more worrying about bills, money, time or even your health. So without further ado, here are 8 ways a tiny home is the answer to your prayers.

1. Say “Goodbye” to Your Mortgage and “Hello” to Your Dream Home.

Sometimes our budget won’t buy us the home of our dreams or rent us the apartment we wanted, forcing us to turn to banks for a “solution”, while many times, being left in huge debt and distress. Financing your tiny home, however, is much easier.

Statistics show that 68% of tiny house owners have no mortgage compared to 29.3% of all U.S. homeowners. But why is that?

Well, the cost of a tiny home ranges between $30,000-$40,000 when you hire a contractor to build it or if you choose to buy it ready. The cost lowers to $23.000 if you were to buy the materials and build it yourself.

The Standard American home, on the other hand, costs on average $272.000. But that price is only for those who have that full amount in their bank account. If you are like most of us who don’t have all that money saved up, you add $209.704 of interest on a 4.25% 30-year loan and there you have it! $481.704 is the accurate pricing for your average standard home.

So what that means is that by choosing a tiny home you would be saving around $441,704 just on the house itself. That’s without counting the health you will gain along with extra life years if you subtract about 3 decades of mortgage, stress and sleepless nights from that equation.

2. Take Your Tiny House with You While Traveling.

 

Imagine you get offered an incredible job opportunity a few states over, and you need to sell your home fast. How long do you think it would take until you had everything settled for a move with a standard house? Definitely not the next day right?

Let’s face it, with a standard home you’re stuck (literally).

This is why a tiny house is the most practical way of living. You can travel with it at any time. Just hook it up to the back of a truck and drive to your newest adventure.

You mean I won’t have to pay for hotel rooms anymore!?

That’s right. With a tiny home, there is no need to worry about shelter when you are on the road.

If the move is permanent, you would need to rent or buy a piece of land to park it on and that’s it. Could a standard American home provide you with this much freedom?

3.  You Can Have an Organized and Clutter-Free Life.

By ridding your house of all the things that you don’t need, you will have a neat and organized home that you will take pleasure in coming back to. In the tiny house, it’s a lot easier to make this happen since you won’t have that full sized closet space for storage anymore.

So when you hop over to a store like Target to grab that toilet paper, and you start automatically reaching for a pair of Cheetah print shoes, you will think twice about it. (which in this case i really hope you do.) If you live in a standard home, you will probably buy those Cheetah print shoes because it’s easier to justify. I mean, you already have the space and you are already in debt, so why not?
A tiny home really allows you to keep in check with reality. You will have the opportunity to finally donate and sell those extra items, helping more people and getting extra money to spend.

As Elise Boulding, the sociologist and credited author once wisely said:

The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.”

Here is a great “how to” video on de-cluttering to help you:

 

4. Save More and Live Better.

It is by no coincidence that 55% of tiny house people have more savings than the average american, with a median of 10,972 in the bank.Think about it, when you cut down the size of your home, it’s only natural that you cut down the size of your costs. With a tiny house your utility bill, as well as rental of property are symbolic in value compared to bills of a standard house.

If you do take out loans to build it, you will have paid it off in few years max, where with standard homes you spend decades or pretty much your entire life paying mortgage while running the risk of losing everything you’ve invested. With these smaller costs of living, you can use that extra money with things and experiences that will bring you happiness and satisfaction.

I talked with Jon Dandridge, a financial analyst, medical student as well as tiny house owner who says:

It’s really nice to know that our house is paid for you know? We didn’t need to take out any loans for it. This is just unheard of nowadays with traditional houses.”

The savings continue to add up, even after the tiny home is built. For example, Jon recently had a problem with the plumbing in his tiny home and had to redo all of it. In a standard, 2-bathroom home this would cost between $4,000 and $10,000.  But how much did it cost Jon?

It cost us only about a hundred bucks. It’s incredible how we save tons of money just by living simpler.”

While many of us are itching our heads, constantly worried about where we’ll come up with the money to pay for that unexpected bill, tiny house owners are continuously filling up their savings account, going on adventures, and living out their dreams.

5. You can Make it the Most Eco-Friendly Home.

We are facing a serious global crisis in terms of pollution levels, global warming, climate change as well as extinction of wild species, and these little houses are making a huge positive impact.

While each standard home produces on average an absurd amount of 28,000 pounds of CO2 per year for electricity, heating and cooling, uses up 7 full logging trucks of lumber and has 45 light bulbs consuming 639 kWh of electricity per year, a tiny home only produces 2,000 pounds of CO2, uses ½ of a logging truck of lumber and has 6 light bulbs consuming a measly 85.2 kWh of electricity per year.

Pretty incredible, huh?

For those who are passionate about saving the planet (as well as money), there are numerous other ways to do it in a tiny house. Some examples are: utilizing composting toilets, solar panels, rainwater harvesting tool, insulated windows, water-saving shower-heads, eco-kettles, starting your own organic garden and etc. There is a world of opportunities for you beautiful souls.

6. It can be Adapted to Fit Any Lifestyle.

 

A common worry people have is that a tiny house is only meant for one person to live in, which is a false statement. There are many families living comfortably in tiny homes all over the world, in fact, some even prefer it. Let’s take Kim Kasl for example, a tiny housewife and mother of two kids who says that “parenting (in the tiny) is much easier. We’re more connected, cozy, and engaged.”

This means that with a tiny house you are free to raise a family, as you get to design your home as perfectly as you need it as far as size, decoration, the exterior environment and more. Every detail can be well thought out so that it fits your specific needs at a small cost. For example, if you are handicapped, have a special disease, live in severe cold weather or in very hot environment, you will be able to find a creative solution to meet your needs.

Check out this awesome tiny house that is wheelchair friendly:

7. Living In a Tiny Home Promotes Stronger and Healthier Relationships.

Just as having a baby can create a beautiful bond between a man and a woman who love each other, so can a tiny house. You go from planning it out and discussing all the details, to seeing it come true before your own two eyes.

Jon says building a tiny house with his wife Adelle “enhanced his relationship”. They not only designed it together, but built most of it.

I also asked Adelle about how building the tiny house together affected their relationship:

building the tiny house with Jon helped balance out the dynamics of the relationship. It made our respect for each other grow as we learned to give in to each others wishes instead of wanting to control.”

Thank you for the feedback Jon and Adelle, we genuinely wish you both a blessed journey together in your enchanting tiny home.

8. What is Better than Having More Money? Having More Time.

Most of us live a high-maintenance reality where we are forced to run, sweat and work our butts off on a regular basis, otherwise we get run over by “life”. But is life truly forcing us to live a hectic experience, or is it just us being slaves to our illusions? Selling our souls for a job that we hate because it pays well? What is the point in being able to afford all superfluous things in the world if you have to be in a stressful work environment everyday? If you don’t have freedom? If you don’t have time?

Must Read: How To Be Happy

A tiny house cuts down your costs of living, so that you may work way less, if you wish, and have more time to experience life to the fullest, while also increasing your health as a consequence of being more stress-free and purposeful.

Here is a quick, fun little video about time that will change your perception of life.

The Takeaway

Regardless whether you are retired with a fixed income wanting a simpler life, a single college graduate looking to buy your first home, someone who is tired of sharing a house, or a parent with kids to raise, a tiny home is exactly what you are looking for.

You can be one of the 65% of tiny house people with zero credit card debt, you can save and go after that job you know will make you happy, maybe give up that routine and live with audacity, get out there and start dating again, try something new, live an adventure, travel, write a book, start a family etc. The options are endless!

A tiny house gives you the opportunity to start living. This is why they are such a mind blowing life hack. Who thought that you could have the home of your dreams, while saving tons of money, benefiting the environment, growing your relationship, getting rid of debt, and improving your health and life quality with the freedom to go anywhere, at any time? Yes, tiny homes are here to revolutionize.

They are here to ask you one simple question:

Why just get through life, when you can start living?

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The Most Effective And Eco-Friendly Way To Clean Your Oven

Cleaning your oven with baking soda and vinegar will leave it sparkling clean and shiny, without you having to rely on dangerous chemicals. It is easy and very effective! All you will need is baking soda and white vinegar, some spare time, and a few home cleaning tools to do the job. Follow this step-by-step guide:

  • Remove the interior items. Before you proceed with actual cleaning, you will need to remove oven racks, thermometer, pizza stone, etc.  Clean each of these as it is likely they have accumulated a lot of spills, too.
  • Prepare your solution. You are going to need half a cup of baking soda and some water to create a paste-like mix. The goal is to add enough water to turn the soda into a spreadable paste that you are going to use instead of the usual commercial cleaning products.
  • Coat the oven interior with the paste. Don some gloves and spread the baking soda/water paste on the interior of your oven. Try to be as thorough as possible, and don’t forget to coat the oven door as well.
  • Let the paste sit overnight. Now that you have coated the oven interior, it is time to let the baking soda do its job. Let it sit overnight before you proceed with further cleaning.
  • Wipe the baking soda paste. Now that the solution has had enough time to do its job, you must wipe it from the interior of your oven. Use a damp cloth for the job. Start with the door, as you might want to lean inside to get to the interior areas. Use a spatula to gently pick off baking soda that is hard to remove with the cloth.
  • Spray with vinegar. After you have cleaned most of the baking soda, continue by spraying the interior with white vinegar. This will react with the leftover soda, making it easy to remove. Additionally, it will further sanitise your oven.
  • Take your time to enjoy a restored oven. After you wipe the vinegar, you will notice the brand new shine of your oven.

For more eco-friendly cleaning methods be sure to check out the Tidy Up Blog.

Further Reading:


5 Environmentally Friendly Ways To Increase Your Home’s Value

Who doesn’t love helping the environment?  We no longer want large water heaters or other expensive features. Smart buyers are looking for environmentally friendly choices. Water, specifically, is an area ripe for improvement.

The benefits of going green are twofold. First, it adds appeal and versatility to your home, offering unique value compared to other homes lacking these features. Secondly, of course, is that many of these items add actual financial value, both in terms of property value and savings on bills!

Whether you’re currently looking to sell, simply want to live a greener life, or just want to keep your options open in the future, these solutions offer fantastic benefits for everyone.

Harness The Rain

If you live in an area with plenty of rain, turn this to your advantage. Rain collectors can harness this resource for dish washing and other uses around the home, helping to cut down on water bills. However, this water isn’t entirely clean, so it can’t be used for drinking.

That being said, you can add a filter to purify the water for various home uses. This is often where the real value comes in, as it can then be used to provide free shower and tap water! Once you have an effective system set up, you’ll rarely need to use muniipal water.

Organic Gardens

A well-kept garden can do wonders for a home’s price tag, but an organic one also serves a purpose. Whether it’s a large vegetable patch or a simple raised bed, any garden can introduce organic crops. While these will improve your value, they’ll also provide tasty and healthy veggies in the meantime.

Just remember that a key to understanding property value lies in thinking like a buyer. A ready-to-go organic garden helps ease buyers into a better lifestyle and suggests at how green the wider property already is.

The Water Boiler

Even if you have an effective collection system for rainwater, every home still needs hot water. How you heat your water matters a great deal. Your average boiler uses gas or electricity, both of which are power-heavy, to heat water throughout the home.

An efficient boiler, on the other hand, helps save money and adds to the property’s value both financially and in terms of environmental awareness. It will also help improve your home’s energy efficiency, helping to create another vital selling point.

Natural Water Features

Speaking of the garden, how many homes these days feature a water feature of some sort? Most people may think of pools, but these require a lot of clean water and expensive pumps. Still, some simple landscaping can create features that use natural rain water, reducing your need for maintenance and imported water.

A fountain can recycle rainwater, for instance, while a pond serves as an aesthetically pleasing feature. Tastefully done, adding these add little touches to a well-finished garden, increases the value without added bills or running costs.

Water Usage

While cutting down on how much water you use will help keep bills low, it doesn’t influence your home’s value until you make some physical changes. Taps, pipes, and showers all use water, so determining just how much water they use is key.Eco showers speak for themselves, but what else can you do?

Tap inserts can be fitted in your kitchen and sink to ensure a full spray of water without wasting it at the same time. These little features help cut down on water without changing your lifestyle, making them easier to advertise and display if your home ends up on the market.

Similarly, for the extra passionate homeowners, a bathwater diverter can re-direct or collect used bath water into an outside container for use in the garden. If you combine this with a rainwater system, just think how effective this will be. These physical installations add instant value to your home as new buyers can easily see the savings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up9lgvZ83Ik

Conclusion

So, there you have it – 5 effective ways to help improve your property value and save the environment. How you choose to implement these depends on your home, of course. Not everyone has space for a pond, but even the smallest organic patch will help. Your home should proudly showcase its green lifestyle, making its water-savvy features tempting for anyone looking to buy in the area.

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Natural Cleaning Solutions For Your Home

Cleaning is crucial in any home, but regular cleaners take their toll on the environment. Instead, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a cheap, effective way to do housework without using harmful chemicals? Fortunately, there is! And most of the items you will need are already in your home.

Lemon Deodorizers

When it comes to natural cleaners, the humble lemon is your best friend. Why use expensive lemon scented fragrances when a real lemon does just as good a job? Simply take a lemon, cut it in half and leave one half with the cut side exposed (preferably in a dish). Not only will this hide odors, you’ll get a fresh lemon scent wherever you place it.

Vinegar Spray

Vinegar is highly acidic, which makes it useful for cleaning dirt on a variety of surfaces. More specifically, it’s great for cleaning windows and polishing metal. If you have a spray bottle, you can create a mixture that’s 3 or 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Then, simply use the spray as you normally would – you’ll quickly find it’s no trouble at all to remove various tough stains around the home.

Peace Lillies

A plant is just a plant right? Wrong – plants having many uses in the home, often acting as natural filters. Not only will you help oxidize the room, plants can absorb some of the harmful agents in the air, making them a great companion to lemon deodorizers. Better yet, try using a peace lily where possible. Peace lilies are great at preventing mold, and it’s always better to prevent a difficult task where possible!

Boiled Potato Water

The next time you boil potatoes, don’t throw out the leftover water. This water has a combination of a high temperature and the starchy extracts left from the potatoes. As a result, its perfect for cleaning silver, whether its cutlery or ornaments. Just make sure to use it when its hot. ( It can always be reheated, of course.)

Nut Shells

As a more unusual solution, Indian nut shells are great for washing a variety of things. It’s no surprise then, that they’re often called soap nuts in some parts of the world. Crush around 2oz of shells in a 3-5 cups of water. Bring the water to the boiling point to create a simple soap. This can be used to wash glasses, dishes, counters, and the car! You can even use this soap in the dishwasher, or just add a few of the shells in as they are. You can also put the shells in a bag and throw it in with the laundry.

Baking Soda

If you bake, chances are you have a spare bag or box of baking soda. If you’re not planning a cake anytime soon, it makes a great all-purpose cleaner, similar to vinegar. Mix 4 spoons of soda into one warm cup of water for an effective agent, perfect for surfaces and kitchen appliances. As with any cleaning chemical, use it with a cloth or wipe and you’ll have no trouble at all.  It also works well as a scrubbing agent. Shake it on a surface and use a wet rag to scrub.

Ground Coffee

If you are a coffee drinker, you have the makings of a good dish scrubber. Using an elastic band or string, use your cleaning cloth to make a ‘bag’ full of coffee beans. The rough texture, combined with warm water and the natural ingredients inside coffee make for an effective scrubbing assistant – perfect for tough dishes!

As an added bonus, you can sprinkle used coffee grounds outside, around the perimeter of your house to repel ants and other insects and you can put coffee beans in plant pots and other areas where pests might gather.

Natural Oils

Various types of natural oils have additional cleaning applications. For example, peppermint, tea-tree, lavender, and even eucalyptus oils all make effective bacteria killers. This makes them ideal for use in the kitchen. Due to their potency, you need only add a few drops of such an oil to a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar. On a similar note, the various plant-based oils used in cooking – such as sunflower or olive oils – are great at removing gritty dirt. Add a few teaspoons of salt to these vegetable oils to great a basic paste. Then, simply rinse with hot water and scrub away!

Salt

Salt is, of course, a natural product, and it’s course nature makes it great for scrubbing or scouring. This is best used for dishes, as the rough nature of salt helps to break away dirt, yet it won’t scratch precious glassware. It also works well on stubborn surfaces, such as wooden counters and the dreaded oven. So don’t be afraid to add a little salt when dealing with difficult stains.

Lemon Scrub

Finally, there’s one more use for lemons! Aside from being a good spray and deodorizer, you can also use it as a simple scrub. Squeeze and rub a lemon onto your cleaning cloth and then use it as you normally would. This acts just like a cleaning agent – thanks to the acidic, citric nature of the fruit – and doesn’t harm the environment.

Conclusion

As you can see there are more than a few ways to keep your house sparkling clean without harming Mother Nature or your family’s health. The next time you’re ready to reach for a cleaning product, take a look in your shelves first. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

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Seven Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Wasteful energy consumption can cost homeowners thousands of dollars per year. Fortunately, there are many high-scale and budget-friendly approaches to amending this issue and making your home more energy efficient.

The tips below may seem surprisingly simple, at least in terms of how much you can save each year. It’s amazing how far some new light bulbs or a filter change can go toward reducing the cost of your energy bill — especially during particularly hot or cold months.

Here are seven ways to save money on energy costs:

Make Nighttime “Lights Off” Time

A device left on overnight here and there won’t make much of a dent in your electric bill, but consistently leaving your computer on standby or your TV blaring throughout the night can add up significantly. Make a list of devices in your home that consume energy and identify whether they are on during the night. In the instance of a computer, check for energy-saving settings that automatically shut your computer off if it idles for a certain period of time.

Change All Filters

From your air conditioning to your furnace, ensure all systems that use a filter are cleaned regularly. A blocked filter for any of these machines can result in it working harder, consequently using more energy. This is a very simple action, but it can save you money and help your system work much more efficiently.

Landscape With Energy in Mind

During the summer, homeowners can increase energy efficiency by planting trees and plants to serve as shading. If you place them in close proximity to your home’s windows, they can help keep out the heat, so you won’t have to spend nearly as much on air conditiong.

Use Energy-Minded Products

Fluorescent light bulbs use about one-third the energy of standard bulbs. Replacing all your home’s bulbs with energy-saving ones could result in substantial savings.

Update Old Electrical Appliances

Although your budget may not allow for an immediate upgrade, the tips above can help save on electrical costs. Those savings could be used to update old electrical appliances, replacing them with energy efficient upgrades. The impact of a new appliance can be massive. For example, 2001’s top-rated refrigerator uses 40% more energy than today’s top-tier refrigerators.

Insulate Wherever Possible

One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to save on energy consumption is to ensure windows and other locations in your house are correctly insulated. If any unnecessary heat or cold is seeping through cracks or gaps, it’s wasting your AC or heat.

Also, be sure to caulk any doors, windows, holes, and cracks that may be letting cold or hot air seep through. This includes electrical outlets, which are prone to holes since they may lead to outside walls.

Also, if you have a fireplace, it’s advised to install glass doors. That way, chilly gusts don’t enter your living space through the chimney.

Use Ceiling Fans Wisely

Ceiling fans have more power than you may imagine. They spread hot or cold air around considerably, aiding heating or cooling systems to the point where significantly less energy is used.

Run ceiling fans counterclockwise to help circulate cold air back into a room and clockwise for warm air. This is a simple yet effective trick that can significantly increase a heating or cooling system’s energy efficiency.

These seven tips can help you make your residence a more energy-efficient one, in both the cold winter and hot summer months. You’ll start saving money, and you’ll be helping conserve important resources, too.

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Five Easy Home Improvements To Make Your Home Green And Healthy

In an ongoing effort to “go green” and “save the planet,” people are looking for easy, affordable home improvement projects to make their homes greener, healthier, and sustainable.

Home Insulation

Before starting on any project to ensure energy efficiency, it’s wise to get started with an energy audit first. A professional inspection by a company or even one’s utility company will give homeowners a starting point to know where they are leaking valuable energy–and dollars. Starting prices for energy audits can free upward to $300.

Experts agree that approximately 50 percent of the homes in the United States have inadequate insulation, if at all. Why is this important? Simply put, a well-insulated home, whether in a room, an attic area, or a room above a garage, can prevent the transference of heat and help reduce a home’s energy needs.

It may help maintain some warmth during the winter and keep a room or section cooler during the summer. That being said, a thorough insulation job for ceilings, attic, and walls should be effective all year round.

Other energy-guzzling culprits are older windows and doors that have cracks in the frames. By simply filling the cracks, one’s interior temperature remains stable and is more affordable than replacing windows and having to possibly buy new frames.

Water Saving Improvements

The are various methods a homeowner can use to save on water consumption: tankless water heaters, energy-efficient toilets, water reducing filters throughout the home, and even recycling water from sinks, baths, and showers to water gardens and lawns.

While all the rage in many areas, tankless water heaters do cut water heating bills by up to 30 percent. However, this may not be the best route to go as the sudden surge in power that an energy on demand appliance generates may off-set any savings.

According to the EPA, a family of four saves roughly 20,000 gallons of water on an annual basis by simply replacing standard shower heads and faucet heads to low-flow faucets. Low-flow fixtures guarantee reduced water bills without sacrificing personal hygiene.

Much the same can be said for replacing your standard toilet with energy-saving one; however, there is an ongoing debate as to the effectiveness of said models to flush down waste with the first rush of water. Many times, a second flush is required.

Installing an HVAC System For Air Purification

There is nothing like using air conditioning for both air cooling and keeping the air pure and recycled. There are some expenses involved, such as checking air ducts for leaks that waste roughly 20 percent of the air traveling through them, making your system work harder.

Semi-annual maintenance routines will have to be scheduled; however, manufacturers and utility companies offer rebates on new installations that help make your purchase of equipment more affordable.

Programmable thermostats can save you up to 5-15 percent a year by simply setting them to a cooler temperature at night and setting a higher temperature during the day. That being said, if you set and reset a thermostat manually, there is no need to buy a digital thermostat that typically runs from $75 to $250.

Smarter Flooring

With some people subject to allergy problems and respiratory illnesses, a hard flooring such as linoleum, and not vinyl, may be the way to go. According to environmental experts, vinyl flooring is made from dioxin and phthalates that can be major causes of health issues; however, authentic linoleum is constituted from linseed oil and is a better option to vinyl covering.

Cork, bamboo, and recycled wood are other eco-friendly alternatives that are healthier choices than carpet.

Window Replacements

Besides providing your home with light, warmth and ventilation, windows have a great effect on your home’s energy efficiency. By replacing your old windows with energy efficient ones, you can significantly reduce energy consumption and lower your energy bills.

If your budget is tight, applying a reflective window film is a more affordable way to reduce energy costs. The film helps block heat gain by cutting sun glare and allowing rays to bounce off the window. Effectiveness depends on window size, orientation, climate, and insulation.

Home improvement and hardware stores carry DIY kits to help homeowners make the change without replacing the existing windows.

Conclusion

While not being totally free of expenses, by simply implementing the above-mentioned measures in one’s home, you can begin to quickly enjoy savings and a healthy, greener lifestyle. Not only this, but a possible return on investment(ROI) may be generated if you later sell your home.

Further Reading:
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35 Things You Could Do With Coconut Oil – From Body Care to Health to Household

It wasn’t that long ago when we were told saturated fats were bad for us, that they clogged the arteries. Well, new studies have shown that was a myth; coconut oil is good for your health. Common sense should have told us this a long time ago. After all, societies that eat a lot of coconut are populated with some of the healthiest people on the planet.

Now that we are no longer afraid to include it in our diet, we have found we can eat the meat, drink the water, turn it into milk, and squeeze out the oil. Every part is a great source of nutrition. But that’s not the only benefit.

Coconut oil is also antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. It has a world of uses. Here are a few:

Coconut Oil and Body Care

  1. Oil pulling. Swish a tablespoon or so of coconut oil through your mouth for 15-20 minutes the first thing in the morning. This is a great practice for oral health and many claim other health benefits as well (oral health recipes).
  2. Brush your teeth with it. Use it plain, add a few drops of essential oil (peppermint, cinnamon, tea tree, oregano), or make your own DIY toothpaste.
  3. Use as a carrier oil. Most of the essential oils are too strong to use full strength. They should be diluted with a carrier oil and coconut oil works very well for this purpose. Just add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice to a tablespoon of coconut oil and rub it on your skin (essential oils for infections).
  4. Use as a moisturizer. Plain coconut oil is great for the skin. It is said to lighten dark spots and help prevent stretch marks.
  5. Make-up remover. Removes all make-up, including eye make-up.
  6. Diaper cream. Use on baby’s butt!
  7. Hair conditioner. Rub it into dry hair and leave it in for a few hours (shampoo conspiracy).
  8. Use as a shave cream.
  9. Use as a deodorant (deodorant recipe).

Coconut Oil and Health Care

  1. Nail fungus. Add 5 drops of tea tree oil to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Rub into nails (kill fungal infections).
  2. Personal lubricant. Does not disrupt natural vaginal balance.
  3. Cracked heels. But remember this can be a sign of diabetes. Check your blood sugar and change your diet!
  4. Use after the burn cools off.
  5. Bug bites. Stops the itching and promotes healing.
  6. Chapped lips. Instant moisture. And it tastes good!
  7. Use on abrasions. Helps skin heal faster. (Also for perineum post birth).
  8. Stops the burning and itching.
  9. Prevents and may help reverse Alzheimer’s.
  10. Kills topical yeast infections.
  11. Kills lice.
  12. Soothes eczema and psoriasis.
  13. Helps to heal acne.

Pet Care With Coconut Oil

  1. Dry or cracked paws
  2. Dry noses.
  3. Hot spots.
  4. Rashes
  5. Cuts or abrasions.
  6. Helps prevent parasitic infections.
  7. Kills yeast and fungal infections.
  8. Glossy coat.
  9. Better digestion (dog food recipe).

Note: For dogs, one teaspoon per 10 lbs. of weight (or one tablespoon per 30 lbs.). Start with ¼ of the amount and work up to the full amount over a 3-4 week period. Mix it into food.

Household Uses for Coconut Oil

  1. Season cast iron pots and pans.
  2. Polish metals.
  3. Polish furniture.
  4. Use on scuffed leather.

There are many more health benefits from eating coconut oil. But remember to always choose organic virgin coconut oil.

It’s great for cooking and it takes very little to sauté a stir-fry. But you can add coconut oil to smoothies, use it instead of butter or margarine, replace other oils in recipes, or just eat a spoonful. Yes, it’s that good for you!

Check out Fight Cavities And Gingivitis Naturally With Homemade DIY Oral Health for a coconut oil based toothpaste and more info about oil pulling. And let us know int he comments below what you use coconut oil for. Enjoy!

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