Personal Finance Blog – Tips & Advice from UnitedFinances.com

Most businesses have their own attorneys or lawyers on salaried basis, and they specialize with the accounts of the company. However, there are times when individuals and businesses that need help from professional bankruptcy lawyers. You need someone or a team of experts that would be proficient in handling all concerns with regard to bankruptcy. This is true whether you’re trying to file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. One of the most important and very essential assistance needs for anyone would be gaining help on which bankruptcy chapter to file. It is also important that you understand how this process works. When you have all of this information in hand, and with the eminent experts helping you out, you wouldn’t be stripped of everything you have while bankruptcy charges are pressed on you.

According to the United States Court site, bankruptcy in March 2013 was down. This study looked at a 12-month period of time. Many are experiencing better financial times, whether they are business owners or not. There are instances, however, when bankruptcy is the best case scenario. Having a qualified lawyer to walk you through the process is essential. This process is often referred to as debt settlement. Although it comes with some negative connotations, bankruptcy can provide you with the new start that you need.

There are many different reasons that someone files for this option. Debtors have sometimes faced rising medical bills due to illness. Business troubles are another common reason for bankruptcy. Although there are benefits related to both Chapters 7 and 13, there can be damage to your credibility. Depending on the state that you live in this filing will remain on your credit history from 7 to 10 years. At the end of the process, you can start to rebuild your credit and to come out of your financial troubles. Keeping an eye on your creditworthiness often means filing for bankruptcy. To do this efficiently you will need the assistance of a qualified bankruptcy attorney.

Search for the Right Attorney

Many people try a number of things before they file for bankruptcy. They try traditional debt settlement steps like paying smaller payments. Not all debtors will accept this type of process. In these instances, you will need to find a qualified bankruptcy attorney to assist you. Your search for an attorney will likely include using the internet. Take a look online, search through reputed engines; look at the yellow pages or even the paperback telephone index as well. Even personal referrals from family and friends can help search for the right bankruptcy attorneys too.

Most firms these days offer potential clients a free consultation. This is helpful to individuals and business owners. A consultation will help you to learn exactly what the process is and what it involves. Clients will also use this time to ask questions of an experienced lawyer. The Administrative Office of US Courts reported that more than 1 million filings for bankruptcy took place this past year. Included in these were both individual cases and business cases. Having an experienced lawyer is the best way to smoothly get through a bankruptcy. 

Choose between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13

As you search for a bankruptcy lawyer, you should check the credentials of each firm and its lawyers. Do this by checking with the American Board of Certification. They have a website which would have a list of bankruptcy firms and lawyers, experienced and accredited sources you can bank on for your needs. You may tailor your search for a lawyer based upon the type of bankruptcy you’re filing. Some firms specialize in Chapter 7, while others specialize in Chapter 13. There are firms that work with client of both of these chapters.

It is very important that you understand the difference before making a decision. Chapter 7 is commonly associated with the elimination of unsecured debt. Some clients will be able to rid themselves of most of this debt through this chapter. Chapter 13 on the other hand, involves both secured and unsecured debts. It is possible to prevent foreclosures and car repossessions with this particular filing. Your lawyer will help you to determine which chapter is best for your case. Before you meet any of the bankruptcy lawyers or the firms, please ensure that your paperwork is in place and you do not hide the real state of your financial ways. Do not wait for the future to unfold, because time is money here, both for you and the bankruptcy firms too.

What to do afterwards?

There are many different things that you can do after filing for bankruptcy to make life better. These are common tactics that people use to not end up in the same situation again. Here are some of these tactics:

• Live on a budget

• Pay bills on time

• Pay off credit cards monthly

• Contribute to savings

• Wait for big purchases

Using the right financial steps needs to become a habit. People who are faithful to these steps not only avoid going back into bankruptcy. They gain the experience that they need to be better financial investors when it comes to viewing money.

There are many financial advisors and counselors that assist people with their budgets. You will even find classes that show people how to wisely handle their finances. These are useful resources to not only avoid future bankruptcies. They teach life skills that show how to best use and handle money.

Many of the lessons related to this process come from understanding bankruptcy. Your legal team will be instrumental in teaching you how to maneuver through this journey. At the same time you will be able to use this experience for living better in the future. The process of filing bankruptcy can be stressful, along with the period afterwards. Most people, however, feel relieved in knowing that they are on the right track with handling debt. Your legal team will play an important role in getting you through the struggles of filing. It is essential that you confide in them fully and provide them what they need to get you in a better position.

Some founders may hold the view that the time necessary to keep the venture capitalist in the loop is better spent on the pressing tasks of acquiring customers, running the business or upgrading product offerings. This is a misconception. Developing good lines of communication with venture capitalists is vital to ensuring that any partnership that may materialize is the best possible fit. In short, it can save time, effort and grief down the road. Transparent and effective communications will give you a positive image and may result in side benefits, like introductions to potential partners, clients, even employees. Remember, venture capitalists are well-connected people.

Making the effort to communicate positively with your venture capitalist doesn’t really require large chunks of your time, won’t cost you money or require a lot of effort and by doing this you won’t have so much of your attention drawn away from the nuts and bolts of running your business during a capital raise because you have already established the relationships and communicated your goals with the VCs. This frees you from a last minute scramble and allows you to remain focused on running things.

Having an organized approach and keeping a few notes when talking or meeting with your VC or prospective investors will save you time in the future. Here are some tips to set you on the right path:

Have a purpose driven conversation and take notes

These are things you should note:

* Contact information

* When does the firm invest, what sectors, at what stage (and why?)

* Is the firm value-added beyond capital?

* What is their location?

* Do they insist on a board seat?

* Is their participation limited to lead investor in a round?

* Does their portfolio include companies in your space? Who are they?

* What level of interest does the firm hold in your business–now and later on?

This doesn’t consume a great deal of time and deliberate fact-finding can serve you well in several ways:

* Time is saved by avoiding repeating the same questions if you decide to pursue follow-up conversations later.

* If the firm should contact you later and your business no longer meets their criteria (example: they do Series A investments and you need a Series

B) you have that information prior to scheduling a second call.

* You create a positive impression by remembering the specifics from prior interactions.

Post conversation; enter your notes into a spreadsheet so they can be easily updated in any subsequent conversations. When your board decides the time to raise money is now, you’ll be grateful for having done this. 

Establish a point person within your organization

In the same vein of staying organized, designating a point of contact, ideally your CFO, to receive the calls from interested investors, both introductory and follow-up, will serve you well. The person chosen should also bear responsibility for aggregating information from other team members who may have had informal chats or spontaneous conversations with investors. This information should be included in the spreadsheet mentioned above.

Remember, this is not overly time consuming considering its value as a resource. 

Publish a newsletter

Very few Founders/CEOs have started a newsletter dedicated to the interests of potential investors. I’m not talking about a newsletter for customers; this is a very different audience. If you are doing it! Super! If you haven’t found the time, I would encourage you to, at the very least, pull together a tailored quarterly or biannual note to send out to a “friends’ list which includes potential investors. Here are things you might include:

Revenue/Growth

Founders tend to keep these numbers close to the vest and I get that … investors get it too. That doesn’t prevent you, however, from putting something out there to ramp up investor interest.

Consider: We ended the first quarter of 2018 with revenues in 7 figures, a 22% increase over the year-ending 2017—though not overly specific, it can really help readers visualize the direction of your company and it is also helpful if you are trying to do a raise.

New Customers/Clients

If you’ve recently boarded an interesting client this is a great place to brag! It can also remind investors of the reasons your product is being chosen ahead of your competitors’. Keep any legal disclosure limitations firmly in mind.

New Employees

New hires can serve a similar purpose, especially if you’ve hired someone away from a high profile competitor. Or, for example, that you have hired a new sales manager to oversee your new team of inside sales reps, this tells potential investors that you are growing. Expects some phone calls!

Job Openings

Never lose sight of the fact that investors are well-connected people. They cast a big net. If you have some critical vacancies in your organization that need filled, you couldn’t find a better place to let that be known.

Company Culture

Does your company or do your employees participate in startup competitions or charity events that you could highlight? Did your company receive any form of local, regional or national recognition or award? Investors are interested in these sorts of things. It’s telling of your enterprise and your employees.

I’m currently in the accounts receivable factoring industry and I engage with more than a few founders, entrepreneurs and businesses. Many of us have been down this rocky road of raising capital and I appreciate the opportunity to share with you some of what I’ve learned along the way.

No matter what type of investment you have made, it is always beneficial if you have some kind of surety that it will be saved and you will not lose it. Most of the things we own are insured by some insurance policy. We have purchased health insurance, auto insurance, property insurance, and other insurances. Most of the insurance policies are a burden on us because we are bound by the state laws to purchase them. What about your important personal stuff like your precious cell phone or any of your gadgets? Aren’t they a huge investment too? What if they get to be stolen or broken? Once you have purchased the gadget, then will you have enough money to get the item fixed or re-purchased in case of lost of theft.

If you are worried about your Apple iPad then there is a relief, as you can get the iPad insurance for the protection of your gadget. Apple iPad can play the role of your tablet PC. As it is light weighted, you can carry this piece of technology anywhere you go. One bad thing is that it is quite costly. If mistakenly it gets damaged, stolen, or misplaced, it can also cause death to an average person, who has saved money for buying this gadget to ease his life. Thus, you can get your iPad insured to save yourself from such heart aches.

Increasing use of the iPad

Technology has flourished a lot. Gadgets like iPad have become the need of time for many people. Owning an iPad is more than just a craze, as there are many such individuals, who have purchased this gadget for their convenience and need. If you are a student, you would need one for sure now. Pen and paper has started to be replaced now. Even carrying a laptop can be heavy but if there will be something as light as an iPad is then all your educational needs can be fulfilled at ease.

These gadgets are being used by students to study during the lectures too. Besides this, the small gadget can save your precious educational data too. There are even some of the schools that are providing iPad to the students themselves. It is good that you have got an iPad for free but the school will not pay for any repairs or loss of the gadget. You can protect your iPad by getting insurance from £4.79 per month.

Need for the iPad insurance

The insurance is meant for everyone who owns an iPad and to be honest, it is the need of every individual.No matter how careful you think you are, if something happens to your iPad you will be at huge loss. For many, loss of money is not that painful than loss of data. All your important data and your credentials will be lost if the iPad breaks or the manufacturer says it can’t be repaired now. Many of the individuals even have saved their credit card info and other such personal information if they use it for business purposes. If your iPad is stolen then each credible piece of information will be stolen too.

Many people question that why is the insurance worthy? Isn’t it similar to warranty? How can the insurance help if the iPad is lost? How can I protect my credentials and other important stuff? Well, the insurance may cover everything. It can even provide you the facility to lock your iPad, secure all the data, and even create backup of your important data. With this approach, your business documents, credential emails, passwords, credit information, educational stuff, and other important items will not be lost. Thus, you won’t let anyone else get hold of your secret information even if you iPad will be lost.

Some benefits of the iPad insurance

Here is the list of benefits you can get from the iPad insurance:

• Your iPad will be saved from liquid damages. Even if you have dropped water on your iPad or something similar happened in which water is involved in ruining the iPad then it will be protected. 

• The insurance will provide protection against breakage, accidental damage, mechanical fault, and similar other issues that involve technical fault.

• iPad replacement will be provided in case your iPad is stolen. Your data will be protected and you can even lock your iPad as per the assistance of your insurance company.

Every individual will need the insurance on the basis of the importance he gives to his iPad. The insurance cost will be much less than the cost you will have to bear if something bad happens to your iPad. You can even pay the annual premium so that you will not have to pay the amount of the insurance each month. However, it would be important to check all the terms and conditions of the insurance so that you can get the best coverage for your iPad.

Yacht Insurance – How Important Is It?

Yacht owners have a big financial investment in their yacht. It makes sense to insure your seafaring property adequately. The old saying is “What the sea, wants, the sea takes.” This has been proven true in recent years with the increase in storm damage to some of the most expensive yachts. More than ever, a yacht owner needs the confidence and security of yacht insurance. There’s really no insurance cost too high when you consider the amount of damage and destruction to your yacht.

What Will Yacht Insurance Cover?

The coverage for yacht insurance depends on your choice of insurance agents and underwriters. Look for an agent who specializes in yacht insurance. This is one way to be certain your yacht is fully covered. The expert yacht insurance agents and underwriters inspect your yacht before offering the very best coverage. This is an important part of purchasing yacht insurance. After a thorough inspection, the professional agent will assess the possible cost should damage occur. Then, the customer is provided with several insurance options from which to choose. Compare the value of your yacht to the value of the insurance. The agent can help you choose the insurance coverage package best suited to protect your interests. There will be a difference in the structure of yacht insurance for those who live aboard their yacht year round, than for those who own a yacht for sport or pleasure use. This is just one of the variables to discuss with your yacht insurance agent. Be sure to inquire about limitations of the policy as well as any deductibles in place. Check with your agent whether loss of furnishings and other cargo aboard ship are covered.

Personal Injury While Aboard Ship

Your agent will advise about coverage for injuries for crew or passengers that occur while aboard ship. It’s important to know the extent of this type of yacht coverage. Not all insurance policies for yacht cover this potential risk. Yacht insurance is all about possible risks. As a yacht owner, make certain you know all the potential risks involved before you choose yacht insurance coverage. If you are uncertain of the best coverage, consult with your yacht insurance agent.

Many of you might have heard about the offshore banking, which is commonly known for hiding money. If you don’t have a clear idea on this matter, you can get the ideas here.

Offshore banking is one kind of financial service which has been made via offshore banks. Those banks are known as offshore banks which are located outside the resident country of the depositors of the banks, have a low tax jurisdiction or tax haven.

The term “offshore” has been used as almost all the offshore banks were located in Island nations. But now this idea has been changed, landlocked banks which have those facilities are also known as the offshore banks, it includes Swiss banks as well.

There are many advantages of offshore banking, some common advantages are:

• Really strong privacy

• Almost no taxations

• Secured from any local or political problems

• Protection against financial instability

• Quick and easy access to deposits

Though offshore banking is famous for hiding money, but this isn’t its main purpose. This is a perfect banking system for the businessmen who travel a lot abroad. There are many countries where people don’t like to trade with the foreigners, so if a businessman creates a bank account there, this problem will be solved. One can solve this problem via offshore banking.

Another problem that often the businessmen face is the delay money exchanges in international accounts. They can’t run their accounts as smoothly as it’s available via offshore banking.

It’s true that you can hide your money via offshore banking. Well, if you want to hide your money, you can do it in any other way like in hard boxes buried in the field, so this isn’t a big deal. Rather, most offshore banks require a full declaration of your assets in your home country. It will be best if you hire a tax advisor to help you get the maximum facilities from offshore banking.

This article looks at suggested routes for buying your ideal home in Belfast, a city packed with culture, great shopping, entertainments, history and excellent employment prospects.

Why Belfast?

Northern Ireland is an excellent place to live and Belfast is the city of choice for young professionals looking to live close to their place of work in the city, whilst taking advantage of the wide range of amenities available. House prices soared in the city in the run-up to the credit crunch in 2008 as Ireland enjoyed its rapid growth as a new economic tiger, spurred on by the growth in its service industries. However, since then, the global economic crisis has taken its toll and house prices have begun to become more affordable again, particularly for first time buyers who are keen to get their feet on the property ladder.

A Wide Range Of Properties

The good news is that there are many    excellent houses for sale in Belfast and affordability is good. Salaries in the city may be slightly lower than for the UK as a whole, but Belfast and its surrounding areas also enjoy a slightly lower cost of living, meaning that affordability overall is good. There are a wide range of different property types too, with recent investment in the city meaning that high quality new builds are very much in evidence, as well as older home renovations and classic terrace houses.

Terrace Houses

Terraces have long been favourites for first time buyers because they are solidly built, often spacious inside and offer a good balance of space for cost, with good construction, original features and attractive designs. They are easy to maintain and manage and cheaper to heat too than bigger detached houses. Smaller back gardens or yards are also desirable for young working people, who lack the time needed to tend a garden and terraces in Belfast also tend to be very well positioned for local transport, shopping, the city centre and other amenities. If you dream of owning your own terrace, then you will find excellent houses for sale in Belfast of this type.

New Builds

Other buyers prefer new build properties and there are plenty of development projects within the city offering high-spec and yet affordable new build apartments and homes. These are great for people who don’t want to spend money updating or refreshing a home and want to move in immediately and benefit from its new construction, energy efficient features, compact space and community environment. Most new builds are stylish and well thought out and designed for modern working people. They are often offered with stylish kitchens and bathrooms already installed and incentive cash payments may be offered to help with deposits or initial furnishings. There a number of highly recommended developments in and around the city and your estate agent can advise you further.

In conclusion, Belfast is a great choice for a city to settle in and to get your foot on the property ladder as you will find excellent houses for sale in Belfast to suit all tastes and budgets.

New figures have revealed that the UK’s car leasing and sales industry continues to defy the difficult economic conditions. New car registrations in the first six months of 2018 increased by over 10 per cent on last year’s total, with the availability of cheap car leasing and a drive for more fuel efficient vehicles boosting car sales.

With some stunning car leasing, contract hire and finance deals available, it’s rarely been cheaper to buy or lease a new car. Keep reading to find out more about the UK’s booming new car market and how car leasing deals are helping drivers get a great deal.

Drivers looking for fuel efficient cars and cheap car leasing deals

Auto Express reports that new car sales so far in 2018 have reached 1,163,623 units. The UK new car market also saw its 16th successive monthly rise in June, growing 13.4 per cent to 214,957 units.

Retail sales saw a substantial increase in market share with a 21.3 per cent increase over last year, taking total sales up to 96,931 units. However, it was ‘alternatively fuelled vehicles’ (AFVs) which saw the biggest change in market share. 26.2 per cent more AFVs were sold in the first six months of 2018 than the equivalent period last year, representing 3,131 sales. And, although falling by 3.4 per cent, fleet sales still retain overall majority of the market with a 50.2 per cent share.

Experts have identified two main reasons why car sales continue to rise. First, drivers are increasingly keen to switch to more fuel efficient cars to combat the rise in fuel prices. 20 per cent more fuel efficient petrol engine cars were sold in the first six months of 2018 than in the same period in 2017. And, the average CO2 output has fallen to 129.1g/km in the first half of 2018, down 3.7 per cent over this time last year.

Second, cheap car leasing and car finance deals are offering new car customers excellent value. In many cases it can be cheaper to lease a new car than buy a nearly new used car and these great contract hire and hire purchase deals have proved attractive to buyers.

With car sales rising, what are the most popular brands? We look at the figures next.

Ford continues to dominate car leasing and sales

According to the latest new car sales figures, Ford is continuing to dominate the new car market. The Ford Fiesta topped the UK new car sales charts in the first half of 2018 with 63,040 sales while the Ford Focus was in second position with 47,675 sales. The Vauxhall Corsa came in third position with 46,147 sales.

Other top 10 finishers include the Vauxhall Astra, VW Golf, Nissan Qashqai and VW Polo. Auto Express reports that ‘premium brands like BMW are also proving to be popular with the 1 Series and 3 Series also making the top 10.’

A newcomer to the new car leasing and sales lists in 2018 is Dacia. The Romanian based car manufacturer has been owned by Renault since 1999 and offers the lowest cost new car in the UK. So far in 2018, Dacia have sold 6,994 units which means they are already selling more cars than more established manufactures such as Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Lexus, Mitsubishi and Subaru.

The BP oil spill is an unprecedented event in the history of industrial disasters and an event that will be remembered for a long time, hopefully, as the largest environmental catastrophe in the U.S. history. During the 67 days that the spill was active, more than 200 million gallons of oil were released into the ocean and much of this oil has reached the Gulf coastal areas over the years. The immediate effects of the BP oil spill have been devastating, but the truly worrisome news is that the worst effects may yet to be seen. We would, therefore, like to look at the potential and factual long-term effects of the BP oil spill.

First of all, we cannot help but think that it will take significant amount of time before the fishing and the tourism industry in the area fully recover. For example, when asked in 2012, the local fishermen in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama said that they are worried that fishing will never be the same in the Gulf. What is certain is that the fishing industry has taken a huge blow and that people are still mostly worried about buying stuff that comes from affected areas. The tourism is also struggling, although it is in a somewhat better position than the fishing industry. However, the number of visitors is still significantly lower and the jobs are being lost.

Environmental effects of the BP oil spill will continue to haunt the area and the entire Gulf. Some scientists and experts even say that the entire chemical balance in the ocean has been disrupted by so much oil and that we might be seeing some global negative effects in the future. What is sure is that the wildlife and marine life in the Gulf will never be the same. We are only in the first few years and we are already seeing mutations to fish and shellfish, which is something that will only become more pronounced as time goes by. The oil as well as the dispersants has also entered the food chain and there is no way to foresee what this will do in the long run.

There are also the long-term effects on the oil industry and the BP and its partners in general. They have lost huge amounts of money, deservedly so, and they are still continuing to pay out on various claims and settlements. The oil industry will be burdened with new regulations and inspections and if we had to give our opinion, we see this as a positive, a single long-term positive that has come out of all this.

It is very difficult and even near impossible to be upbeat about the long-term effects of the BP oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico and the people living in coastal areas. We need to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. Still, due to the unprecedented scope of the spill, it is difficult to be optimistic about it.

Currently, there are a good number of individuals with serious thoughts or involved feelings, behaviors and relationships which leave them wondering whether they should seek professional help. It is given that in the journey of life, we will all be struggling at some point. However, in as much as we understand that using problem-solving and stress management routes will see us through, it is challenging for most of us to admit that we might need professional help. It is a state that you may call denial.

When faced with a situation that seems to be difficult for you to pull yourself by your bootstraps and get better, then it will be advisable to seek the services of a professional, in this case a psychiatric help. Psychiatrists in NYC usually specialize in different types of situations. The most common include mood management, anxiety disorders such depression, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In addition, some of the psychiatrists in New York City also offer services in ADHD and eating disorders. This includes helping individuals have a comprehensive evaluation of their nutrition, fitness routine, and their relationships. In some cases, psychiatrists use prescriptions or medications to relieve their patients from depression and anxiety-related symptoms.

When Should You Seek a Psychiatrist’s Help?

Sometimes it can be difficult to realize that we need to seek professional help for what we might be going through. A psychiatrist is a medical professional specializing in mental and emotional illness. Psychiatrists in NY have the ability of prescribing medications which can be or really good help when one is faced with mental distress.

When you feel emotionally or mentally distressed, it is highly advisable to seek professional help. This is because, there might be an underlying cause of the anxiety or moodiness that you are always experiencing. Conditions like PTSD and OCD also require one to be in touch with a psychiatrist.

Please remember that after you have been properly diagnosed by a psychiatrist, it may be possible to manage your condition through a general medical practitioner either immediately or in the future. The medications used by the psychiatrists are meant to facilitate the exploration of deficits in your life. Keeping the problems and struggles to yourself, without seeking professional help, might lead panic attacks and sometime long term or recurring mental conditions. This in the long run may affect the way you lead your life. Dr. Wendy Wolfson is a psychiatrist in NYC who may be able to help you.

We spend hundreds of dollars on heating and cooling our homes each year, yet simply by taking advantage of natures cycles we could be saving a tidy sum.

Here’s how mother nature can help lower your energy bills:

Using a Ceiling Fan to Warm the Room in Winter

Yes you read that right….. everyone knows that a ceiling fan is an effective way of cooling a room down during the hot summer months, but did you know that you can also use it to keep the room warm in the winter?

Ceiling fans are able to move clockwise and anticlockwise and this makes a difference to its effect on the airflow. During the summer you should use the fan in a counterclockwise direction to cool the warm air. Experts say that a months use of a fan only costs around 70 cents per months in comparison to a single room air conditioner which costs around 9$.

In the winter you can use the fan on a very low-speed in a clockwise direction to help keep the warm air in the room. The angle of the blade pushes the air back down, meaning that if you are heating a room, this low-speed air movement will keep the nice warm air in the mid section of the room and prevent it all from leaving through the ceiling. Research shows that you could be making a 2% saving on your heating bill by using this method.

Using the Earth’s Daily Patterns

One of the most effective ways of lowering your energy bills is by cutting down on the amount of appliances you are using to heat and cool your home. During the hot summer months you can take advantage of the cooler temperatures in the night-time by opening the windows and letting the built up warm air escape. This means that it will take longer for the house to heat up again the next day.

You can also use shutters to keep the sun out of your home as this will dramatically reduce the speed at which temperatures rise. If you have any south-facing windows you should keep them shuttered up during the day time as this could save a significant amount on cooling costs.

Even better than this, planting a large tree to the side of your home can create a lot of shade, as it also helps to reduce the heating effect of the sun on your home. This would also be a great opportunity to educate your kids on energy efficiency. Check out this Energy Savings eBook for Kids if you’re looking for even more ideas on teaching these topics to children.

Using Off-Peak Time Patterns to Your Advantage

Electricity does not cost the same amount throughout the day and you can use this to your advantage by running any appliances that are not time specific during the off-peak times. During the night electricity is cheaper than between 9am and 9pm. By running your washing machine, dishwasher, water heater, other appliances during the night-time you could save a lot of money over the course of a month or a year.

With a little bit of thought and planning it’s possible to use mother nature (as well as some other little tricks) to lower your energy bills.

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