Saskatoon Real Estate

Unlike many places in North America, Saskatoon has 4 very distinct seasons.  As a result there are many things you as a Saskatoon home owner can do to lower your utility usage and save money.  Below are a list of 10 ways for you to save money in your day to day lives.  As you know owning and operating a home can be expensive at times especially in the winter heating it and in the summer cooling it.  Why not take a bit of extra time and follow the the tips below to not only save you money but to also contribute to saving the environment.

• Make an effort to turn off all lights and appliances when you leave a room and they are not in use.  Many people often leave on lights as they travel through their home without turning them off.  Another big one is the television.
• In the winter at night or during the day when you are not at home, turn down your thermostat to 18 degrees celsius.  This will make a significant difference in your heating bill in the winter.
• Take advantage of Saskatoon’s sunny winters and during the day in the winters be sure to keep your blinds open.  Although it’s -40 outside the sun will provide a bit of additional warmth in your home.  During the summer be sure to keep your blinds and windows closed.
• Regularly clean your furnace filters, vacuum them once a month if you can.  This will provide better air flow for your furnace which means it will have to work less.
• Plan out your trips prior to leaving the house when driving.  If you can make your trips out in your car multi-purpose trips this will lower the amount you need to drive and will lower the amount of gas your car consumes.
• When washing cloths use cold water and ensure you wash full loads of laundry.  Every store now carries cold water detergent so by using this and cold water to wash your cloths you will see a difference in your utility bills.
• Try not to let your car idle for more than 10 seconds at a time unless you are in traffic.  Starting your car uses less fuel than letting it idle for 10 seconds.
• Unless it is an extremely cold Saskatchewan night try to only plug your car in for a couple hours before you intend to drive it.  Block heaters do consume a lot of energy.  If you have a garage it is definitely worth insulating it as this will reduce the time your car will need to warm up.
• When cooking try to use small appliances for smaller meals.  Microwaves, toaster ovens or slow cookers are a good substitution for a single meal than using the entire oven.
• When cooking food on your stove be sure to use pots that cover the entire stop-top element.  Many new stoves have the ability and technology to switch the cooking surface.  By using a pot that covers the entire surface you will save energy.

These are just a few tips to save you money in your day to day living.  As a Saskatoon Realtor I will continue to provide information to people on how to lower your utility costs.  If you are like me saving money is always a good thing! 

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

It is amazing how fast technology has changed over the past 30 years.  I still remember being a little kid watching a TV that was so heavy that 1 person wouldn’t be able to move it themselves and it only had a dial that would allow you to switch between UHF and VHF.  Technology has been integrated into our day to day lives.  This includes anything from the TV’s we watch or the computers we work off everyday.  I have several friends that work in the Information Technology industry and when I recently upgraded to a new laptop I asked them where can I recycle my old computer?  My computer actually broke down and found out it wasn’t fixable.  I originally thought about donating it but found out that it was so old that most organizations that accept donations have minimum limits that they accept as well.  I was surprised to hear from my friends that only over the past couple of years, Saskatoon recycling programs have started to develop for old computers and other types of technology.  As a Saskatoon Realtor I often walk into people’s homes and see piles of old computers, televisions, stereos, printers and everything else you can imagine.  I have experienced this myself in my own home as I recently also bought a new television.  My friends were able to direct me a website called www.sweepit.ca which is an electronic recycling program put on by Sarcan.  The types of things you can recycle with Sarcan include:

• Desktop computers including mouse, keyboards and cables
• Notebook computers
• Monitors – CRT and flat panel
• Desktop printers, fax machines and all in one devices
• Televisions – CRT, flat panel (plasma or LCD) and rear projection

Be sure to visit the sweepit.ca website to find out more information about what you can recycle and locations you can drop off your items.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.