What better incentive to stop putting chores off than a financial one? By regularly taking care of these home maintenance tasks, you can start saving money right away!

- Identify and seal leaks in your house's envelope. By making sure air isn't entering or escaping around windows, doors, and plumbing and electrical fixtures that pass through your house's exterior, you can keep a more comfortable, consistent temperature inside without having to set your thermostat quite as high or low.

- Change your HVAC system's filter. A dirty filter restricts airflow, forcing your system to work harder, making it more expensive to use. Change the filter according to manufacturer recommendation (typically every 30 to 90 days) and your system will be more energy efficient and, as a result, cheaper to run.

- Clean your appliances. Remove the lint build-up from your clothes dryer's exhaust duct; clean the dust off your fridge's condenser coils; clear away any obstructions around your dishwasher's drain and clean its filter, if it has one. Clean appliances do their jobs more efficiently.

- Check for and fix water leaks. Faucets and showerheads that drip, pipes that leak, toilets that run – these seemingly small issues can cause your water bill to grow surprisingly big. Stop the unnecessary flow of water throughout your house and you'll stop your money from going down the drain

From The Virani Team February 2016 Newsletter - Courtesy of Market Connections Inc.