Money Saving Strategies for the Home-Based Business

Many people are paying attention to making money with their business at home, they often overlook simple strategies for saving money at the same time. Energy use is a particular problem, as electricity bills (and heating in the winter) inevitably go up with the presence of a home-based business. These tips should help you think more economically about energy use in your house, as well as some other ways to save money.

First, look at the way you're currently using energy in your house and try to think of ways you can benefit from a less expensive alternative. Compare prices of competing oil or gas suppliers in you area, and ask if your home business might get a discount from them. Sometimes the residential rate is actually cheaper than a business rate, however, so be careful in your comparison. Maybe you can also use a fireplace instead of your furnace on cold days, or use skylights and open windows on the hotter days. Some people even schedule their work at a time before or after the hottest hours of the day. You may be stuck with air conditioning if other methods would cut into your productivity, so careful consideration is needed.

You may benefit from having a free energy evaluation from an inspector certified by the utility company. This inspector can show you ways to conserve your energy with suggestions specific to your house. If you can't get a free evaluation, consider paying for an energy auditor come out and do the same thing. You can also calculate your home's energy use at http://hes.lbl.gov.

The Energy & Transportation Tax Acts of 2005 now helps a number of homes qualify for tax incentives. You can currently get back up to thirty percent in tax credits of the cost of solar water heaters and photo-voltaic equipment. There are also credits for adding insulation or roof materials that reduce heat loss, geothermal heating, and central fan systems. To save energy from lighting, use compact fluorescent bulbs (you can use halogen bulbs if you prefer, but they tend to burn hotter and are more dangerous.) Their compact forms allow them to use less energy while producing more light, and they last longer as well.

When you're replacing equipment, it's a good idea to make sure the new equipment you're buying has the Energy Star logo. This type of equipment can cut your electric bill almost in half. If any appliance in your home is also quite old, or old enough to have been manufactured before energy saving became a concern, you may want to consider replacing it.

Speaking of office equipment, try using comparison sites when you shop for replacements, like pricegrabber.com and froogle.com. Different sites may have different prices, so check around. Don't forget auction sites like eBay and iOffer, where you can sometimes get a great deal. Just be careful with auction sites, since (as with everything you buy sight unseen) you may not get what you pay for.

If you have room in your house, consider buying products you use often in bulk. Stores like BJ's, Sam's Warehouse and Costco often offer deals on many products that people use everyday. Also consider purchasing generic brands instead of store brands; office superstores like Staples and Office Max will sometimes have discounts on certain items with their store brand, and chances are good that they're made by the same manufacturers anyway.

Finally, pay your credit card bills as soon as you receive the invoice. Even when the company receives your payment it can take a few business days to process, so it doesn't pay to send your payment right before the deadline. (It's even better if you can pay the bill off entirely.) Late fees can be expensive, and drastically reduce the positive results your other money-saving strategies are producing.

These are only a few ideas on how to save energy and cut costs in your home office. The effort you put into saving money now will blossom and add up to a tidy sum at the end of the year.