It’s nearing the end of October and Halloween is just around the corner! That means winter is on its way. With snow in the upcoming forecasts, here are a few simple tasks to help you in winterizing your home and save some money at the same time.

1. Stop the draft!
With many doors and windows that open to the outside, there are a lot of possible places for cold air to come in and warm air to go out. To fix this, you can seal up the small holes around your windows with some simple caulking around all of the edges. Create a simple draft stopper by rolling up a towel and place it along the bottom of the doors that lead to the outside.

2. Switch things up.
Don’t forget to change out the filters in your home that could be old and clogged from the fall. It is recommended that the air filters in your home be changed monthly. You can also turn down your water heater temperature to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help save some money while still staying warm.

3. Prepare the outside of your home.
Once winter starts to settle in, you want to make sure that your yard is ready. Be sure to shut off your sprinkler systems and then use an air compressor to push all of the excess water out of the pipes. This will prevent any pipes from freezing and cracking. Check and fix any roof damage. Don’t forget to clean out leaves and debris from the gutters.

4. Up off the floor!
The winter season brings mud and salt into your garage and home. Get items up off of the floor and into cabinets or on shelves to keep things clean, dry, and protected.

Hurry and started on winterizing your home before that first snow comes rolling in!