Utilize your money wisely.

Ok folks, those tax returns(if you have done them or even get one) will be showing up soon. Take a liitle time to think about this.
All heating and fuel prices are going to rise. As this happens , everything else rises. Look into an energy audit on your home now. While you have a couple of $$ invest in a little insulation first, and door and window gasket and weatherstripping second.
I did my entire house last fall and have seen incredible savings as of this month.
My house is 2100sq ft, I used 3 cords of wood and 300 gallons of fuel oil.
The previous owners (I know them) used 7 cords of wood, and 600 gallons of oil.
Almost double, and the winter here was just as normal as last year....cold, cold and some more cold on top of that. Then it really got cold.....(I work outside alot)

For those of us in the winter beltway....you will not be sorry, and you will save money next year.Those summer beltway folks....get ready for some global warming of your faces... with the electric bill in front of em.
Do it now while the companies are slow, and its summertime, it gets less expensive.

Just my opinion, but you will be paying more next year...that I can guarantee.

Hi, I'm really new here. Bought a 1923 Victorian-Style twin in Reading PA in August, and have been shelling out money ever since. Most of it onto the roof. Three levels of flat metal covered in rubber, too many feet of asphalt shingle on the side slopes replaced and the the little belfry-cupola thing over the attic window almost completely rebuilt and reshingled. Side roof built out over Philadelphia gutters (which were backing up into the wall (and my bedroom, the attic floor and down the living room wall), and I ran out of money before I could buy new gutters, so for now the water just runs off the roof to the ground.

Okay, so we're finally watertight (and heaven help the home inspector I paid $500, who assured me the roof only needed about $1500 of new shingle!). I have just spent more on (gas) heating bills this winter than I spent on air conditioning for TWO Los Angeles summers! Can't afford this, friends.

We have a gas furnace heating the steam for cast-iron radiators in most of the rooms. Nothing in the (sort of finished) basement, but the heater itself keeps it pretty warm there. The kitchen has USELESS baseboards, though the ones in the one full bath work okay. The third floor rooms are unbearably hot, the second floor a little warmer than we need, and the first floor (where the thermastat) is, ALWAYS cold. Help! I wanted to rip the bloody things out and replace with Hydrosil electric baseboards (www.hydrosil.com), but all the people I consult go ape on how economical and wonderful my system is!!

Current suggestion being to pay someone to come bleed out and reset all the radiators, this may make the one in the living room work more efficiently, they think. (They also thought the ones in the kitchen (coldest room in the house, faces the north wind) were useless.

Problem? I'm completely out of money now, thanks to the roof.

All suggestions (and yes, some sympathy too) very much appreciated!