How to Make Your Home Cozy on a Budget

Even a coupon-clipping bargain huntress who frequently stocks up on candles from Bath and Body Works at a fraction of their regular price of $22.50 each knows – the little things add up. The candles and rugs, and paint and throw blankets, and window treatments, and essential oil diffusers, and mood lighting, and speaker systems to make a home feel more cozy…

They all add up!

And none (or at least very few) of the latest and greatest tips give you a real return on what is, for most homeowners, the largest investment they will make in their lifetime: the home.

In reality, none of it is actually all that budget-friendly after all.

That’s because the real budget conscious way to make your home more comfortable in the long-term, while simultaneously making it more valuable, is to invest. Invest in your home, and in your future, by considering long-term solutions proven to have a lasting, positive impact on your bottom line and your quality of life.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to make your home more cozy, comfortable and profitable in the long-term:

Replace your old attic fan with a solar fan.

Making sure your home is equipped with a sound attic ventilation system is a proactive move on the part of any homeowner because of the numerous benefits involved. But why continuously pay for the cooling? Go solar.

The results of a 2010 case study by the United States Department of Energy found the installation of two solar powered attic ventilator fans in a single-family home reduced peak summer attic temperatures by more than 20 degrees.

A properly sealed and well ventilated attic will keep your home cooler (more cozy), and your energy bills lower (extra cash to splurge on candles). In addition, it will help prevent moisture buildup that can compromise the structural integrity of your roof as well as keep the growth of mold and mildew at bay.

Instead of buying extra blankets and throws to keep warm, think about multilayer reflective insulation as a blanket of protection for your entire home.

Research shows that about 90 percent of homes in America are under insulated. What that means for you as a comfort-seeking homeowner is all kinds of unwanted air sneaking into your home through all kinds of nooks and crannies you would least expect.

The solution? Multilayer reflective insulation products are designed to stop heat transfer using two highly reflective aluminum surfaces. Made up on 99 percent aluminum, the insulation products can block up to 97 percent of radiant heat transfer in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

The result? A healthier, more comfortable and more energy efficient home.

Instead of stocking up on anitbacterial cleaners keep the air in your home continuously clean with a probiotic air purifier.

Some of the biggest offenders causing air pollution in your home are things a lot of us wouldn’t even think about. Building materials and furnishings, newly installed flooring, household cleaning products and biological contaminants like virus and animal dander are all among the most common on the list.

Home air purification systems like RENUAIRE by yellowblue offer increased protection from indoor irritants by providing effective and long-lasting residual cleaning of inorganic matter in the air and on surfaces. The natural, chemical-free and environmentally friendly purifier puts environmental probiotics to work to purify the air and hard surfaces as billions of probiotics are intermittently released into the air.

By continuously cleaning your home using probiotics, you can save a little time on cleaning, save some money on cleaning products and, most importantly, breathe a little easier.

None of this changes the simple truth that there is just something cozy about cuddling up in your prized reading nook as the smell of freshly brewed tea or that lavender chamomile candle waft through the air. Much like beauty, cozy is in the mind of the beholder.

We just think there’s more to a truly comfortable home than meets the eye.