What do you spend the majority of your budget on? If you’re like most people, it’s your home. Aside from the purchase cost, it takes thousands of dollars to maintain your home on an annual basis and sometimes you can spend that in a single month!

Routine household maintenance can save you money by increasing the longevity of your home.

Some maintenance needs to be done quarterly, while others can be done only once or twice a year. The frequency of maintenance will depend on how many people are in your household and how much you use that particular “item” (appliance, part of the house, etc.).

Usually, maintenance is performed in the season preceding the time you will use that “item” the most.

Spring maintenance is the “preparatory stage” and includes cleaning your fireplace, chimney, vents and ductwork and checking to make sure all alarms, including smoke alarms, CO2 detectors and security systems, are working properly.

Summer maintenance includes outdoor and miscellaneous tasks like replacing air conditioner filters, garage door maintenance, trimming branches that are close to electrical lines, inspecting the roof for damage, checking windows and steam cleaning rugs and carpets.

Some of the most important tasks are included in Fall maintenance such as checking heating ducts for leaks and the air-conditioning drain for clogs, installing weather-stripping on doors and windows if needed, draining the garden hose and cleaning leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts.

Winter maintenance should be fairly light (it’s too cold to do anything!), but be sure to clean or replace furnace filters, recharge or replace fire extinguishers and check for drippy faucets.

So, develop a game plan, create a check list and start saving!