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You’d never think a tiny piece of foam could make such a difference.

It’s only been a day since doing this and a wad of cash hasn’t fallen from the sky and plopped itself down in the middle of my living room.

But if you do make a bunch of tweaks like this, it can add up to big savings.

If you’re raring to go when it comes to saving money on utilities, I implemented a useful tip I found on Pinterest.

 The article actually came from FamilyHandyMan.com. But first, a make-me-happy (and hopefully you t00) quote  I really think pertains to this post. Leonardo da Vinci once said:

Simplicity is the ultimate sophisication.

When you’re trying to be more sophisicated about saving money, simple action steps can get you going in the right direction. You’ll simultaneously stop cold air from getting in and keep cold hard cash from going out. So what’s the easiest way to do this?

A Quick Fix to Do Your Wallet Some Justice

Get foam gaskets to cover switch plates. While this may only save you 2% on your heating and cooling bills, when combined with other energy saving ideas like getting a programmable thermostat, you can save about $180 a year. It can help you save big for a little bit of money and effort. I also always recommend opening your mouth to get a better discount in general. Anyway, I followed this article’s advice and purchased some foam gaskets from Home Depot. I got two packs for $4.48. There were a total of 21 foamy pieces that fit both the plug outlets and switches for the lights. Yay us! This was probably the easiest “project” I ever accomplished that made a big difference in a little bit of time. If you’re looking to make simple improvements without having to attend a workshop or risk making a big mess, consider putting them on your switch plates as well. Here’s exactly what I did:

1. I opened up the package and popped pre-cut templates.

2. Unscrewed the switch plate.

3. Stuck the foam gasket on snugly.

4. Then reattached the switch plate.

One last thought . . .

I shared this simple handy tip but there’s one more thing to keep in mind . I recommend storing tips like this in a place you can find them easily. Many people love Evernote. Personally, I’m a big Pinterest fan. You can make a board that’s devoted to these types of tips. You can even create a home maintenance “checklist” in the form of images on a board. If there are certain tasks you do monthly or seasonally, store them there so you can find them when the time comes to use them. So what do you think? While it’s fresh on your mind, share this on social media or via email. Then we’re even Steven for the free information I kindly provided.