Owning a home is exciting and rewarding, but it can also be expensive. Fortunately, there are lots of free ways to compensate for the steadily rising cost of living.

Keep closet doors closed. Doing so will reduce the amount of square footage in your home that you’re heating and cooling.

Shorten your dryer vent hose. A shorter, unobstructed line helps your dryer run more efficiently, saving you money on monthly energy costs.

Lower the thermostat on your water heater. Typically, the default temperature is set at 140 degrees, but for most households, water heated to 120 degrees is plenty hot! Be sure to check the owner’s manual before making any adjustments.

Wash clothes in cold water. This not only saves energy and money, it also saves fabrics from shrinking or fading. Worried about getting your clothes clean? Cold water detergents use chemical reactions to tackle most stains without the need for scalding water.

Use ceiling fans when it’s cold so you don’t need to constantly run your furnace. A ceiling fan running clockwise at a low speed will recirculate warm air that naturally rises.