New Tips And Triks For You

Savings expert Regina Novickis gives us some tips on how spring cleaning can save, and even MAKE, money for you. KARE

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - If you're the kind of person who loves to organize and can't wait to de-clutter your home, spring cleaning may be something you look forward to all year. For the rest of us, it might take a little more incentive. Regina Novickis, savings expert at PromotionalCodes.com gives us some tips on how spring cleaning can actually save, and in some cases even MAKE, money for you.

Clean or replace the AC filter: The Energy Department states that a dirty air conditioner filter can make it suck up 5-15% more electricity than a clean one. Depending on your unit, that could average a savings of about $20 per month in a medium-sized space.

Sell your unwanted clothes: According to a survey by PromotionalCodes.com, 63.3 million Americans own an old clothing article that they haven't worn in more than 5 years or honestly can't even remember the last time they wore it. number of people are holding on to an item in their closet because they overspent or think they might still wear it. If you haven't worn it in more than 6 months, it's probably time to get rid of it. We found a great service called thredUP.com that we love - basically they buy women's, juniors, kids and maternity pieces that are in like-new condition. You just order a thredUP CleanOut Bag and fill it with your clothes; you can get a free estimate on your payout amount in advance; ship with a pre-paid label, and they'll pay you as much as 80% of the resale value. When you're through cleaning out your closet, you can also shop on thredUP for great quality clothing up to 90% off retail.

Host a yard sale: Have a bunch of stuff in the garage that's just taking up room? Host a yard sale! Spring is one of the best times to do this, and you can make it even better by combining forces with your neighbors. You share the work and any associated advertising costs; plus a bigger sale is likely to draw in even more customers!

Look in your cupboards for cleaning supplies: Pinterest is a great place to start for inspiration here, but basically, you can find just about everything you need to clean your house in our own cupboards. Some basics like baking soda, vinegar and water can work as sanitizers; or turn old t-shirts you don't wear anymore into cleaning rags - this will save you costs on paper towels.

Make your fridge more efficient: you might need a buddy to help you with this one, and even though it sounds like it could be more trouble than it's worth, vacuuming your refrigerator coils is another energy-efficient tip that can save you money. Keeping the coils clean saves you about 6% of your fridge's electric bill. Simply pull your fridge away from the wall and unplug it; find the coils and the dust; use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust; then plug in and move the fridge back to its original place.