Being a homeowner is expensive. Sure, a mortgage is cheaper than rent, and you’re building equity. Still, there are sizable recurring costs in homeownership. Repairs. Utilities. Projects. It all adds up. Luckily, there are countless DIY home improvement projects and easy fixes that can help you save — and save BIG on utility bills. Here are 18 to get you started.

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Once the excitement of the holiday season ends, it’s easy to find ourselves staring out the window at the piles of snow, wondering why we continue to live in Minnesota. Here’s a good reason to celebrate winter in our home state: The number of amazing outdoor events and activities that occur during the winter months. 

Below we offer you a guide to several Twin Cities winter activities that take place during January, February, and March. So, the next time you feel like hiding under your blankets, why not embrace the cold, bundle up, and celebrate winter with other Minnesotans. Read More ›

So, it’s official. Minnesota has been recognized as having the worst winters in the United States. That’s right; we even beat out Alaska for this dubious honor.

But snow what? Sure, Minnesotan winters are unrelentingly cold and come with an onslaught of snow—up to 170 inches in some parts of the state. But my family has lived here for generations, and I can promise it’s not all bad.

Even with the ice, wind, and subzero temperatures, winter in Minnesota can be the best time of the year—if you know how to handle it. Here are six ways you can not just survive, but make the most out of this cold-weather season. Read More ›

Is your relationship with your furnace very on-again, off-again? 

While all furnaces cycle, if you’re not getting what you need from your furnace—that would be heat and efficiency—it might be time to evaluate whether your furnace has cycling issues that should be addressed. 

Read on to learn about furnace cycling, how it can affect you, and what you can do about it.  Read More ›

Fall is a scary time. Sure, there’s Halloween but there are also the walking dead in line at the coffee shop, the color-drained vampires deprived of sun, and the yetis bundled up in layers of fluffy sweaters. 

And, if that’s not bad enough, there is a phantom most foul inside your house, lurking in your basement or behind closed doors. Any guess as to what it is? Sweaty socks? Don’t be silly! 

It’s your furnace. And it needs your attention. Otherwise, you may have to contend with one or more of the following HVAC horrors. Read on … if you dare! Read More ›