Tax Tips for Working With Your Accountant

Even if you hire someone to prepare your taxes, there is still work to be done to gather all the information your tax preparer needs.  The tax return your accountant creates will only be as good as the information that you provide them.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about having someone else do your taxes is that there’s no work required for you. The truth is there is work required to gather and organize your information, if you do this throughout the year it’ll be much easier on you come tax time.

Tax Records & Organization
We’re having a good friend of ours prepare our tax return this year. After dropping off some information a few days ago, my friend called to remind me that I’d forgotten a few tax forms and some business finance information so I spent part of today gathering them.  I felt like I did a decent job during the year tracking and storing the necessary information but it still took me a while to get what he needed.

One of the problems I ran into was that I had kept information on two different computers in a variety of folders so I had to spend time bringing it all together and making sure I had the most recent version of each. I was reminded of two things: 1) Taxes are such a pain 2) Staying organized and up to date on your records can definitely make a difference.

Tax Review
If you do keep track of your finances throughout the year, it definitely pays to look over the information before handing it over to your accountant. As I went back over the business spreadsheet I’m sending him I realized I had overlooked about $800 in income.  The good news is that I caught it, the bad news is I didn’t include it when figuring my estimated tax payments for 2007. 

Securing Tax Data
Working with your accountant can be a multi-step process, once they’ve looked over your documents they may have questions and need more information.  It may be faster or more convenient to give them a digital copy of the information they need.

One of the problems I’ve had with this is securely transferring my financial documents without allowing anyone else to snoop on the contents.  What I ended up doing was zipping up the files and password protecting them with WinZip but it’s not the most secure and sometimes the person’s software on the other end can’t unencrypt the files. Can anyone recommend a tool or service that offers secure way to transfer files across the web using just a web browser or email?

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The Complete Guide to Prosper Review – Will Prosper.com Revolutionize America?

The first chapter in a new book about lending and borrowing on Prosper is entitled “How & Why Prosper.com Will Revolutionize America”.  The book is called “The Complete Guide to Prosper” and is authored by Sean Bauer, a borrower, lender, and group leader on Prosper.

It’s nice to see an author enthusiastic about the topic they’re covering but I think “Revolutionize America” is a little over the top. Perhaps a more appropriate title for the first chapter might have been “How and Why Prosper Can Become Your Personal Banker”.  Bauer explains how Prosper makes this scenario possible by cutting out the middle man.  Of course, when you remove the bank from the borrowing and lending equation new risks are introduced.

Peer Lending Risks
The first chapter responsibly covers these risks right up front to help people understand the potential downside risk that peer to peer lending does face in terms of loan defaults.  Really the only risk that I saw listed for borrowers is that they might spend their time building a listing only to not have their loan funded. I suppose another possible risk for borrowers would be that they could over extend themselves and borrow more than they could afford to pay back. 

Benefits of Peer Lending
People borrow on Prosper for a wide range of reasons such as funding a new business, consolidating debt at a lower interest rate, or simply just improving their credit score.  Bauer lists the ways that Prosper benefits these borrowers:

• Borrow for a fixed 3 year term, unlike the perpetual debt of credit cards
• Get the amount you need, not what the bank’s willing to lend
• Access to funding not available through traditional banks
• Potentially lower interest rates
• Ability to use groups for support

One benefit I don’t think he mentioned is the ability to apply for a loan from the comfort of your own home.  This could be especially beneficial to someone who has a disability that can’t easily make it into a bank or even a single mother who doesn’t have the time or patience to drag her rambunctious kids into a waiting room while she applies for a loan in person.

Bauer also covers how Prosper benefits lenders, here are the key points:

• You can beat the interest rate offered by your bank
• Lend as little or as much as you’d like, minimum $50 – maximum $25,000
• The ability to lend small amounts allows you to easily diversify your investments across multiple loans

Since the book is all about Prosper it doesn’t mention that you can get involved in peer to peer lending with an even smaller initial investment, only $25, at another peer site called Lending Club.  Lending Club is actually offering a $25 bonus for new lenders so you can basically give peer lending a try at no risk.

Complete Guide to Prosper
After explaining what Prosper is and how a borrower or lender could benefit from it’s use Bauer goes on to provide a users guide to borrowing and lending on Prosper in subsequent chapters.  The chapter list is below:

• Getting Started on Prosper: Creating an Account
• Borrowing: Should You Borrow With Prosper?
• Borrowing: Creating Your Borrower’s Listing
• Borrowing: Endorsements Give You a Helping Hand
• Borrowing: Managing Your Loan
• Groups: Take Advantage of Their Huge Potential
• Groups: Starting Your Own
• Groups: Managing Your Group for Success
• Lending: Becoming a Lender
• Lending: Listings
• Prosper.com Fees
• Tools for Using Prosper.com
• Forums & Conclusions

Book Review
Peer lending is a relatively new addition to the personal finance industry. Anytime something new and different is introduced people look for resources to help them understand the new development. After reading through the The Complete Guide to Prosper, I think it would be a good resource for anyone that’s heard about peer lending but isn’t really sure how it works or how they could benefit from it. 

Book Launch Special Offer
The book goes on sale today on Amazon.com and as part of the book launch the author is offering several bonus gifts to anyone that buys it within the first 24 hours.  You can see the details of the offer and how to claim it here.

If you’re interested in learning more about peer to peer lending, I have an extra copy of The Complete Guide to Prosper that I’m giving away. I’d prefer to ship the book to someone that will make good use of it, so I’ll mail it to the first person that opens a Prosper account through this link and sends me an email with their new Prosper screen name.  Hopefully the book will guide you through your first borrowing or lending experience on Prosper.

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The Cost of Raising a Child

I believe I heard somewhere that the average cost of raising a child is approximately $200,000. Personally, I am not sure how anyone can come up with an amount since everyone’s situation is different. Do the people calculating cost include a portion of the rent or mortgage payment? Is college a consideration, or is the figure only up until graduation? So, being curious, I did a little checking.

Honestly, only I can answer the question for my family. There are calculators on the web where you can estimate the cost of clothing, housing, food, recreation, etc. But, you have to supply the numbers yourself, how are people who haven’t have kids yet supposed to know how much those expenses will be? Unfortunately, I don’t write down every time I buy my kids a present or spend money on an extracurricular activity and I don’t break out the grocery bill costs per person.

Even though I don’t have detailed data, I can give you some general information based on my personal experience. First, if you think the cost of bringing a baby home from the hospital is high, let me tell you, “You aint seen nothin’ yet!” Just wait until they get older : ) However, if having everything saved and budgeted out before having a baby was a prerequisite for parenthood our country’s population would definitely be shrinking.

Actually, when the kids are younger, they do not cost very much, even with the price of disposable diapers and baby food. For example, my son was 15 months old his second Christmas. Being right after the separation and impending divorce, I pooled my meager funds to make sure the kids had a couple of good presents under the tree.

My baby pulled a Tootsie Roll rope out of his stocking, and Christmas might as well have been over for him. He was perfectly content. Now, I hear lists several months in advance of the holiday. Of course, the toys all have batteries or some other long-term money-sucking feature. My daughter, with a new learner’s permit in hand only wanted a car this year. Yeah Right! She got a Matchbox car in her stocking.

I guess what I am trying to say is that every child is different, and the cost grows with the kid. My daughter can wear the same clothes for years, if she likes them. She grew gradually and is shorter than average. My son can wear out a pair of jeans in a matter of weeks. I have actually been asked if he walks on his knees. Plus, he goes through growing spurts and need a whole new wardrobe 2-3 times a year. He also eats more to keep up with those spurts.

In summary, I cannot really say what it will cost to raise a child. I can cut corners by buying off brands at the store, go to thrift shops for the jeans that my son will quickly ruin, and say “no” to the wants. But, I cannot tell you what it really costs, too many variables exist. Only you can calculate for your family, considering each child on an individual basis.

Tina

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Outsourcing My Taxes – Is the Price of Expert Tax Advice Worth the Cost?

This is the first year in my adult life that someone other than me will do our taxes. The revelation hit me about a month ago as I started gathering together all our tax documents.  My college roommate, a CPA and a tax attorney, was looking for new business for his law firm.  Why not hire him to prepare our taxes?

Too expensive, was my first thought.  I’ve always used TurboTax to do our taxes myself and am used to paying the $40 or so for the software.  I wasn’t jumping up and down to spend any more than that on tax preparation but the more I thought about it the more it made sense.

Time Savings
My life is short on time and long on things to do these days.  Not only that, our taxes became less simple the last two years when we added our business income to the mix.  One of the things successful business owners do is learn to delegate tasks and leverage expertise. Why not pay an expert to do the work and use the time I would have spent on taxes to work on the business instead?

Tax Expertise
In addition to the time savings, the quality of the tax return will be better as well.  My friend really is Mr. Tax, all he does every day at work is find ways to help his clients manage/reduce their taxes.  I’m sure there are things he’ll see that I overlooked and maybe some tax planning advice he can offer. 

Cost Savings
How am I going to save money when I’m paying more for the tax return? The first answer is a paraphrase from tax expert Sandy Botkins.  Taxes are our biggest expense.  If we add up all the taxes we pay they “cost” us more than any of our other expenses.  If my friend can help me find overlooked deductions that itself will help pay part of his fee.

In addition, the tax preparation fee that his firm charges is actually low for tax returns relative to their normal billing rate.  The way I understand it is that they see tax returns as a good lead generation tool for more business so they keep their prices low to encourage people to use them.  Since my friend is trying to add new clients, he convinced his firm to let him offer a friends and family discount.

Trust
One key factor in outsourcing your taxes is finding someone you trust to do the work.  I lucked out because I have a built-in tax expert as a friend and I know for sure I can trust him.  If I was to go out and find someone on my own, I’d likely just start asking friends and co-workers for referrals.  Luckily I don’t have to hassle with that thanks to my friend so it made the decision to hire a tax preparer even easier.

All things considered, I definitely think the benefit of outsourcing our taxes is worth the cost. I dropped off my information at his house last night to get the process started.  Now that I’m paying for expertise and to free up my time, I have to commit to spending the time I would have spent on taxes to instead working on my business.  I guess that means no more watching Apprentice or Lost for the next 6 weeks : )

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How I Make Tough Money Decisions

As a single mother of two growing children, I have a tight budget, even with child support payments. Just when I think I am getting ahead, somebody needs a new pair of glasses or a dental visit. Forget that my youngest is having growing spurts and needs a new wardrobe two or three times a year. With my oldest going to college soon, and still paying off my own student loans, I have tough money decisions to make.

Just like everyone else, I have to prioritize how I spend any income. First of all, the house payment, car payment, and student loan are automatically deducted from my account, so nothing is paid until that money is subtracted from the budget.

Next, I pay the utilities. Since my first full-time job was working with the electric company for 10 years, and the fact that the family lives in cold country, I know letting those bills slide will only cost me more in the long run.

Then, I am trying to pay off credit card debt, one teaspoon at a time. As you all know, paying the minimum is not an option, if a person ever hopes to get out of debt. So, I try to pay extra. I have a computer program to help me budget the payments. So, I have a set goal for being credit card free.

Finally, I can go to the grocery store. Now, I know many will say to go to the store first, feed the kids, and then worry about the bills. Some have even criticized me for doing the opposite. However, it works for us. Since I have a fluctuating income, some months we have a Mac and cheese budget, a hamburger budget, or a steak budget. My family has never gone hungry. We may not always get to eat our favorite foods, but most of the time my kids can afford to be picky.

I know I said “finally” and some of you may be wondering about the entertainment piece of the pie. Well, going to the movies is a once or twice a year treat. We have a library of movies we can watch on the television. We play games on the computer or get out a deck of cards. Between school, work, and extracurricular activities, we are not really concerned about an entertainment allowance.

So, how do you prioritize or make tough money decisions?

Tina

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Meeting Blog Readers in Person – Personal Finance Review

One of the guys I shared a cab with on the way to the party I crashed in Vegas ended up being a reader of this site!  He had an invitation, so we stood there and visited while I waited for clearance into the party.  He works for a telecommunications company out East and has been tasked by the CEO with bringing in additional streams of revenue to offset the decline in the traditional telco cash cow services.  I don’t remember exactly how it came up but somehow I mentioned The Simple Dollar and he’s heard of the site, who hasn’t right?

It was pretty neat when it came up that I ran Money Smart Life and that he was a reader.  We talked for a while about online business and then split up to mingle.  I’d like to follow up with him on some of the things we discussed but I didn’t get his card and didn’t see him again at the conference.  So hopefully he’s reading this and will get ahold of me!

Anyhow a lot happened in the world of personal finance while I was away so I’ll try to hit some high points:

First off, congratulations to Trent from the Simple Dollar and the Silicon Valley Blogger on quitting their jobs, very exciting for both of them!

While Sun is just now getting around to opening a 401k, Generation X Finance reviews 20 books on retirement.

Prosper held their annual conference, Lazy Man shares his take on Prosper Days as does Kevin from RateLadder.

Blueprint for Financial Prosperity talks about the necessity of contracts and the annual March Madness of personal finance articles is under way at Free Money Finance.

Five Cent Nickel points out the value of doing your own taxes, Mighty Bargain Hunter warns against high-priced seminars, and No Credit Needed talks about frustrating financial realities.

Get Rich Slowly has a good primer on disability insurance and Moolanomy takes a look at life insurance.

Consumerism Commentary reminds us to get on board with America Saves Week, Frugal Dad offers tips for a successful yard sale as spring grows near, and My Money Blog has a subprime loan crisis cartoon.

Be sure to check out the latest carnival of peer to peer lending over at ProsperLending.

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Save Money in Las Vegas – A Cheapskates Guide to Sin City

It’s easy to spend a lot of money in Las Vegas, unless of course you’re a cheapskate like me!  Here are some of the ways I saved money during my recent conference in Vegas, listed in order of the biggest to smallest savings.

Get a Free Flight
I signed up for an NEW Business Gold Rewards Card(R) from American Express OPEN rewards credit card and got enough points for a free flight to Vegas!  They’re not offering a free trip any longer but you can still earn rewards towards a trip with cards like Blue Sky from American Express.

Sleep In the Airport
My flight home left at 6 AM. I checked out of the hotel the morning before and stored my bags with the bell hop for the day.  I spent all day at the conference, all night enjoying my last evening in Vegas, then caught a cab to the airport at 2 AM.  Slept in the airport lobby and then all the way home.

Book Early
The reason I slept in the airport the last night was that I messed up my reservation, ending it a night too soon when I called months ago to book the room.  When I tried to extend one more night, every room in the hotel was booked.  My cab driver to the airport said when the supply of rooms is tight around town the price just keeps going up.  Book early to lock in your rates, plus check for conference discounts.  You can also stay at the hotels downtown Las Vegas for much less than those on the strip.

Bring Your Wireless Card
Internet service in the room was $10 a day! That sure adds up over 4–5 days, instead plug in your wireless card and hunt around the lobby or around the conference rooms in your hotel and you’ll likely find free wireless service. 

Crash Private Parties
One of the companies at the conference rented out a suite one night overlooking Vegas in the Palms hotel for a private party. I didn’t have an invite but I didn’t let that stop me! I told the lady at the door I’d left it in the cab and she let me in.  Free food and drinks for the evening, in Vegas that’s worth something!

Share a Cab
All of the big hotels I saw on the strip make you stand in a taxi line to catch a cab.  Ask people around you in line where they’re headed, if it’s the same place you can split the fare. Plus you never know who you’ll meet in line. One night we shared a cab with a guy from Experian, he found out we had finance sites, gave us his card, and paid for our cab!

Hang Out With High Rollers
A friend of mine showed me the ropes since I’d never been in Las Vegas before. He’s not a gambler but he runs a successful internet business and a potential business partner took him out the night before the private party I mentioned. I tagged along and helped him enjoy his success.

Pack PB & J
I tend to get hungry easily so rather than drop $10 on a burger for lunch or snack at the hotel I feasted on peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Don’t make the sandwiches ahead of time they would get squishy quickly. Instead I packed a small jar of peanut butter & jelly and brought along a loaf of bread. I kept the plastic jars in a big ziplock bag to avoid mess if they leaked and put the bread in a small cardboard box to prevent if from getting crushed. Don’t forget a knife, the first night there I used the handle of my tooth brush : )

Don’t Gamble!
Pretty self explanatory.  I was there for a conference about making money, not throwing it down the drain, so it was a pretty simple choice for me.  The odds are against you there so just enjoy yourself and let everyone else throw their money away!

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Tips to Cut Your Water Heating Costs

This week I’m featuring Energy Saving tips, save some money by conserving energy!

Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for about 16% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater.

A family of four, each showering for 5 minutes a day, uses 700 gallons of water a week; this is enough for a 3-year supply of drinking water for one person. You can cut that amount in half simply by using low-flow aerating showerheads and faucets.

Water Heating Tips

• Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads.

• Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time.

• Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 120°F provides comfortable hot water for most uses.

• Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. You use 15–25 gallons of hot water for a bath, but less than 10 gallons during a 5-minute shower.

• Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the thermostat. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• Insulate your natural gas or oil hotwater storage tank, but be careful not to cover the water heater’s top, bottom, thermostat, or burner compartment. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations; when in doubt, get professional help.

• Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

• If you are in the market for a new dishwasher or clothes washer, consider buying an efficient, water-saving model to reduce hot water use.

• Install heat traps on the hot and cold pipes at the water heater to prevent heat loss. Some new water heaters have built-in heat traps.

• Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater. The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the manufacturer’s advice.

• Although most water heaters last 10– 15 years, it’s best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 yearsold. Doing some research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs.

Long-Term Savings Tips

• Buy a new energy-efficient water heater. While it may cost more initially than a standard water heater, the energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance. If your current water heater is electric, consider switching to a natural gas water heater if gas is available.

• Consider installing a drain water waste heat recovery system. A recent DOE study showed energy savings of 25% to about 30% for water heating using such a system.

• Consider demand or tankless water heaters. Researchers have found savings can be as much as 34% compared with a standard electric storage tank water heater.

Solar Heating
If you heat water with electricity, have high electric rates, and have an unshaded, south-facing location (such as a roof) on your property, consider installing a solar water heater. The solar units are environmentally friendly and can now be installed on your roof to blend with the architecture of your house.

Solar water heating systems are also good for the environment since they avoid the harmful greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity production. During a 20 year period, one solar water heater can avoid over 50 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. When shopping for a solar water heater, look for systems certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation or the Florida Solar Energy Center.

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Save Money with Energy Efficient Windows

This week I’m featuring Energy Saving tips, save some money by conserving energy!

Windows can be one of your home’s most attractive features. Windows provide views, daylighting, ventilation, and solar heating in the winter.

Unfortunately, they can also account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill. During the summer, sunny windows make your air conditioner work two to three times harder. If you live in the Sun Belt, look into new solar control spectrally selective windows, which can cut the cooling load by more than half.

If your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of U.S. homes do, consider replacing them. New doublepane windows with high-performance glass (e.g., low-e or spectrally selective) are available on the market. In colder climates, select windows that are gas filled with low emissivity (low-e) coatings on the glass to reduce heat loss. In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain. If you are building a new home, you can offset some of the cost of installing more efficient windows because doing so allows you to buy smaller, less expensive heating and cooling equipment.

If you decide not to replace your windows, the simpler, less costly measures listed below can improve their performance.

Cold-Climate Window Tips

• You can use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Remember, the plastic must be sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.

• Install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.

• Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.

• Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to let in the winter sun.

• Install exterior or interior storm windows; storm windows can reduce heat loss through the windows by 25% to 50%. Storm windows should have weatherstripping at all moveable joints; be made of strong, durable materials; and have interlocking or overlapping joints. Low-e storm windows save even more energy.

• Repair and weatherize your current storm windows, if necessary.

Warm-Climate Window Tips

• Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.
• Close curtains on south- and westfacing windows during the day.

• Install awnings on south- and westfacing windows.

• Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar gain.

Long-Term Savings Tip

• Installing new, high-performance windows will improve your home’s energy performance. While it may take many years for new windows to pay off in energy savings, the benefits of added comfort and improved aesthetics and functionality may make the investment worth it to you.

Today, many new window technologies are available that are worth considering. Glazing materials (the glass part of the window) now come with a variety of selective coatings and other features; frames are available in aluminum, wood, vinyl, fiber glass, or combinations of these materials. Each type of glazing material and frame has advantages and disadvantages.

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Energy Tips for Heating and Cooling Your Home – Fireplaces, Thermostats, & Landscaping

This week I’m featuring Energy Saving tips, save some money by conserving energy!

Yesterday I covered some heating and cooling tips for your home, today we’ll look at a few more.

Fireplaces
When you cozy up next to a crackling fire on a cold winter day, you probably don’t realize that your fireplace is one of the most inefficient heat sources you can possibly use. It literally sends your energy dollars right up the chimney along with volumes of warm air. A roaring fire can exhaust as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air per hour to the outside, which must be replaced by cold air coming into the house from the outside. Your heating system must warm up this air, which is then exhausted through your chimney. If you use your
conventional fireplace while your central heating system is on, these tips can help reduce energy losses.

Fireplace Tips
• If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.

• Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.

• When you use the fireplace, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window slightly— approximately 1 inch—and close doors leading into the room. Lower the thermostat setting to between 50° and 55°F.

• Install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room.

• Check the seal on the flue damper and make it as snug as possible.

• Add caulking around the fireplace hearth.

• Use grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the room.

Natural Gas & Oil Heating Systems
If you plan to buy a new heating system, ask your local utility or state energy office for information about the latest technologies available to consumers. They can advise you about more efficient systems on the market today. For example, many newer models incorporate designs for burners and heat exchangers that result in higher efficiencies during operation and reduce heat loss when the equipment is off. Consider a sealed combustion furnace; they are both safer and more efficient. <

Programmable Thermostats
You can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat.

Using a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. As a result, the equipment doesn’t operate as much when you are asleep or when the house or part of the house is not occupied. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings (six or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program.

Landscaping
Landscaping is a natural and beautiful way to keep your home cool in summer and reduce your energy bills. In addition to adding aesthetic value and environmental quality to your home, a well-placed tree, shrub, or vine can deliver effective shade, act as a windbreak, and reduce overall energy bills.

Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a typical household’s energy used for heating and cooling. Computer models from DOE predict that just three trees, properly placed around the house, can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually.

Studies conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found summer daytime air temperatures to be 3° to 6°F cooler in tree-shaded neighborhoods than in treeless areas.

The energy-conserving landscape strategies you should use for your home depend on the type of climate in which you live.

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