The average American generates nearly 5 pounds of waste every day.  When you multiply that by 300 million (the approximate population of the United States) you can see why we have a serious garbage problem.  Landfills are filling up rapidly, and no one really wants one practically in their backyard.  For that reason, Americans should look at various ways to cut down on the waste they produce.  One good way of doing this is to find those small ways to recycle; they might not seem like big steps, but they can make a huge difference in waste generation.  With that in mind, here are some common household items you should look at recycling instead of throwing away.

Junk Mail

Did you know that junk mail and cards can be recycled?  Instead of pitching those pre-approved credit card offers, letters about cremation services, and grocery store circulars in the trash can, toss them into the recycling bin.  Better yet, sign up for paperless statements for bank accounts, credit cards, and other accounts to further cut down on envelopes and papers you would need to throw away.

Books

Tired of those old romance novels that are sitting in your nightstand drawer?  Kids outgrow their old books?  Donate them to schools, libraries, or thrift stores.  Got Grandpa’s old collection of 1960s hardbound books?  Those might be worth something to book collectors on eBay, Etsy, or other sites.

Waste Paper

If you’ve gone through and shredded your old documents, you might be able to toss them in your recycling bin and leave it to be picked up curbside.  If you’ve used a cross-cut shredder (which makes shredded paper pieces too small to reuse), you might add those shredded paper pieces to your compost pile.  An added bonus is that compost piles also cut down on food waste.

Ink Cartridges

Do not simply toss out ink cartridges; they often contain toxic materials that can leach out in a landfill.  Instead, take them to your local office supply store.  Not only will they accept them for recycling, you’ll often get a small discount toward the purchase of new cartridges.

CD and DVD Cases

Consolidating your CD or DVD collection?  You’ll likely have a bunch of leftover plastic jewel cases.  The good news is that most disposal companies will accept them for curbside recycling.  If yours doesn’t, you can always take your empty cases –along with any electronic waste- to your local Best Buy.  They have bins near the entrance for recycling these items.

As you’re performing Spring cleaning and looking at recycling things you don’t need, the independent agents at Pizano Insurance want to remind you to make sure your homeowner’s policy is neat and tidy as well.  Contact one of our agents to go over your homeowner’s insurance and ensure it still meets your needs or speak to an agent about signing up for a new policy today!

When you own a home in Wayzata, there is the question of whether you need home insurance. It can seem like an expense you don’t want to incur. However, it is something to consider.

Home insurance is not required by the state of Minnesota. This being said, if you have a mortgage, your lender may require that you have the insurance as a way of protecting their investment. This means that you will need to contact your lender to find out what the requirements are.

Whether you have a mortgage or not, it’s a good idea to have home insurance so that you are protected against the various things that could potentially happen. This may include burglary, a fire, a flood, and much more.

A typical homeowner’s insurance policy is going to protect your dwelling as well as the various items inside, including furniture and other belongings. You can add onto the policy to protect various other aspects, including additional buildings on your property as well as expensive belongings, such as art, jewelry, and more.

Should something happen your home, a claim can be filed with the homeowner’s insurance company. As long as it is one of the covered aspects, they will provide the money to make repairs or replacements – and this ensures that you don’t need to come up with all of the money on your own.

Homeowners insurance can be affordable, and is certainly going to be worth every penny in the event that you need to file a claim due to a heavy storm, fire, or something else that could prevent you from living in your home.

Call and talk to one of our knowledgeable insurance agents at Pizano Insurance today. We can talk to you about the various options available for homeowners insurance and get quotes to help you with the overall comparison process.

When you move to a new place, one of the things you probably want to do is meet people and make friends. That can help you get involved with the local community, and give you the opportunity to get to know more of the people around you. Making friends also helps keep you from feeling isolated, and can give you a feeling of being at home that you might not have otherwise. Among some great ways to meet your neighbors is through volunteering for causes that are important to you.

When you volunteer you benefit yourself and other people. Any organization that gets your help will certainly be appreciative, as will the people who that organization helps. Additionally, you’ll have a good feeling from helping others, and you’ll also get a sense of purpose that can be hard to come by in a world that’s full of hustle and bustle all the time. Rather than just go out to bars or restaurants to meet others, focusing on something that’s truly important to you lets you give back to your local community and also help you meet people who will be similar to you in the kinds of things they find important. That can make for much better, more lasting friendships in your area.

Supporting local businesses is also an important way to be a part of any community. By using Pizano Insurance for your insurance needs in Albertville, MN, you can get the coverage you need and the personalized service you won’t find with non-local companies that don’t understand your community. That keeps your money in the local area and helps a community business succeed, so it’s a winning situation for everyone.

If you are a first-time homeowner, there are several things that you need to keep in mind. One crucial consideration is your cooling costs during the summer months. Cooling costs can be very expensive, and so purchasing your first home. If you know a few tips for keeping your cooling costs down in the summer, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars each year.

Replace Old Air Conditioners

If the central air conditioning unit in your new home is worn, you may want to consider replacing it.

Older units are much less energy efficient than newer models. While replacing an old unit can be expensive, it can pay for itself in the money that you would save on cooling costs over the first few years. If you are using older window units, replacing them can save you a great deal of money as well.

Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Most people who are considering switching from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs do so to save money on their lighting costs. What you may not know, is that switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs can also save on your cooling costs. Unlike incandescent light bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs don’t give off any heat.

Clean or Change AC Filters Each Month

It is important that you clean or change your AC filters every month. Dirty filters can cause your cooling costs to rise 7 percent or more when it is hot outside. If you have a central air conditioning unit, you would need to change the central AC furnace filters each month during the summer. If you have window units, there is a removable filter that should be rinsed out each month.

Seal Up AC Ducts

If you purchased a home that was built in the last ten years, the duct work is likely well sealed. If your home is older, however, 40 percent of the money that you spend on cooling costs could be leaking through the gaps in the duct joints. Rather than coming out the vents to cool down the house, the leaked air would be trapped in the attic, basement, or in a crawl space. When you move into your home, you should have a professional come to inspect the unit and the duct work.

Plant Greenery Around the Windows

If you are planning to have your yard landscaped after you move into your home, you should consider planting shrubs or trees close to the windows on the sunny side of the home. These plants will keep the sun from heating up the house, reducing your cooling costs.

There are several things that you should do after you have purchased your first home. After you have contacted Pizano Insurance for a homeowner’s insurance policy, you should make sure that the home is ready for the cooling season.

Carving pumpkins and lighting them up on Halloween night is a longstanding tradition. If you go around Wayzata, MN on the night of October 31, you’ll see illuminated pumpkins in front of many homes. A number of these will be lit with candles, but some will likely be illuminated by a safer option. There are several flame-free alternatives for lighting jack-o-lanterns that don’t create a fire hazard.

Illuminating Pumpkins Safely

Any time there is an open flame, there is a fire risk. If that open flame is put inside a small sphere that can catch fire, the risk increases. In other words, illuminating jack-o-lanterns with candles creates a fire hazard. Your local fire marshall probably doesn’t like it, and we at Pizano Insurance recommend against doing it.

There are several safer ways to light up pumpkins at night. Instead of tea lights, you can use:

• glow sticks
• LED lights that are battery-powered
• small flashlights

None of these items have an open flame, and they’ll all light up a pumpkin just as well as a candle.

Check Your Home Insurance

Regardless of whether you use candles or one of these safer alternatives to light up pumpkins this Halloween, you should take a few minutes to check your home insurance policy for fire protection. Candles can cause house fires, but they’re hardly the only potential cause. Your policy should cover you if your home catches on fire.

If your home insurance doesn’t include enough fire protection, contact us at Pizano Insurance. We’ll help you find a new policy that is affordable but provides better protection. To get in touch with one of our agents, send our agency an email.

When you live in Wayzata, MN, spending time out on the grill can be one of the greatest ways to spend an afternoon. To ensure you have plenty of fun or the summer, you want to make sure to prep your BBQ, and this will allow you to focus on safety as well.

If you cook with gas, the tank needs to be inspected periodically. This can be done by professional or you can do it on your own. You want to check for any rusting around the connections as well as leaks throughout the tank.

Grill needs to be cleaned thoroughly in between uses. If there is a lot of caked on grease and fat it can lead to smoke, fire, and much more. Investing in a wire brush can help this task tremendously.

Keep a fire extinguisher and keep it close to the grill. You will also want to make sure you know how to use it so that if there is a fire, you will know exactly what needs to be done. A small spray bottle filled with water should also be kept close as a way of extinguishing small flare-ups.

Always grill away from the house. If there is a fire on the grill, you don’t want your house to catch on fire as well. This means that it should never be set up underneath an awning or inside of a screened in patio.

Whenever the grill is lit, be sure that you are out there, attending everything. You never want to walk away when there is an open gas line and flames within the grill.

Call Pizano Insurance today and let us help you every step of the way. We can help to find insurance quotes, answer questions, and more about a homeowner’s policy in Minnesota.

Albertville, MN is a small town within the state that offers a number of stunning neighborhoods and communities. The homes are priced within the average as found within the state, though salaries of the homeowners are considerably higher than state average. With a population of only around 7,000 people in the 55301 area, there is also a surprising number of things to do.

When you have homeowners insurance, you will often have the ability to make a personal injury claim with the insurance company. This means that if someone hurts themselves on your property and then comes after you for financial responsibility, you can turn to the insurance company for assistance.

There are many reasons why someone would make a personal injury claim against you in Albertville. Much of it has to do with how badly they hurt themselves or how negligent you were in keeping your property safe in the 55301 area.

Top reasons for a claim include:

– Slip and fall

– Injury down the stairs

– Problems with ice outside

– DUI from a party held at your home

Whatever the reason and whomever the person is, if you have personal injury claim coverage on your homeowner’s insurance policy, you will be able to file the claim with the insurance company and have them handle everything. This includes covering any legal expenses as well as paying the actual claim.

The extent to which an insurance company will help in MN will depend on the coverage you actually have. Coverage levels can vary dramatically from policy to policy.

We have insurance agents to help you get the coverage you need. This way, if someone experiences an injury on your property, you have peace of mind knowing it isn’t going to cost more than your deductible.

Although many Minnesota residents would like to think that the weather in our state is just right, mother nature can often surprise us. Whether you live near Lake Minnetonka or in the thriving metropolis that is Minneapolis, unexpected and severe weather can damage your home at a moment’s notice. That is why protecting your property and your assets with a great insurance policy is so important.

Prepare for the Storm with Homeowners Insurance

Because insurance laws vary from state to state it can be hard to know where to start when shopping for the best policy. And while the state minimum requirement in Minnesota may have been enough for your lender to give the okay, it may not have the additional coverage options that you want and need.

As your local, independent agency we want to make sure your home is protected from seasonal storm, roof and fire damage. That is why we believe shopping for the right policy should be quick and straightforward. We can easily help you to get quotes from major national providers so you can get the coverage that fits your needs and your budget.

Get a Quote Online Today

Shopping for insurance doesn’t have to be a difficult task. It’s simple and easy to find comprehensive and affordable coverage online in just minutes with Pizano Insurance. We can help you get the coverage you need today.

Don’t let leave your family out in the cold when dealing with roof damage. Instead give them peace of mind with a homeowners insurance policy that will protect you from the unexpected. Contact Pizano Insurance online today to quickly shop and compare quotes with ease.

Hopkins is a 100 percent urban city in MN. The median household income in the city is lower than elsewhere in the state and that’s why it’s more important than ever to save on home insurance. Whether you’re in the 55305 ZIP code or elsewhere in the city, you want your home to be protected.

From snow in the winter to rain in the summer, your home goes through a lot and you want to make sure to expect the unexpected. Home insurance in Hopkins can be cheaper than you think – and that’s why we have independent agents to help find the policy. We are prepared to answer any questions you may have, including such topics as:

– The importance of comparison shopping

– The various forms of coverage

– What levels of liability you need

– The cost of your annual premium

Home insurance is a must if you have a mortgage and even if you own your home outright, the insurance is going to save you a lot of money in the event that something happens in the 55305 area of MN. You don’t want to find out that your roof has been damaged from the snow only to learn that the repairs have to be covered out of your pocket.

As independent agents, we are not allegiant to any one insurance company. Our primary goal is to help you save on insurance in Hopkins and we do this by taking the time to find out more about your home in the 55305 ZIP code, what the value is, and what levels of coverage you actually need. From there, we can begin finding savings for you.

Find out how to save on insurance with the help of our independent agents today!

If the bottom line of your address reads Albertville, MN 55301, statistically speaking, it would suggest that you are a member of the middle-class, probably live in a single-family home, and your kids attend good public schools. Living in this family-friendly community of roughly 7,000 people, about halfway between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, you can shop for discounted designer brands at the Premium Outlets or go to Sassy Seconds to get a bargain on a gently-worn prom dress for your daughter,

Not too much happens around Albertville. The crime rate is low and most people live the typical suburban life. Purchasing a home of your own is a major accomplishment and a source of great pride. You want your house to be the best looking house on the block no matter where you may live. In the summer, you mow the lawn and trim the hedges. In the winter, you shovel the snow from your driveway. You take good care of your house, but there is always the chance that something major goes wrong. It is just for those rare instances that you need to carry homeowners insurance.

Whether your mortgage company requires it or you make the choice to buy a policy, you should try to find the least-expensive home insurance that will provide the coverage you need. You can save some money by doing things like installing an alarm system or purchasing a home policy from the same company that insures your car, but that will only go so far.

If you want to be sure you are getting the most favorable rate on the coverage you need, the smartest thing to do is to visit a home insurance agency and speak to an experienced independent agent. Your independent agent can get quotes and compare rates among all of the top insurance companies. See how your Albertville home insurance agency can save you money on the coverage you need. Why pay more than you have to?