Ok, that title is a bit misleading, but not completely. A temptation I frequently deal with is the desire to eat out. It is just so much easier than dragging everything out and having to clean it up. We have cut back drastically in this area and it has saved us lots of money. However, I have started paying myself for not eating out and find it much more rewarding. Let me explain....
Tonight, I didn't want to deal with the whole dinner hassle. However, I resisted and prepared a meal. We used up all the leftovers in the fridge and added some fruit, which is a great thing because throwing out leftovers is a big waste. When we were done eating, I got online and transferred the amount of money I would have spent on dinner from my checking account to my savings account. It seems like if I leave it in the checking account, it invariably gets spent on something else. Doing this a few times a month really adds up. Seeing my savings grow at a rapid pace is a reward for not eating out. Next time you resist an unnecessary purchase, reward yourself by saving. It makes telling yourself, "NO" a little easier.
On a different note, a friend gave me a recipe for homemade laundry soap. She swears it cleans better than what you buy in the store and is just a fraction of the cost. I have purchased the ingredients and will be testing it soon. The kids will be getting really dirty this weekend, so I will put it to the test early next week and let you know if it is worth it.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Electricity diet
If you are going on a diet, you spend a lot of time thinking about food. You analyze every choice. You train yourself to get by on less. Ultimately, you want to get to a point where these choices are merely habits. Reducing your electricity usage is the same mental process. We are accustomed to doing things a certain way and when you make a change, you initially have to think about it, a lot. Over time, it becomes habit - like turning out lights. Here are some other new habits I have developed that are reducing my electricity bill.
Unplug electronics that are not in use. Appliances use electricity even when they are not turned on. Some things I leave plugged in, like the alarm clock in the bedroom. It is used so frequently that it just doesn't make sense to reset it continually. However, there are many items with limited use that I keep unplugged. Here are some examples: the bedside lamp, the coffee pot, the TV upstairs (rarely used), nightlights, phone chargers, battery chargers and many others. These things we plug in only when we use them.
A big one for me is the computer. In the past, I left it running all day. I would periodically check for e-mails or check on the news. Now, I turn it on twice a day, take care of what is needed and shut it computer down completely and turn off the power strip. It actually has been a benefit. I am not sitting down for a quick check and getting tied up answering e-mails and chatting on facebook. I am getting more done around the house. This is one of those lifestyle choices. This works for me based on my lifestyle. This wouldn't work in all situations.
For me, the jury is still out on another item - the TV. The power strip has the TV, a game system, the DVR and the DVD player plugged in to it. Even when none of these items are on, the whole cabinet is glowing. This is not a good thing! However, it is a bit of a hassle to reset things if I unplug the strip. I definitely do it if I am not going to be home for more than 24 hours. I don't do it evernight, although I probably should. This is one of those habits I am still working on.
Ok, you are going to read this next sentence and want to skip to the bottom of the post - STICK WITH ME! Running a clothes dryer is a big energy consumer. The more you can hang to dry, the more money you will save. This didn't go over well with the family initially, but they have adjusted. Here is what I do. For a clothes line, I strung a piece of green plastic coated electrical wire (left at the house from the previous owner - thus no cost to me - yeah!) from two trees in my backyard. Unless there are clothes on it, the green line blends in the surroundings and is camoflouged. The two trees, oh so conviently, also have several eye level horizontal branches that hangers will hang on easily. I put ALL shirts on hangers - this maximizes space. Other items I hang with regular clothespins. If the weather is nice, a load drys in about 4-6 hours. I do not hang out underwear or socks. I dry these items in the dryer and they are done in 10-15 minutes. My husband doesn't like the stiff feel of line dried clothing, especially for work clothes. If you hang them in the house, they dry slower (about 24 hours), but they don't have that stiff feel. I put his things on hangers and hang them from the door frames or the shower rod. Honestly, it is a bit of a hassle to haul everything outside, hang it up and then have to haul it back in later. However, I am expecting big returns from this practice. I have only been doing this about 3 weeks. I will let you know when I have some actual numbers to back this up. There are still times I have to use the dryer, like when it rains or when I discover at 10pm that no one has clean jeans to wear in the morning.
As I have said before, each of these things alone won't make that much difference. However, all combined, I am saving money in this area. I don't think about these things much anymore. They have just become new habits.
Unplug electronics that are not in use. Appliances use electricity even when they are not turned on. Some things I leave plugged in, like the alarm clock in the bedroom. It is used so frequently that it just doesn't make sense to reset it continually. However, there are many items with limited use that I keep unplugged. Here are some examples: the bedside lamp, the coffee pot, the TV upstairs (rarely used), nightlights, phone chargers, battery chargers and many others. These things we plug in only when we use them.
A big one for me is the computer. In the past, I left it running all day. I would periodically check for e-mails or check on the news. Now, I turn it on twice a day, take care of what is needed and shut it computer down completely and turn off the power strip. It actually has been a benefit. I am not sitting down for a quick check and getting tied up answering e-mails and chatting on facebook. I am getting more done around the house. This is one of those lifestyle choices. This works for me based on my lifestyle. This wouldn't work in all situations.
For me, the jury is still out on another item - the TV. The power strip has the TV, a game system, the DVR and the DVD player plugged in to it. Even when none of these items are on, the whole cabinet is glowing. This is not a good thing! However, it is a bit of a hassle to reset things if I unplug the strip. I definitely do it if I am not going to be home for more than 24 hours. I don't do it evernight, although I probably should. This is one of those habits I am still working on.
Ok, you are going to read this next sentence and want to skip to the bottom of the post - STICK WITH ME! Running a clothes dryer is a big energy consumer. The more you can hang to dry, the more money you will save. This didn't go over well with the family initially, but they have adjusted. Here is what I do. For a clothes line, I strung a piece of green plastic coated electrical wire (left at the house from the previous owner - thus no cost to me - yeah!) from two trees in my backyard. Unless there are clothes on it, the green line blends in the surroundings and is camoflouged. The two trees, oh so conviently, also have several eye level horizontal branches that hangers will hang on easily. I put ALL shirts on hangers - this maximizes space. Other items I hang with regular clothespins. If the weather is nice, a load drys in about 4-6 hours. I do not hang out underwear or socks. I dry these items in the dryer and they are done in 10-15 minutes. My husband doesn't like the stiff feel of line dried clothing, especially for work clothes. If you hang them in the house, they dry slower (about 24 hours), but they don't have that stiff feel. I put his things on hangers and hang them from the door frames or the shower rod. Honestly, it is a bit of a hassle to haul everything outside, hang it up and then have to haul it back in later. However, I am expecting big returns from this practice. I have only been doing this about 3 weeks. I will let you know when I have some actual numbers to back this up. There are still times I have to use the dryer, like when it rains or when I discover at 10pm that no one has clean jeans to wear in the morning.
As I have said before, each of these things alone won't make that much difference. However, all combined, I am saving money in this area. I don't think about these things much anymore. They have just become new habits.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Coming soon!
I have so many cost saving ideas to share with you! It took time, at first, but my efforts to save are beginning to pay off. I see it as a challenge to myself: just how much can I reduce my cost of living without reducing my quality of life? When I save money, I have more money to spend as I see fit. I have explored and tested many ideas and I am ready to share them with you. Always remember, any one idea alone won't save you lots. You have to find many small ways, that work with your lifestyle, to see significant savings. So keep checking back to discover new ideas you can implement into your routine that will put more of your money back in your pocket.
God gave us light. Use it.
We are so accustomed to having lights on all the time, in so many parts of the house. Walking into a closet to grab a pair of shoes - flip on the light. Headed to the bathroom - flip on the light. Any room we walk into, we flip on the light - out of habit. It is not necessary, just a repetitive motion. If you are headed to the closet to pick out an outfit, you need the light. If you are just grabbing shoes, you probably don't (unless your closet is so large & deep, it would be impossible, in which case you most likely aren't reading this anyway). I am not suggesting you use the bathroom in the dark, but during the day, most homes provide ample light from windows. Turn the light on for grooming, but during the day, don't turn it on for a quick sit. I can shower in the morning with sunlight that comes in from the window. I have taken over 10,000 showers in my lifetime. I don't need much light to do it anymore. I certainly don't need much light for a bathroom activity that has taken place several times a day, all my life. I can do that in the pitch dark if I had to.
Turn lights off when you leave the room. Don't buy into an old myth that says it takes more electricity to turn the light on than to just leave in on. Generally speaking, this is not the case. If you are leaving a room for more than a minute or two, turn off the light.
THIS IS THE KEY: You have to get into the habit of asking yourself, every time you flip a switch, "Do I really need this light to do the activity I am doing?" Learn to use natural light when you can. Open your blinds and let the sun shine in. (Of course, this will be for another posting, but keep blinds closed on west facing windows in the heat of the afternoon.)
Seems like a small thing doesn't it? Remember, this is just a small step. It takes several electricity reducing measures to begin to see a noticable reduction in your bill. Every little bit helps, so turn out the light.
Turn lights off when you leave the room. Don't buy into an old myth that says it takes more electricity to turn the light on than to just leave in on. Generally speaking, this is not the case. If you are leaving a room for more than a minute or two, turn off the light.
THIS IS THE KEY: You have to get into the habit of asking yourself, every time you flip a switch, "Do I really need this light to do the activity I am doing?" Learn to use natural light when you can. Open your blinds and let the sun shine in. (Of course, this will be for another posting, but keep blinds closed on west facing windows in the heat of the afternoon.)
Seems like a small thing doesn't it? Remember, this is just a small step. It takes several electricity reducing measures to begin to see a noticable reduction in your bill. Every little bit helps, so turn out the light.
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