hello all,
new here, stumbled across this sight and liking it a lot!!
i have recently moved, and am finding it hard to find a job that pays enough to live comfortably...so, something has to go. i have moved in with my fiance(same rent i had, split in 2), i have replaced all the light bulbs(10) with compact florescent bulbs(800watts used to 124watts used)(why in the heck would no one do this???), replaced the furnace filter(not been changed in 2 years, and would run for 1/2 an hour..i swear!), turned down the fridge(ran all the time), turned down the water heater(just enough, but not too much).
i am shopping at dollar stores for items that are name brand but cheaper(prarie farms milk is in the dollar stores for way less than the regular grocery), replaced the gas cap on my car, it was ALWAYS loose(gas must have been evaporating out), oh yeah, put the hibernation setting on my comp, or shut it down when going to bed.
i am also taking faster showers, turning it off to get soaped up, then rinsing off.
is there anything else i can do?
i have just made all these changes, so we will see how the savings go from here on out!
wish me luck,
rusty
first blog
July 19th, 2006 at 10:32 am
July 19th, 2006 at 10:49 am 1153306154
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July 19th, 2006 at 01:25 pm 1153315554
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July 19th, 2006 at 03:44 pm 1153323892
The only other thing I can think of is to keep track of ALL purchases [especially the small ones!]
The little things add up so quickly that sometimes you don't even realize it unless you were paying close attention.
This is advice that I need to start taking myself too! *lol*
July 25th, 2006 at 08:23 am 1153815788
A lot of things come with a feature that will have them start instantly when you turn them on. If you plug them in and then turn them on you may have to wait 2 to 5 seconds for them to turn on. But this feature bleeds electricity all day long.
2. Do not use your dryer any more than you have to. Hang dry everything. If you don't have a place for an outdoor clothesline, buy a couple of drying racks from Kmart for your towels and sheets to dry on. Everything else can be hung on hangers and placed on your shower rod to dry. Use clothespins to attach socks and undergarments to hangers.
I dropped my electric bill by about $50 a month by just making these simple changes.
3. Keep track of your food. Do not let leftovers go to waste and get thrown out. Keep an inventory of what is in your freezer and cupboards and mark it off as you use it up. This will help with meal planning as well as making purchases of that 5th jar of peanut butter because you didn't realize there were already 4 at the back of the cupboard. Save all your excess fruit juices from canned fruits and make popsicles with them. Or you can make ice cubes with them and throw them into juice for an extra kick. Especially nice right now during our heat wave.
July 26th, 2006 at 02:37 am 1153881477
November 3rd, 2006 at 02:46 am 1162521974