Saving at Home

The other day while at the store, my boyfriend and I got to talking about CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs.) I think that they are a great way to shave off money on our electric bill. Now, we have a 2-week rule about any purchases that aren’t necessities. Before making the big plunge, there is always a cost-benefit analysis done. This one didn’t take long to decide that it would be a worthwhile venture for us. These bulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer. They do take some getting used to, and they won’t work in every light fixture. But use them where it makes sense and save energy and money. In our calculations, these puppies will end up saving us upwards of $50 a year in energy costs- that’s for a small one bedroom apartment. I can only imagine how much it could save by replacing a whole household with CFLs!

It’s been a cold winter. Our upper (we live in a duplex) is small and practically sieves heat from every wall, window, etc. Trying hard to figure out ways to keep our rising energy costs down, besides our bright light bulb idea, has been a huge past time. Lately we have been strategically trying to figure out what the downstairs neighbors keep their heat at and how much their heat actually helps heat our space. If we turn our heat off, the apartment actually stays near 55 degrees. Definitely not enough to keep us warm, but it gave us enough information to know that we should probably keep the thermostat UNDER that by a few degrees so that it doesn’t kick in all day long while we are gone. We also decided to try and close certain vents in rooms we don’t frequent. Which in a small apartment, it’s not easy. We decided to put both the bathroom and kitchen nearly closed. The heat from cooking keeps the kitchen warmed while being used. The bathroom, for some reason, never seems to get too cold. I bet we have the neighbors downstairs to thank for that one. By obtaining this information (and living through a few cold days with several blankets) we have a system down that heats the area to just where we are comfortable when we are there, and keeps the heat from kicking on when we aren’t. This last bill we saved over $40 from last month. Now THAT is a saving strategy worth sharing!

Before I met my beau, I was in a long term relationship where we mostly bonded while watching TV or on vacations. Television was an integral part of my life that I never thought I would be able to let go. I had MY SHOWS! I desperately needed to watch them. That is until I got a life and discovered Hulu.com. Moving in with my guy was hard at first, as cable was a needless expense to him. I didn’t understand how someone could live with a TV and almost never turn it on, let alone not have every station under the sun. What if Lifetime Classic-Made-for-TV Movie channel was running a marathon that I couldn’t miss?? We watched movies every once an awhile, but mostly did physical activities such as biking and going for walks. At first, I endured. Then it became easier. Then football season reared its head. My father, knowing that I couldn’t live without football- I really can’t- hooked me up with a free converter box. He took advantage of the government giveaway, much to my appreciation. We pay $0 dollars for cable every month and still get a great variety of shows, including my precious football. Cable television is very unnecessary. This is coming from ME, people. I was in love with TV. I would’ve married it if I could, need it only propose to me. It is a MAJOR savings for us monthly. This is a HIGHLY recommended way to actually stop doing passive interactions with people and really BOND with your partner.