Ideas for savings

I read recently that you can save on your electric bill if you go around your house and turn off all appliances, etc., that use electricity even though you're not using them. For instance a microwave that has a clock or your cable box when not watching TV. This morning I went around my home and unplugged all the things that were draining electricity. I did leave on all clock radios and my coffee maker which has a heating unit that must be plugged in in order for me get immmediate hot coffee or hot water for tea (husband's idea). I'm using the computer right now but when I'm finished I will be flipping the switch and turning off all the green lights that remain on 24/7. I'm excited to see how much savings there will be next month on our electric bill. Our billing period starts about the 7th of each month so I won't see the true savings until the following month but there should be some difference.

I few years ago I did not use my electric dryer for a full month and saved $30 on the next bill. However, with three children and a husband who I believe is a clothes hoarder, there is always plenty of laundry to do so I opted to use my dryer and pay the $30 a month. My sister has a gas dryer though and I do try and do laundry at her house a few times a month. I find her gas dryer dries clothes much faster than my electric one.

When I do my laundry I also use only cold water. Also, whatever the detergent amount recommendation is, I half it. I don't usually use fabric softener but I do use dryer sheets. I hear you can make them yourself but the store brands are usually very reasonable. I half them also. They come in handy if you need to freshen something up too. For instance my son wore a pair of sweat pants and they were still clean so in order to wear them again I but them in the dryer with a dryer sheet, and a few minutes later they were as good as freshly washed. I don't recommend doing this too often as a quick iron with some fresh smelling starch spray will do the same thing without using too much extra electricity.

Another saying I have about laundry is that just because it touches your skin does not make it dirty. Jeans, for instance, can be worn more then once, as well as work pants. Sweat jackets, over shirts, shirts worn for a short period of time, pajamas, these are all things that can be worn more than once.

I also recommend doing smaller loads in the winter and line dry them in your home. The same heat that heats your home is the same that will dry your clothes. I have a clothes line in my utility room and kitchen chairs are ideal for drying heavy towels. My family likes the roughness of the towels that the dryer takes away anyway.