I promised some more money saving tips and here they come…
Before I lunge into the kitchen area, I will give you some tips on saving electricity. These are things our family practices constantly. In our location, people have a tendency (especially in the summertime) to compare high electric bills, and I can tell you that ours is usually lower than peoples’ around us.
Alright, folks, I know none of this is big news, but if any of it serves as a reminder, then I have accomplished something. We all need to tighten our belts in economic hard times, and besides, energy conservation is becoming the big issue of the present and even more so, the future. We’d better all get used to it and get creative about conservation. Here are some simple things we do:
First, change out your old-fashioned light bulbs for the fluorescent ones. It seems pricey, (and they look a little goofy) because the fluorescent bulbs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but you won’t regret it. Your electric usage will go down and you won’t have to change bulbs very often! When we first made this switch, I had one light which we left on all the time, sort of as a night light, and I’d been putting a new incandescent bulb in there about every 2 months. In the last 5 years, I have changed this bulb twice now. The only old-fashioned bulbs I have in the house now are decorative ones.
Secondly, shut down the computers when you’re not using them. For me, this means at night and if I’m going to be out for most of the day. Computers may not be huge energy-suckers, but many of us have them on 24/7. For our family, this is a big one, since we have five functioning computers and four of them are on most of each day. We shut them all down at night and when we are going to be away for several hours.
Thirdly, try to be efficient with major appliances… Do all of your baking at once, so you only have to heat up the oven once a day. For instance, if you are planning to bake bread and make a casserole for supper, plan to bake the bread either right before or after the casserole. Leaving the oven on for an extra 30 minutes takes a lot less energy than heating it up twice. Another big energy user is your clothes dryer - check the clothes near the end of the cycle so it doesn’t have to run longer than necessary. You can also save some electricity or natural gas by checking the temperature on your water heater. Is it hotter than it needs to be? If so, that’s wasted energy. Run your washing machine only when you can fill it up (or if you really need clean underwear!).
Another way to save power is with the thermostat. Air conditioning doesn’t have to be set at 70 degrees, try warming it up a few degrees. Go the other way when running the heater. We set our A/C at 74 and the heat at 66. If the outside temperature is somewhere in-between, I turn it off. Once it’s set, though, leave it alone. Constantly changing it because you are a bit warm or cold is an energy waster.
If you have ceiling fans, use them. All the time. They help the furnace and the air conditioner by circulating the air.
Train the kids and yourself to turn off the lights. There’s this thing called the sun that comes every morning and if you have windows, it lights up your house. Use it to your benefit.
Next — saving money at the grocery store.
If you are impatient, check out a new site I just discovered: The Dollar Stretcher
January 28th, 2009
Jumping on the bandwagon here with ways to save money around the house. Usually this is a cooking blog, but I’m expanding for the next several posts to include all the small ways I pinch pennies at home and while shopping.
Right now, we are all recession-minded and many of us are even bracing for a depression. Even if you never lose your income, a recession or depression can halt pay raises, make you hesitant to change jobs, and can just make you more conservative in your spending. Remember, also, that during hard times, charity is even more necessary than during good times and if you are fortunate enough to have a good income, you should consider being extra-charitable during hard economic times.
So, folks, starting today, I will challenge you to reduce your spending, consumption, and usage in small ways. Every little bit counts! A penny saved is a penny earned, and all that jazz…
We’ll start in the laundry room…
First off, reduce the amount of laundry soap you use. A dermatologist told me a long time ago that we don’t need to use the recommended amount of soap, you know… the amount that All or Tide suggests you use. When measuring laundry soap, cut it with a little water, even up to 50/50 water and soap. Keep your eyes on the sales and try your darndest to only buy laundry soap when it is on sale. Soon I am planning to try making my own laundry soap, check out the Duggar’s website for the recipe.
This just in from my sister Sue: “if you have a Sears hardware around, buy their laundry soap in the eight million ton bucket. If you get it on sale it is $20, and it lasts forever…I bet the Duggar’s isn’t even cheaper to make.”
Secondly, if you use dryer sheets, try tearing them in half or even into thirds. You might be surprised that they are just as effective this way. In the summertime, when the air is more humid, you can skip the dryer sheet altogether. Towels never need dryer sheets - in fact I have read that fabric softeners make towels less absorbent.
Thirdly, and you may have some trouble with this one…. wash your clothes less often. Seriously, jeans do not need to be washed after every single wearing. Nor do your shirts, much of the time. Try wearing them a couple of days before tossing clothes into the laundry, and train your family to do the same thing.
In addition, don’t forget that clothes can be dried in the sunshine and fresh air. Hang a clothesline if space and conditions allow. You’ll save on your electric bill and save wear and tear on your dryer. Besides, nothing smells so good as sheets that have been dried in the sun!
Now for a couple of don’ts:
Don’t use the dry cleaner for every day washable items. Dry cleaners are just for things you actually cannot clean at home, like leather and suede. A few extra minutes of pressing may save only pennies, but a penny is still a penny.
Don’t go buy a front-loading washing machine because it saves water. I’ve done the research - If there is a front-loader on the market that will last long enough to save enough on your water bill to pay for itself, I am not aware of it. Stick with the top-loaders, they are effective and ever-so-much less expensive.
In my next post, I will try to help you spot ways in which you can save money at the grocery.
January 12th, 2009
Alright, this may sound like a strange combination to you, but I liked this as a quick supper or lunch…
Southwest tuna salad, with some shredded cheese added, slapped onto one side of a soft tortilla and fried in the skillet until crispy. For me, this works! Most of my kids liked it, but I have to say that hubby didn’t even try it, probably because he’d had chicken salad in a tortilla for lunch and it was too repetitive for him. If you like tuna salad or tuna casserole, give this a try:
Southwest Tuna
makes about 6 foldovers
2 cans chunk light tuna in water, drained
1 teaspoon diced jalapenos
3 green onion tops, snipped
1/4 c. red pepper strips, either canned or fresh
2 T. mayonnaise
salt, pepper, cumin to taste
minced cilantro if you have it (regrettably, I didn’t have any when I made this)
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Combine the tuna, jalapenos, onions, and red pepper - toss together with a fork. Next add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and cumin and combine everything. Stir in the cheese.
Place about 1/4 c. of the filling onto one side of a soft tortilla and fold it over (hence the term foldover). Heat a skillet on medium and spray with a bit of cooking spray. By the way, I always use olive oil cooking spray now - even the store brands are making it. Once the skillet is hot, add two foldovers and fry for a couple of minutes. When the first side is getting crispy, flip. 2-4 minutes later, it is done.
Serve your Southwest Tuna Foldovers with avocado or guacamole, some sour cream, diced tomato and lettuce, or maybe some beans - mashed black beans, refried beans, or ranch beans would be good.
January 7th, 2009