Saving Money on Energy Costs

We are all looking for ways to save money. I have been doing some research on saving money when it comes to energy expenses. Here are ten inexpensive things you can do to help save energy and money:

Compact fluorescent light bulbs

Price: $2.00 to $3.00
Description: The CFL, as it is called, is longer-lasting and more efficient than the incandescent bulb. All fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, though, so just make sure that you dispose of them correctly.
Savings: Around $10 per year per bulb.


Window insulator kit

Price: About $20
Description: An hour or so with a window insulator kit - which requires the use of a portable hair dryer - is an easy and cost-effective way to keep out drafts.
Savings: Windows and doors account for about 11 percent of heat loss in a home, so insulating windows could pay you back in a matter of a few months.


Smart strip

Price: $41.95 for the 10-outlet
model.
Description: This device allows you to turn off the "power sucker" devices - like VCRs and DVD players that cost you around $4 a year, even when idle - when you turn off another device, like a TV. At the same time, it lets you keep power going to things that need to stay on, so your DVR will still be able to record your favorite programs overnight.
Savings: Use it to control six or seven devices and it can pay for itself in energy savings within a year.

Draft stopper

Price: $10 to $20
Description: Especially in older buildings, drafts coming in under the doors can account for 20 percent of a home's heat loss. You can find lots of door draft stoppers in home improvement stores or online, but if you're a crafty sort, you can also take the leg of an old pair of jeans, sew up the ends and fill it with buckwheat or sand, or even clean kitty litter.
Savings: Varies from house to house.


Low-flow shower heads


Price: around $12
Description: Not only do low-flow shower heads save water, they also help save on energy because you'll use less hot water. Federal regulations require that new shower heads cut the water flow to 2.5 gallons per minute, but this low-flow shower head can bring your water flow as low as 1.2 to 1.4 gallons per minute, which for most households means that it will cut down, not only on water used, but on the energy used to heat that water.
Savings: Recover the cost of the shower head within a few months.

Insulation blanket

Price: $20 to $30
Description: Wrapping your water heater in an insulation blanket will reduce the amount of heat lost through the tank's walls by about 25 to 45 percent.
Savings: They'll pay for themselves in reduced heating bills in a matter of months.


Child-safe plugs

Price: $3.29 for a package of 12 caps.
Description: Electrical wall outlets are another small, often overlooked culprit for drafts. Plug them up with plastic child safe plugs and keep out small fingers and drafts at the same time.
Savings: Overall heating cost savings varies.

Lamp socket auto-off light control

Price: $11.99
Description: If lights are consistently left on in places like the bathroom, the garage or the closet, this little gadget inserted in the socket automatically switches off the light after 15 minutes, and it works with both incandescent bulbs and CFLs.
Savings: Say a 100-watt light is left on each night for 10 hours, the auto-off control would pay for itself in a few months.

Slow cooker

Price: $149.99 for the KitchenAid 7-quart KSC700. (This is the top-of-the-line slow cooker!)
Description: If you can't afford a new Energy Star stove, think about investing in a slow cooker, especially if you like to make casseroles or large batches of food like beef stew or cassoulet. Good slow cookers can range from the $19.99 to $279.95. Mine was $39.99, and I love it! I use it at least once a week!
Savings: Varies, but the typical slow cooker will have used less than a kilowatt of power after seven hours of cooking.

More Money Saving Tips

1. Stop drinking pop and drink more water! You will save SO much money!
2. Go over your grocery list. Try buying more off-brands. I rarely buy name brand items, and you would never know the difference. My family has never said anything about it, and I am saving a lot of money.

3. Buy clothes and shoes for you and the kids from the clearance racks. When I am shopping, I almost NEVER buy anything full price...this was a difficult concept for my husband to grasp. He grew up paying full price for everything, but we just don't have that kind of money. A few weeks ago, we went to Express, and they were having their clearance sale. I was rummaging through the boxes, and asked my husband if he had looked, and he said that he had not because he only liked the full price items. So...I started looking through the men's boxes, and found some great deals! He ended up getting five ties and a pair of cufflinks for $30.00! We were so excited because one tie from Express usually costs about $49.00!

4. Get movies from the library instead of renting them.
5. Do the same with books, borrow instead of buy. Most people only read them once anyway.
6. Go on a picnic instead of going to the restaurant. It is more fun and much cheaper, and your kids will love you for it!
7. Toss all your change in a "piggy bank" of some kind and let it accumulate for a few months or longer. You will think you struck it rich! (Not really, but it does add up) We have a container in our laundry room that we throw all of our change into...it's almost full...can't wait to cash it in and see how much we've saved!
8. If you have all the movie channels, cut them down a bit. Most of the movies rotate through them all anyway. We have very limited basic cable, and it is good enough for us. We have found that most of the shows that we watch are on regular network tv anyway.
9. Do your laundry at night. The rates are cheaper.
10. Give your clothes an extra spin as it costs less to run a washer than the dryer. We have started doing this, and a huge load of laundry only takes about 30 minutes to dry.
11. Ask your credit card companies for a lower interest rate. Sometimes rather than lose a good customer, they will grant your wish! Better yet, don't use credit cards at all!
12. Buy your holiday decorations AFTER the holiday. You can save up to 75% or more. We did this last year with Christmas ornaments, and got all new ornaments for a large tree for about $20.00 total!
13. Turn down your heat a couple degrees more at night and throw on an extra blanket. Better yet, if you can, turn it off completely.
14. Clean behind your refrigerator at least once a year to get out all the dust and dirt that can cost you more money. You'd be surprised at how much gross stuff accumulates!
15. Save empty bread bags and grocery bags instead of buying box after box of storage bags.
16. Keep your car tuned and your tires properly inflated to save money on gas. This will also increase the life of your car.
17. Buy inexpensive fabric for cloth napkins, doilies, etc.
18. Be creative when it comes to decorating. Use sheets to make curtains. Use an old quilt as a cozy wall-hanging. Create an artful display with family photos. I made a curtain valance out of fabric napkins and some ribbon that I had. It is so cute, and everyone loves them!
19. Save the new, convenient plastic coffee cans with handles. Paint them, decorate them and use them for organizers for kids art supplies, your CDs, pens & pencils, food envelopes, recipes, craft supplies, etc.
20. Turn unused stuff into money. If you have a gift you haven't used or that shirt you bought and never wore, take them back to the store. You might not get full price, but some is better than none. Or, re-gift the item, and you won't have to spend money to buy a new one!
21. Use petroleum jelly to remove make-up. It is much more economical then beauty products made for removing make-up. You can also mix petroleum jelly with lipstick in a container to make a tinted lipgloss.
22. Hydrogen peroxide can be used to kill germs in cuts and sores rather then expensive antibiotic medicines. It doesn't burn or sting, and kids will like to watch it bubble.
23. Make windowsill or container gardens and grow herbs and fresh vegetables. This is a project we will be starting in a few weeks when it gets a little warmer!
24. Instead of a night on the town, send the kids to Grandma's and have a romantic night at home. Trust me...your husband will love the idea! :)
25. Make and STICK TO a budget! Try not to slip, but if you do, get back on-board and stick with it!