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13 Ways to Save Energy and Cut Utility Bills
Slashing unnecessary expenses on necessary items like utilities is on everyone’s mind. Saving money may seem difficult when summer temperatures swell or winter chills have you cranking up the thermostat. While we can’t eliminate our water bills or electric bills, there are lots of tips and tricks to keep the costs down. 13 Ways to Save Energy and Cut Utility Costs 1. Switch to LED bulbs. We hear it all the time, and for good reason. LED bulbs use less energy and last longer than regular incandescent bulbs. They also create less heat, meaning your air conditioner bill goes down. 2. Buy blackout panels to hang behind your curtains. Blackout…
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5 Frugal Things I Did Today
5 Frugal Things I Did Today When you live a frugal life and you’ve been doing it for a while, you don’t seem to notice all the frugal things you do anymore! If you start to get down about your budget, your bills, or the economy in general, try this exercise: Grab a pen and paper. Write down the title, “5 Frugal Things I Did Today.” Walk slowly through your house. Every time you see something frugal or remember something frugal you have done, write it down. (Some examples include a great sale stock up in the pantry, recycling an old container into a new use, staying organized so you…
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Are Energy Vampire Taps Costing You Money?
Are Energy Vampire Taps Costing You Money? Vampire taps are in all of our houses right now and chances are, they’re costing you money. Many electrical devices use energy in “standby mode” 24 hours a day, even when they’re not in use. A little extra energy may not seem like a big deal at first thought. However, each extra item using electricity tacks on a little to your electric bill, making your cost higher for items you aren’t even using! Common vampire taps include: Electric razors and electric toothbrushes Computers, monitors, external modems and hard drives Fax machines, printers and scanners Cell phone chargers Telephones and answering machines Stoves and…
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The Airlines Stole Our Peanuts! What's Next?
The price of fuel is hurting everyone: missed vacations and business trips for people who now can't afford to fly, the airlines losing revenue and having to cut flights, the hotels and restaurants who don't have vacationers to patronize their establishments, and most of all - the poor souls...
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Declutter Your Closet: Why is it So Hard to Let Go of Clothes?
How to Declutter Your Closet Decluttering is a vital part of maintaining a simple and organized home. Shouldn’t your time be used for things you want to do, instead of maintaining a home full of unneeded items? Even for those of us who are experts at cutting clutter, clothing and closets can still be a difficult area to clear out. Use the basic steps below and the decluttering criteria to learn how to declutter your closet. Why is it So Hard to Let Go of Clothes? Clothing is personal and it’s easy to attach memories to items. Special occasion clothes, souvenir clothes… these items may not look great or even…
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Recipe: Danelle's Frugal Deep Fry Fish Batter Recipe
This frugal batter recipe is great for deep frying fish if you want it to taste restaurant-style. I had fish to fry, but had no beer to make a beer batter or Tempura mix. All the recipes I knew took one of those two ingredients, and I knew I could make a batter without an unnecessary (and expensive) trip to the grocery store. This batter is SO GOOD that people ask for the recipe while they’re eating it, no kidding! Why is it frugal? It’s made from inexpensive basic kitchen ingredients that most people keep on hand. This recipe is written for a deep fryer.
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My Empty Frugal House
Today’s Frugal Friday is not a tip, exactly… at least it’s not a method of frugality I would recommend to anyone. This morning my husband left on a 2 week business trip. We have never been apart for longer than 2 days, and this is very difficult for us both and the kids. Plus, our daughter has gone to her other home (custody) for 3 weeks – she also left this morning. It’s just me and the baby in the house, alone, for 2 weeks. My husband’s work has sent him to a remote village. He’ll be staying in a dorm room, as far as we know. His room and…
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What We Learned About Homework From 2nd Grade
I’m happy to wrap up the Scaling Down the Homework series, and even happier that the 16th was the last day of school! If you missed our 4-part series Scaling Down the Homework, click the links below to check it out: Scaling Down the Homework (Part 1) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 2) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 3) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 4) Even though school is out for summer, we’re ready with our homework plan of action when fall rolls around. Homework (and education in general) is a very sensitive subject. Mel at Tuttle Family Adventures, who is a teacher, talked about it in her article Saying…
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Scaling Down the Homework -Pt 4
If you missed the first three installments of Scaling Down the Homework, you should read them before continuing down the page. Scaling Down the Homework (Part 1) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 2) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 3) How do you motivate a “moving away from” child in a positive way? What is the proper approach to homework for a child who is only motivated by consequences? My husband and I designed a system which works beautifully, but didn’t discover it until school had only 1 month left! We’re ready for when the next school year starts. Here’s what we did: Change #1: The Hour of Homework. Hannah is…
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How To Set Up a Housekeeping Plan
Setting up a Housekeeping Plan for your home is a project that will keep your house cleaning, care and maintenance manageable for you. Designing and creating the plan may take a little time up front, but this is time well spent. By creating a Housekeeping Plan, you are investing a little time now to save you a lot of time in the future.
