The money-saving, cost-cutting thread

[625]

Ok, since most of us here are not rich, let's share your money-saving ideas. Prices of virtually everything are going up, so I thought I'd try to offset this a bit. Please try to add something less obvious like drive slower or turn your thermostat up or down. But if it makes you feel better, go for it. I don't make the rules here.

Some ideas will be borderline obvious like add more insulation in your attic. Some of us forget things like this. When I moved into my house, there was virtually nothing up there. It cost me a few hundred dollars to add insulation, but I've easily recouped that money in just a few winters.

I don't use trash bags any more. Well occasionally, for yard waste and putting old clothes in to give away, stuff like that. Our main trashcan is in our kitchen. It has a removable insert that acts as a bag. We only use this can for paper and other non-food items since the insert would stink if we did otherwise. I just pull the insert out and dump it into the big cans that sit at the curb for pickup. All potentially stinky trash gets put into a smaller trash can that also has an insert, only this insert is designed to use the plastic bags you would get at the grocery store, Target, etc. The carry handles actually loop around the edge of the insert to keep them in place. The lid is hinged and opens with a foot pedal. The bag keeps it sealed pretty well. You do have to be careful with these bags though, since most of the grocery store bags seem to get holes in the bottom just looking at them. Just double-bag or use the better bags from the state store, Target, and most pharmacies.

So, what are your ideas?

[Johannes_Paulsen]

A few things I do....

Definitely drive less aggressively. I drive on I-79, where the official speed limit is 55 (even though everyone goes about 70). So I tried driving the speed limit about a week ago. My average MPG has gone from around 20 (combined city/highway) to 23. (And that's with a 3.8L V6 Chevy Impala.)

Personally, even though the Impala is a fine car, I don't plan on buying a V6 sedan again. Four cylinder cars (especially 4 cyl turbos) have a lot of power nowadays and get far better mileage because of their small displacement (and because, generally, 4 cyl. engines are lighter than 6 or 8...and less weight = better MPG.) I'm also sticking with front wheel drive cars, which are more fuel-efficient, and with snow tires are almost as good as all wheel drive cars for winter driving unless you live on top of a hill out in the boonies. (Again, AWD adds more weight, and that means worse MPG.)

Check tire pressure regularly. You may be getting worse gas mileage if your tires are low.

Don't idle for more than a minute, shut off your car. And especially don't wait in line at a drive-thru, park the car and go inside.

Shut the lights off if no one's in a room. There was an episode of Mythbusters where they showed that unless you were going to return to a room within something like 30 seconds, you will be saving energy (and therefore money).

I am replacing all of the incandescent bulbs as they go out with the energy-saving florescent ones. I started using these about a year ago and frankly haven't noticed much of a difference.

Oh, and consider using one of these "Kill A Watt" devices to determine just how efficient your appliances are:

http://www.buy.com/prod/p3-p4400-kil...202443274.html

And I also re-use my plastic shopping bags as trash bags.

[str8shooter]

Summer air conditioning savings. The obvious, use fans to keep the air circulating. Not only does it help move the cooler upper air down to seating level, the air movement speeds up the evaporation of sweat and lowers the core body temperature making you feel cooler at a higher room temperature. The not-so-obvious. Close the curtains, shades, blinds or whatever on the east and south side of the house before going to bed during the summer. Keeping the early morning sun out will keep the house temperature from rising quickly right after dawn. For those with sky lights, install retractable shades. The cost of $65 to $100 per shade can be earned back as savings on the electric bill in as little as one summer when the July and August sun starts beating down.

[Karl/PA]

Lessee......

We have a 1200 sq. ft. rancher. Best thing we ever did was install a pellet stove. Feed it once or twice a day and clean it once a week. We heated our entire house for a little less than $600. Last year it was $512. Stove placement is critical. Do your homework.

Found a low mileage (77K) Geo Tracker on the internet for $2500. Use it around town and let the V8 truck sit and just use it for hauling.

[P89]

I'll refer back to your own thread.
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/lounge-10...-your-own.html

Aside from gardening, I do my own canning. All my vegies, sauces, jams, jellies, yes even meat for stew. I don't have to freeze it, saves running a freezer and the chance of power lose for an extended period of time to where you loose all your frozen food. It just sits on the shelf and I rotate my inventory just like at the grocery store. It tastes a whole lot better too.
I also have a new old fashion push mower...you know, man power to make it work. Dual purpose here...keeps my belly in check and saves gas/oil/noise.
I do some of the stuff mentioned above as well, I use a wood stove though, Karl is right on...placement is key.
Oh, I forgot...reloading, it is a gun forum afterall.

[625]

We heated our entire house for a little less than $600. Last year it was $512.

Dang! My last fuel oil delivery was five hundred some dollars and that got me a whole 150 or so gallons. Gotta look into a wood or pellet stove.

Feel free to add what I consider extreme hippy ideas like:

"If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down."

No thanks. I'd rather my bathrooms not smell like a port-a-potty.

[dirtybug]

+1 on the wood / pellet stove. aside from the initial cost of buying the stove I heated for free all winter due to collecting other peoples cut trees and building my own log splitter.

Drive my more efficient vehicle or motorcycle when not working. also try to combine trips. Going to the shore alot less.

Considering buying massive amounts of food soon, I heard that right now buying food is a better investment than anything because interest rates are like 2.9% but food is rising at ten times that, so if you buy next months food now it could save you 5-10-15-20% buying food for many months ahead is better than cash in the bank.

Compact flourescent lights are great for anywhere that doesnt have a dimmer switch, also outdoors in cold weather the have trouble lighting, other than that put em everywhere.

Ceiling fans are a huge help in summer, I forget the % but they help A/C alot.

I may think about doing a "green roof" , basically a rooftop garden that doubles as a heat barrier in summer and insulation in winter (alot of W-marts are doin it) .

As an electrician I can help everyone out with this bit of info--- Some appliances such as TV's still use upto 80% of their power even when off!! unplug anything you can or put it on a clapper The "kill a watt" things help show what items to unplug and which are not drawing much.

Ok thats all for now.

[625]

Compact flourescent lights are great for anywhere that doesnt have a dimmer switch, also outdoors in cold weather the have trouble lighting, other than that put em everywhere.

Yea, I've noticed the cold weather thing too.

Does anyone have any experience with LED lighting? Do they have any issues?

I keep my outside front light on for security reasons, but it's only a 13 W compact flourescent. It's supposed to be equivalent to a 60 W incandescent.

My side porch light is a 100 W incandescent, but it has a built-in timer and motion detector, so it does not use much juice.

[Duck]

Something no one else has mentioned is clip coupons. If you get the Sun newspaper with the coupon books in them, look through them. Some stores double them up to .99. If you don't get the newspaper, online they have free coupons too.Since food prices are going up coupons will help keep it down some. Another thing to do is if you have a backyard, get a clothesline and hang dry your clothes when it's nice out. That saves on energy from the dryer.

[dirtybug]

Yea, I've noticed the cold weather thing too.

Does anyone have any experience with LED lighting? Do they have any issues?

I keep my outside front light on for security reasons, but it's only a 13 W compact flourescent. It's supposed to be equivalent to a 60 W incandescent.

My side porch light is a 100 W incandescent, but it has a built-in timer and motion detector, so it does not use much juice.

LED Lighting is highly efficient and long lasting, I havent had much personal experience with it but believe it to be cost prohibitive and still in its infancy as far as residential lighting goes. another thing to look at it is LCD (liquid crystal display) lighting, it is energy efficient but expensive at the same time is beutiful when on or off. They make LCD panels that are a direct replacement for drop ceiling flourescents and are being used more and more in medical areas that need to be disinfected easily, the LCD is basically a sheet of glass.
BTW your side porch light can be replaced with compact flourescent even though its on a timer and motion ( at least in warm months) they are now making compact flourescent flood lights.