livingitup

No one wants to spend more than has to be spent.  Especially now, when times are getting tight, prices are rising, and employers are laying-off.  Sometimes those spending cuts can be downright depressing.  No one wants to give up their little perks and pick-me-ups.  Before you give up those meals with friends or new shoes, make sure you aren’t spending money on things that you don’t even use.

1. If you have a clothes dryer of your own, make sure that you clean out the vents.  Dryers stockpile lint.  Cleaning it from the filter (usually in the front), the vent (the tube in the back), and the vent exhaust (outside where the warm air escapes) can really speed up drying and cut drying costs.  Clean the filter with dishwashing detergent and water about once every two months to get it really clean.
2. Use a toaster oven or the microwave to cook.  They use way less energy to heat than a conventional oven, and most foods can be cooked in one or the other.  (Note: Microwave ovens do not heat liquids as efficiently as other means.  To boil water, you can stick with a traditional method.)
3. If you do use a conventional oven to cook during the colder months, don’t waste the heat when you are done.  If you can safely leave the oven door open (without toddler hands or other dangers), leave the door cracked to let the heat escape into the room.
4. Mend your own clothes as soon as they need repairs.  Repairing one seam is easy.  A glue even exists for that now.  If you let the clothing repairs pile up, the task becomes daunting.  Paying a tailor to repair them or tossing them in the trash is not the most cost effective means.
5. Buy a water filter for your sink, instead of buying bottled water.  Keep filtered water in your refrigerator.  Reuse old bottles to have water on the go, or invest in a water jug.
6. Keep your heating and air filters clean.  Change them every month.
7. Keep doors closed to keep the heat in.  This not only applies to external doors, but also interior ones, as well.  Heating a small space is easier than a larger one.
8. Choose your lighting carefully.  Natural lighting is, obviously, the cheapest source.  It also is very pleasant.  Use it when you can.  Think creatively when you can’t.  A candlelight dinner could be good on your budget as well as your romance.  Use lamps for reading and writing areas.  Switch out bulbs to energy efficient bulbs.  They do start off dim, which I’ve found helps out on those early mornings, but they light just as well or better than the less efficient ones.
9. Open blinds to allow sunlight to naturally warm your space.  Close blinds to keep out the sunlight for a cooler area.  Closed blinds will help maintain the interior temperature at night when it is cold, too.
10. Unplug appliances when you aren’t using them.  Even when turned off, items still absorb energy from electrical plugs.  Not using that blender?  Unplug it.  Or invest in a surge protector that is specially designed to stop the flow of electricity when appliances are turned off.

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