With all this talk lately about daylight savings and what are we really saving and who’s benefitting, I’ve starting thinking more about what I can do to save. Because as much as I love to shop and spend, I also love to not spend money on utilities! And if you’re reading this blog post, you can probably relate. So, while the politicians talk about saving daylight, let’s talk about saving money!
First up, LED lighting. Just do it! They cost a lot more up front, no doubt about that, but in the long run they are worth it. These bulbs are going to last longer than most of us will live in our houses. Not only are you going to save on the cost of replacing light bulbs, you’re going to save up to 90% of the cost of electricity while using the bulbs. And if you live in Alberta, wait a few weeks and the provincial government will be handing out free LED bulbs anyway, so no up-front cost! Not that it’ll do me any good as I’ve already switched all my bulbs, but it’s a something to take advantage of if you haven’t made the switch yet.
Next up, your fridge. Why? Because in the case of your fridge, disorganization is costing you money. I know you really want to keep that quiche from last month, because, hey, it was tasty and maybe you’ll finish it right? First, its quiche-toss it. Second, the more stuff you have in your fridge, the harder your fridge has to work to keep everything cold. More items mean less air flow; less air flow means your compressor has to work harder. Same thing for your freezer. So, if you have to move a whole bunch of leftovers around to see what’s in the bottom or back, then it’s time to clean that fridge out and starting saving some money.
And finally, power bars buy some. Sometimes you just have to spend money to save money. In our culture, most homes can easily have a couple dozen electronic devices ñ double that if you have teenagers (maybe that’s an exaggeration, but go with it). Most of those devices, such as computers and printers, are using phantom power even when they’re not in use. Plug a bunch of them into a power bar and flip the switch to off.
3 small steps that may seem small, but we often nickel and dime our finances into a mess, so let’s nickel and dime them back into good health, starting with our power consumption.
