Our Frugal Night Time Routine

 Money saving tips can be as simple as turning off a light.  Here are all the frugal things we do at night to save a little extra money -

*  After dinner and when we are ready to settle into the loungeroom we bring the solar lanterns inside ( after charging all day ).  They are placed around the loungeroom and the lamp is turned off.  If the lanterns have been fully charged,  we get 4 - 6 hours of good light from them.

*  We turn off lights in the rooms not being used.  Both Darren and I grew up with this being a common practice in our families.  Lamps are never left on in the hope that someone might go into that room.

*  Before bed we turn off the standby lights on the tv and double check that other appliances haven't been left on.

*  A soon as it's dusk we close the curtains and pull down the blinds in the laundry.  On hot days we keep the blinds down in the bathrooms too.

*  If the washing has been outside on clothes horses,  we bring them inside and place them over the ducted heating vents.  

*  We use battery operated lights hidden under the overhead bathroom cupboards.  These are also great in case the power goes off.

*  Darren prepares his lunch,  snacks,  water bottle and lunchbox ready for work the next day.  He also brings his own tea,  coffee mug and cutlery so these are always restocked and cleaned.  If I've got a cleaning job the next day,  I fill my water bottle and have a morning tea snack packed ready to go.

*  If it's cold or windy,  we make sure the draught stoppers are on the external doors.

*  Blankets are used when we watch tv at night in the colder weather.  Our ducted heating automatically turns off at 9pm.  By having the blankets handy,  we are not tempted to turn the heating back on.

*  The overnight ducted heating temperature is set at 15.5 degrees Celsius.

*  In Winter we put a blanket on our bed.

*  Meat is taken from the freezer and placed on a tray in the fridge for dinner the next day.  This helps us avoid the takeaway temptation.

*  All dinner leftovers are portioned out into containers and put in the fridge.  If I remember,  I then label and put them in the freezer.  This avoids picking / nibbling at what could be a proper dinner serve.

Lots of blankets in our home

A programable ducted heating controller

Using draught stoppers

Do you have a frugal night time routine ?

10 Ways To Turn Power Off In Your Home - Part 2

Darren and I just received our latest electricity bill the other day.  Thankfully we didn't experience bill shock and our provider said we are using 6% less than the same time last year.  Compared to other similar household in our area,  we are using far less than a household of one person.  That's pretty good considering we have 2 people living here and family that visits a couple of times a week.

Following on from last week,  here are another 10 items you can turn off at the power point -

1.  Turn off your electric doorbell.  How likely are you to have someone knocking at your door ?  It's even better if you don't know there's a pesky salesperson is at your door.  I only turn our doorbell on when I'm expecting visitors.

2.  Turn your electric toothbrushes off when not charging.  From memory they only need an hour to  recharge.

3.  Turn off your electric reclining chairs.  That function doesn't need to be available 24 / 7 unless you are sitting in the chair.

4.  Turn off your floor lamps,  table lamps and bedside lamps when not in use.  While they might not have a standby light,  it's just good practice to turn things off at the wall when you don't need them.

5.  Turn off your toaster oven at the wall to eliminate any standby lights.  The reality is,  you'll only use it at meal times.

6.  Turn off your heated towel rail.  Usually towels dry naturally in between uses.  If you have a ducted heating vent in your bathroom,  just close the door and let the vent do all the work.

7.  Turn off your outdoor porch lights / security lights.  They are great for night time use if you really need them especially when navigating steps and locks on the doors.  We have many neighbours who have their outdoor lights turned on during the day for no reason.  It's such a waste of electricity and I'm sure they have no idea they are on.

8.  Turn your gaming consoles off at the wall.  Those little standby lights don't need to be on 24 / 7 when the family might only use them for an hour or so.

9.  Turn your bar fridge / drink fridge / garage fridge off at the wall if they are empty.  If you only have a couple of bottles / cans being chilled,  perhaps move them to the main fridge.

10.  Turn off your robot ( automatic ) vacuum at the wall.  You might only use them once or twice a week for an hour yet I've seen many turned on just waiting for someone to need them.

Has this list been a timely reminder for you ?

Have you tried to decrease your electricity usage ?

10 Ways To Turn Power Off In Your Home.

If you are living in Australia,  your electricity and gas bills are about to go up ( again ).  If you live elsewhere in the world then you've most likely already faced rising power bills.

No one wants to sit in the dark with no heating on.  It's just not right and it's not good for your health.  There might be a way to you to afford your power bills by turning off appliances you haven't thought of before.

Over the next 4 weeks I'll be sharing over 40 items you can turn off at the wall when not in use.  This will eliminate standby / phantom power which is a complete waste of money.  Some of these items you might not have in your home  but your friends and family might.  This could be a timely reminder for them so I'd encourage you to share these posts with everyone you know.  You could be helping someone who is struggling.

1.  Turn off the air freshener plug ins.  These are the ones you plug in to the power point that have a glass bottle with liquid fragrance that heats up ( refills are available ).  Perhaps turn them on when you have visitors coming.

2. Turn off the coffee machine and coffee grinder.  You only use it a couple of times a day for a minute or two.  No need to have it on all day.

3. Turn off the phone charging station.  If there are no phones charging,  don't keep the standby light on.

4.  Turn off your computer / laptop when not in use.  Gone are the days when you need to keep them on for the health of the device.

5.  Turn off the wine cooler fridge.  How often are you really needing the fridge ?  Remember,  there was a time when people stored wine without these appliances.

6.  Turn off your printer.  How many times have you printed a page then walked away without turning it off /  It happens in our home from time to time.

7.  Turn off the dishwasher as soon as the cycle finishes.  Perhaps it needs to be used when you are going to be home for the duration of the cycle.  As a cleaner I've seen many,  many dishwashers left on even though the cycle finished hours ago.

8.  Turn off your sewing machine.  I always sew with the machine's light on as a way to know if the machine is on or off.

9.  Turn off your exercise equipment ( treadmills etc ).   My guess is they are only used for a short period of time,  if at all.

10.  Turn off portable heaters.  If they are not in use then turn them off at the wall.  This is an extra safety step too. 

Do you have any of these appliances you could turn off ?

New Ways We Are Saving On Power Usage

 Power prices are soaring across the world making it difficult for many people to heat or cool their homes.  Bill shock is now a common thing for many as budgets are being stretched to the limit.

Darren and I have always been fairly wise about our power usage but increased costs have made us find new ways to save on our bills.

Here's what we've been doing lately -

*  Using solar garden lanterns at night when we are watching tv and moving around our home.  Before we had the solar lanterns we turned a lamp on in the lounge room or turned a light on when moving from room to room.

*  I'm using a solar phone charger as a light to move around our home when it's dark.  I bought it from Kmart a year or two ago and just put it aside for when my phone needed recharging.  The light on this charger is quite impressive.

*  I turned our hot water system temperature down.  I did this without telling Darren and he didn't notice a difference in the shower.  I did tell him a few weeks later and he was quite surprised.

*  Recharging phones,  razors,  headphones,  handheld vacuums, stick vacuums and laptops when the sun is shining.  When we  had the solar panels installed in 2014 we were advised to use electrical appliances during the day especially when the sun is shining to make the most of the power being generated.

*  I bought a stick vacuum from Kmart that I use to clean our floors when the sun isn't shining or at night time for quick clean ups.

*  Using the dry mop head to clean our bamboo floors instead of getting the electric vacuum cleaner ( not the stick one ) out.

*  Turning the bathroom exhaust fan off and opening a window after having a shower.  

Our solar lanterns

Solar phone charger with light

2 in 1 stick vacuum.

Have you found new ways to save on power ?

10 Slightly Unusual Ways To Save On Electricity - Part 2

 Saving money on electricity does take a little time and effort.  Thankfully none of the tips I written about need a huge sacrifice on your part.    Have a look around your home to see what's plugged in.  Do you need it ?

Here are another 10 tips to help lower your electricity bill - 

*  Turn off your Google Nest or other smart home displays.  You know you don't use them too often.  We turn ours on when we want to play music.

*  Turn off your Wii,  xbox and other gaming consoles at the power point when not in use.

*  Defrost food in the fridge over night instead of using the microwave.

*  Close ducted heating vents in Summer and cooling vents in Winter.  If they can't be closed,  see if you can slip in a piece of cardboard.

*  Close heating / cooling vents in rooms not being used.

*  Use blankets,  doonas or sleeping bags over windows to keep heat in a home at night and heat out in Summer.  Before we had evap cooling I pegged all spare blankets and sleeping bags over our lounge and dining room windows during heatwaves in Summer.  It really did make a big difference.

*  Match your saucepan to the right sized cooking element on your stove top.

*  Don't use delay start functions on your washing machine,  dishwasher,  dryer and other appliances like slow cookers and all in one pots.  Fill up the washing machine when you get up and if need be,  turn it on when you get home.  

*  Turn off your pool / spa lighting when not in use.  There's no point in impressing your garden with a light display.

*  In Winter ( especially ) eat dinner at the kitchen bench if you can and utilise the kitchen lighting you have on .  This is instead of turning the dining room lights on too.  

Close vents when not in use

Use the sized right pot and cooking element

Have you used any of these savings tips ?

Here are more electricity savings tips I wrote about in 2016

Cutting The Electricity Bill

10 Slightly Unusual Ways To Save On Electricity.

 The cost of living is going up everywhere and it feels like we are being squeezed from all directions.  Residents in the UK are facing electricity increases of 54% with people choosing to heat or eat.

Here are 10 slightly unusual ways you can save a little bit more on your electricity bill

*  Cook with lids on your saucepans.  If you do this you might not need to use the exhaust fan.  I've tried this and it works.

*  Ditch the electric clock radio and use a battery operated one.  If you need an alarm,  use your phone for this function.

*  Use solar garden lights as night lights,  to light a dinner table or to give enough light to safely move around a room.

*  Use a timer to cook rice and pasta.  Don't rely on your memory.  You might get side tracked with other cooking tasks.

*  Wash your clothes on the quick cycle function on the washing machine.  Generally this is only for small loads but sometimes you can't wait until the machine is full ( especially if the clothes are wet or smelly ).  The quick wash on my machine is 20 minutes.  The next quickest cycle is 47 minutes.  Some loads go for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

*  Use the quick wash cycle on your dishwasher.  Mine goes for 30 minutes and washes the dishes really well.  If you do have baked on food then either soak before washing or handwash.

*  Don't leave your front porch light on automatic ( or on at all if you are not expecting anyone ).  It uses power even when it's idle and trees blowing in the wind can also activate it.

*  Unplug the drinks fridge.  Give your regular fridge a good clean out and store your drinks in there.  If you have too many drinks on hand,  only refrigerate a few at a time.

*  Unplug / turn off your doorbell at night.  No one wants to be disturbed when sleeping.

*  When going on holidays,  turn off everything at the wall except the fridge and freezer.  I go around our home and systematically turn everything off in each room.

Old school clocks

Use the quick wash cycle

Have you used any of these tips ?

 Here are links to a few articles I wrote about saving on heating bills. -

Saving on heating bills part 1

Saving on heating bills part 2

Saving on heating bills part 3

Save The Power, Feel The Power - Part 3

 Sometimes we waste electricity without realising it.   I'm hoping these tips will get you thinking about ways to use less and keep more money in your pocket.

*  Turn your dishwasher off when the cycle has finished.  Even better,  give your plates and saucepans a quick scour then use the quick wash cycle which usually takes about 30 minutes to clean everything.  I've cleaned many homes over the years and either see dishwashers on a 120 minute cycle or they are left turned on all day.

*  Use one lamp in the lounge areas when the family is gathered to watch tv.  Even better,  have no lights on and pretend you are at the movies.

*  When and where possible,  replace old energy saving light globes for LED globes.  They do cost a little more but last so much longer and use far less electricity.

*  Defrost meat in the fridge instead of using the microwave.  The fridge is already on so you may as well make the most of it.  A large roast generally takes 2 days in the fridge to defrost.  Pieces of meat like chicken drumsticks,  steak or single serves of meals take1 day to defrost so plan accordingly.  This is also a food safety tip that reduces the risk of food poisoning if you defrost your food on a kitchen bench.  

*  Turn your washing machine and dryer off at the wall when the cycle has finished.  Even better,  invest in a clothes horse / rack and dry your clothes for free.

Have you thought of new ways to save electricity ?

Save The Power, Feel The Power - Part 2

 Following on from last week's electricity savings tips,  here are another 5.  Some are so simple and easy you'll wonder why you hadn't thought of it before.

*  Charge your mobile phone in the car while driving to and from work.  If possible, charge it as work too.

*  Try to time your shower during daylight hours ( if possible ).  No need to turn the bathroom light on if there's enough light coming through the bathroom window.

*  Ask for a better deal from your electricity supplier.  This should be done once a year to make the most of the current deal being offered.

*  When possible,  try to squeeze in your housework and hobbies ( like crafting ) during the daytime.  This can avoid lights being turned on.  If you work and others are in the house during the day,  ask them to run the vacuum around or to give the bathroom sinks a wipe.  Another alternative is to do all your housework on your days off.

*  Check that your outside porch lights haven't been left on by accident.  We have quite a few neighbours in our street who have outside lights on ALL night. Usually they get turned off well into the day.  If you are expecting someone to come home at a certain time at night,  turn the porch light on 10 minutes before they arrive.  Even better,  get them to ring you when they are on their way home. 

 

Stay tuned for Part 3 of Save The Power,  Feel The Power next week.

Save The Power, Feel The Power - Part 1

 Are your electricity bills getting higher and higher each year ? Do you feel like you can't do much to reduce your usage ?  

With Winter fast approaching in the Southern Hemisphere,  everyone tends to use more electricity for heating and lighting as the weather cools and daylight hours disappear.

Take back ( some ) control of your electricity bill with these tips.  The POWER is in your hands.

*  Doorbell - If you have a plug in doorbell,  turn if off at the wall overnight.  We do this just before we go to bed and turn it back on again at breakfast time.  This stops us being woken up by other doorbells in the area who are on the same frequency.  We've changed the frequency a few times but it's amazing how many people have visitors in our area at 3am.

*  Landline handsets -  If you have multiple plug in phone handsets,  turn the extra ones off overnight.  They don't need to charge 24 / 7.

*  Alarm clock -  Switch it over for a battery operated one.  You can get travel ones for just a few dollars. They take 1 x AA battery that lasts almost a year.

*  Cooking vegetables - Instead of steaming your vegetables in the microwave,  use a multi level steamer on the stovetop.  I put potato and corn on the cob down the bottom in the water and put beans,  broccoli and carrot in the top to steam. 

*  Power boards - If you have electronics like tvs and dvd players plugged into a power board,  turn it off when not in use or at least overnight.  I purchased a power board that has a switch to turn everything off at once.  

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing another 10 tips on how to save electricity.