How to Reduce Your Winter Heating Bill
December 28, 2007 by Karen Weideman
Filed under energy saving, frugal friday, frugal living
With the price of electricity on the rise, we all could use a little help reducing our heating bills. Here are some tips to help you get started.
1) Check with your local utility company to see if they offer a free energy use assessment. Some companies provide inspectors to poke around your home from top to bottom, looking for ways it can be made more efficient.
2) Install a programmable thermostat. Have your thermostat drop down a few degrees while you’re away at work.
3) Keep your thermostat at 68 or below. Put on a sweatshirt if you have to.
4) Open blinds during the winter. …read more
15 Summer Cooking Tips
August 24, 2007 by Karen Weideman
Filed under Top 10 lists, energy saving, food, frugal friday, kitchen, recipes
Happy 20 weeks of Frugal Fridays. Wow! I can’t believe it’s been 20 weeks. It seems like only 5.
Well, it’s blazing hot outside. If you’re like me, you try not to turn on the stove if you can help it. Here are some tips to keep you out of the kitchen and keep your house cooler.
1. When it’s time to cook something that will freeze well (such as lasagnas, spaghetti sauce, casseroles, chili, etc.) make a double or triple batch for future meals. These are also great for days when you’re in a hurry. It will prevent you from spending …read more
Frugal Friday #13: 25 Ways to Reduce Your Water Bill
June 29, 2007 by Karen Weideman
Filed under Top 25, energy saving, frugal friday, frugal living, money saving idea
A few weeks ago, I gave you some tips on saving money on your summer electric bill. There are more ways to save throughout the year that you might want to consider. Here are some ways to cut back on the expense of water usage.
1. Put an approved insulation jacket/blanket on your electric hot water heater.
2. Insulate hot water pipes.
3. Wash clothes in cold water, if possible. Always rinse clothes in cold water.
4. Clean and maintain hot water heater. Drain water from bottom of water heater to remove sediment, at least once a year. This one definitely needs to be …read more
Frugal Friday #2: The Dishwasher
April 6, 2007 by Karen Weideman
Filed under cleaning, energy saving, frugal friday, frugal living, household product, kitchen
Until recently, I have always had a problem with my dishwasher. I’ve never been able to just scrape my dishes and put them in the dishwasher. The dishes just don’t come clean. I moved to a house with a new dishwasher and still had problems. I even bought the expensive products.
According to Consumer Reports, prerinsing your dishes can waste 20 gallons of heated water a day. They suggest switching to an enzyme-based detergent so that you can simply scrape off the big chunks and throw the dishes in the machine. The enzymes get off the stuck on food, so that …read more
