Jun

20

Saving on Electricity Continued

By Carrie | Comments Off


This recent article in the NY Times addresses the energy consumption of computers, the biggest culprit I tackled in saving electricity in my home.

The article also mentions a neat device called Kill-A-Watt, something I have been wanting to buy to experimentally prove what gadgets in my home are energy-hogs. The reviews on Amazon will give you an idea of how this device has worked out for people.

Jun

19

Saving on Gasoline

By Carrie | Comments Off


With gas prices so high I was glad to find this article by Edmunds: What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?

Edmunds actually tested the different theories of how to save on gas consumption and the results were interesting. I have tried to incorporate what I can.

I have also heard that gas prices are higher right before the weekend – I am keeping my eye on prices this week to see if that really plays out. The other tip I have read is to fill your car in the cool of the morning because gas condenses when cool – makes some sense but still not sure there is much to gain there.

It is also important to identify where the cheapest gas station is in your area. The best way is probably just to take a mental note of prices as you drive around but you can also get some clues from online sites like gasbuddy.com.

Finally, the most straightforward way to save on gas is to use less. Try to consolidate all errands keeping in mind the shortest route. If you have two cars, try to use the car with the better gas mileage for errands and for longer trips.

Jun

16

Saving on Electricity

By Carrie | 1 Comment


About two months ago I decided to see if I could get my electricity bill down.

One of the biggest changes I made was with our computers. We have a desktop and a laptop and both computers were left on all the time though they were in standby mode (which is less energy consumption than being fully powered on). This was a matter of convenience which allowed us to jump on the computer at any time. But the fact was, for many, many hours the computers were not used which was a waste of energy.

I also noticed that the laptop power cord contained a transformer which had a small green light on. That meant that even when the computer was not directly pulling power, the transformer was always pulling some small amount of power (this would be true of other charging cords like for a cell phone). Likewise, we often left our cable box on and just turned off the TV – yet a small light on the cable box told me that power was still being used.

To conserve energy (and money), we began to power down the computer whenever we were done with it. If we would be using the computer later in the day, we would be sure to put it into standby (instead of waiting for the computer to do that itself after being idle) and turn off the monitor (desktop). This was a little less convenient, but it turned out that the desktop was sometimes off for days in a row instead of constantly on (despite not being used).

We also began to use the laptop more – laptops are generally cheaper to run than desktops. And we unplugged the laptop power cord as much as possible (to avoid pulling power through the transformer). Again, when not in use, the laptop was shutdown completely.

In addition to the computers, we tried to be conscientious about turning lights off. We turned the cable box off when not and use. I also tried to not overuse my clothes dryer. Before I would just turn the timer up to some high setting – now I have gotten a feel for the minimum time I need to let the dryer run.

So, did all of this pay off? Yes – we saved $20 off our electricity bill during the first month. Plus I feel better about conserving energy from an environmental perspective. It is now less convenient to just jump on the computer whenever I want (and not have to wait for it to start up), but that convenience is not worth $20 per month.

If you would like to learn more about saving on your electricity cost there is some good information in these articles (and on this website in general): Hidden Electrical Bandits and Electricity Myths.

Jun

12

Lowering Cable/Phone/Internet Bill

By Carrie | Comments Off


I got this idea from another website and it worked.

We have a combined phone/internet/cable package through Verizon. The prices seem to have slowly crept up since the the initial starting package which is easy to just ignore. However, this is an area where you can use competition to your advantage.

I noticed that another company in our area offered the same type of package for about $30 less than what we are currently paying. So, I called Verizon and mentioned the competitor’s package and asked if I could get a discount on my current plan. Verizon agreed to offer me a 1 year promotion which saved me about $30 per month.

I would have been willing to switch to the other company, but by staying with verizon I avoided any installation fees and the potential “we’ll be there to hook you up between 9am and 2pm”. I am happy with the outcome.

So do your homework. See if you can find a better offer for any of these services (usually you can find pricing online but you may need to call) and then call your current provider with the information and ask for a better deal. It adds up!

Jun

8

Freebies Through Surveys

By Carrie | Comments Off


Yesterday I received some shampoo and and conditioner in the mail from NFO to use for a few weeks and then provide feedback on later. So not only will I get points for the survey (which can be cashed out) but I have some free products to use (and a nicer brand than I usually use).

Through the years I have signed up with many different online survey sites which offer cash or points (which can be redeemed for cash or prizes). But I have only continued with a select few survey sites because many times the effort wasn’t worth the payout. Two of my favorites are ACOP and NFO because the time is worth the effort. I have gotten cash and free products to test from both these companies.

If you are interested in paid surveys, check out my website article on this topic where I list a few other survey companies I like along with other ideas for making a few extra dollars online. If you have any other companies to recommend, please leave a comment.

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