Did you join in the lights out for Earth Hour Saturday evening? Homes and businesses around the world turned out the lights from 8:30 to 9:30 pm to save energy. We decided to use the opportunity to teach our boys about conservation, and to enjoy the experience together. We lit candles (approx. a dozen) and made some ice cream sundaes. Then the kiddos took a bath by candlelight before heading off to bed. They had so much fun (and in a cheap, simple way,too!) that Bradyn asked me if we could have "Earth Hour" every night. I'm not sure that I could handle that, because there were so many things I wanted to do that needed electricity...laundry, dishes, ironing...that I was a bit lost without my lights! It made me appreciate the fact that we do HAVE electricity available, even if we do have to pay for it. So often I grumble about the numbers on our bill, but I imagine I would be doing more grumbling if I had to haul water from the retention pond to clean with, and/or lug my laundry down there to wash it! On that subject, we have been trying to cheapen up a bit without sacrificing creature comforts. On my list of "to-do's" is procurring a clothes line. We aren't technically allowed a clothes line in our development,but I am thinking maybe a retractable one won't get me in tooooo much trouble with the home owner's association. We switched out the majority of our bulbs to the new energy efficient type a year or so ago, and I finally turned down the thermostat for the month of March. Hopefully it will warm up soon and we won't need to use the heat or ac for awhile. It's not that we can't afford it, but it's quite annoying to spend money on basic things when we could use it somewhere else! How do you save money on the basics? Not just energy costs, but on groceries, clothing, etc.
2 comments:
We've changed our light bulbs a few years ago, we love them - they last forever. We also have our furnace set to turn down at night, kicking back up an hr. or so before we get up in the morning. I shop grocery sales and stock the freezer. I shop Aldi's for the bulk of the groceries, hitting the sales at the local grocer and finishing up at WalMart for whatever's left on the list. And of course, I shop thrift stores - love 'em, can't stay out of 'em! By the way, I enjoy reading your blog, but just tonight signed up for a google account so I can start commenting now and then! Trying to decide if I should start a blog or if I lead too boring a life.
Good luck on your clothes line! A few years ago I got tired of waiting for my dryer, and was thinking of the cost of electricity for a large family where laundry never stops :), and I put up several clothes lines. I wanted Shawn to put poles in the ground, he thought those are goofy, so I went to our trees, and then strung a line down the front of our porch. I started last week hanging laundry out for the first time this year. The kids love it, going out and helping me. As a matter of fact, I was on my way out with a basket now when I got distracted and thought I'd check your blog! Happy day!
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