How to save $450 a month? We live in teh country which means our house is propane powered? Any tips for saving
Question:I had to move out to be closer to my college, Now I'm back saving every penny I make this summer to spend on housing, food, college. I'm looking for any tips saving electricity. We have three fish tanks, a computor, a veggie garden,I make cleaning supplies out of vinegar stc, looking into making my own laundry detergent and I hang dry our cloths, I go back to school in september. Any ideas to make more money I tried to advertise housecleaning with flyers that didn't work, any better way,energy/propane saving ideas?
Answers:
use nite lights instead of lamps at night,turn your hot water heater off,turn it back on 15 minutes before you need it.use window units in bedroom at nite so you can turn off central unit,no need to cool whole house,microwave instead of oven,or small countertop oven instead of big one,ceiling fans allow you to cut the thermostat up because ti keeps cool air circulating,you can make your own deodorant too. there is a book called back to basics which gives alot of helpful hints..good luck
Install solar panels.
first, if you can, turn the temp down on your water heater, turn the t-stat down, wear sweats around to stay warm, unless you have little ones, do you can veggies? or freeze them? hunt? fish? second-hand stores for clothes? yard sales? if you don't have far to go, can you walk, ride a bike, the price of gas is kick'n all our butts.
here is a laundry soap recipe we use, got out of "countryside" magizine,march/april2007 pg.96. it works well for us and were homesteaders, get a little dirty sometimes. here it is.
1/3 bar "FELS NAPHTHA" SOAP (1.833oz.)
1/2 cup WASHING SODA
1/2 cup BORAX
grate soap, put in large pan w/6cups water, over medium heat, till fels melts. add soda and borax, stir constantly until dissolved. let sit over heat 5 minutes. pour equal parts into jugs, fill each 1/2 full w/hot water, shake well, fill and shake, set aside for 24 hours. will jell-up & look like egg whites. use 1/3 to 2/3 cup per load.
borax and washing soda aren't hard to find, FELS- look way up on the top shelf in your grocery store, dillons etc.
for fabric sofener, put a little vinegar in the rinse cycle, a table spoon or so will do. if you have wind like we do in s.w. ks. clothes get whipped soft. lol. hope this helps. let me know, e-mail at dandlfarms1@yahoo.com. good luck and our best to you and yours.
Washing your clothes at a Laundromat when you go to town to do your shopping (once a week?) then, as you said, line dry them would help save on water and electricity. Cooking outdoors campfire style can be fun and save on propane. Even heating the water for doing dishes on a campfire. Could use paper plates to cut down on washing dishes. Might ask around to the neighbors to see if someone needs day care for the summer. That can pay pretty well. Hope some of this might be of some help or give you an idea. Good Luck!
The best energy saver around to cook with is crock pot.BBQ is another way to go,keeps the house cooler.Colder showers will save propane.If you have a garden,then sell your veggies from your house.Just put a sign down the end of your road.A yard sale gives back to house hold funds.You get new with the profits from it.
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