I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas – Part 1

You may think it is a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but I noticed garland hanging at my local Hallmark last night. This year, instead of having a white or blue Christmas, how about having a green Christmas? First, let’s think about the Christmas tree. Many plastic trees are made from PVC, the product that many are telling us to avoid for safety reasons. This year, you may want to consider a fresh cut Christmas tree. Make it a fun family tradition by going out to chop down your own tree. Sure, it will probably take a bit … Continue reading

Getting Serious About Heat Conservation

We’ve been practicing frugal living in our home actively for about eight years. Most of those years have involved a lot of lifestyle changes, from having three kids to moving to a larger home. While we have kept up with being conservative about our spending, we haven’t been able to make any dramatic changes above and beyond what we do on a daily basis. This fall, we have made it a priority to work on heat and energy conservation even more than we already do. This is an area that we can always improve. We’ve completed most of the necessary … Continue reading

Save on Home Cooling

When I take a look at our home energy bill, namely the electric bill through the last year, I can see a sharp spike in the months of June, July and August. Of course, you can guess that this rise in energy usage was due to running air conditioners. Home cooling can really rob your wallet. My goal this year is to reduce my cooling costs further than they were last year. Here are some ways that you can reduce that cost. I’ll cover everything from natural ways to cool your home to ways to adapt. This is a two-part … Continue reading

Turn Out the Lights Automatically

If your family tends to “forget” to turn out the lights when they leave a room, take this tip from hotels and bathroom heat lamps to make sure that the lights aren’t left on when the room isn’t occupied. To reduce your energy use, install mechanical timer switches on lights that tend to get left on. These timer switches can be found in most home improvement stores and are easy to install yourself. The timers come in a wide range of settings and options. You can find timers that time the switch for 15 minutes to those that time it … Continue reading

Frugal Living Week in Review: December 3rd through December 9th

Can you believe that it is just a few more weeks until Christmas? I have to confess that I don’t even have all of my decorations up or shopping and gift making done, yet. I hope you are doing better in that department than I am! This past week, we have had plenty of holiday articles, from decorating to gift giving ideas, all crafted with tips to save you money this season. Here is the Frugal Living blog week in review for December 3rd through December 9th December 3rd Free Land In the heart of American, towns from far and … Continue reading

3 Easy ways to Lower Your Electric Bill

Here are some sure wire ways to lower your electric bill. Try one of them or all of them. The more you do, the more energy savings you will have. Here is a quick checklist. Go around your home and see what you can easily tackle. The effort will result in extra money in your bank account. Install dimmer switches Every time you dim your lights, you use less energy and extend the life of your light bulbs. Just think, dimming them by a mere 10 percent will shave 10 percent off of the energy that light uses. I love … Continue reading