Before you go down this list in earnest, collect your monthly bills and put them in one place. It helps to also track all of your expenses for 30 days (you’ll be shocked what you waste money on!) Make a spreadsheet that accounts for your income and every one of your expenses, whether they’re daily, weekly, monthly, etc. From there it’s like a fun game to go down the list to see how much you can save as you keep tracking the next few months’ expenditures.
1. Stop flushing money down the toilet.
Switch to a high-efficiency toilet or set it up to use less water per flush.
"Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption," according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "Switching to high-efficiency toilets can save a family of four, on average, $2,000 in water bills over the lifetime of the toilets."
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of installing a new toilet, you can fill a few water bottles with sand and skink them in the tank. It will fill up less, accordingly, and use less water per flush.
2. Wash your laundry in cold water.
I promise you won’t ever notice the difference and your clothes will look as good as ever.
3. Install low-flow showerheads.
If you have an older home you might have an older showerhead that wastes a lot of money. As of 1994, federal legislation mandates that higher-efficiency showerheads should be used on all new construction, The newer models spray no more than 2,5 gallons per minute but actually feel better, like you’re getting more water, because of the spray pattern. Each new showerhead could save you $150 a year on your water bill.
4. Lower your water heater’s thermostat.
Does anyone else see it as a ridiculous waste of energy that we turn on scalding hot water and then have to cool it by turning the cold halfway up? Lowering your water heater to the 120 degree setting can save you up to $450 annually.
5. Install a new thermostat.
A new “smart” thermostat, like an Energy Star, allows you to program specific temperatures for different times of the day. Too often we set one temperature for night and one for day, or even worse, one set temperature, which is completely unnecessary.
Lower the temperature at night (when you are under blankets) or during the day (when you are at work.) The U.S. Department of Energy estimates you’ll save 5 to 15 percent per year by turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day.
Also, keep the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher when cooling the house in the summer, and 72 degrees or cooler in the winter.
6. Cool hot rooms naturally.
Rooms on the west or south side of the house get much more sun, leaving them hotter in warm months. However, too-often our solution is to crank up the AC in the whole house. Instead, hang heavy shade curtains over windows in those rooms, or even think about installing energy-friendly windows with UV reflecting qualities in those rooms.
7. Plant shade trees.
Plant trees for shade on that side of the house. Many cities or counties have shade tree programs where they’ll provide the trees for free!
8. Think ceiling fans.
Install ceiling fans where overhead light fixtures used to be in hot rooms to cool naturally, and for much less than using the AC.
9. Install high-efficiency light bulbs.
Did you know that the traditional light bulbs we still use waste up to 90% of their energy emitting heat? Installing incandescent and other high-efficiency light bulbs will lower your energy costs, last much longer, and are much friendlier on the environment. Look for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), and light emitting diodes (LEDs), which you can buy at any Home Depot. Those should save you a couple hundred dollars or more per year.
10. Don't let drafts blow your dollars away.
Whether using your heat or AC, drafts can waste a lot of your money. Close doors, windows, and curtains appropriately to keep the heat or air in the rooms you need it most. Consider foam rollers or stick-on energy tape under doors or around window frames where the most air leaks in or out.
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Look for our next post, How To Save Big $$$ Around the House!
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