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I found several ways to save hundreds of dollars each and every year on our budget. With gas prices soaring this year and the economy at an all time high, every penny we can save counts. We make a game of it to see how much we can shave off of our utility bills each and every month. My family has found some great ways to conserve energy and save money for our home.

In order to keep our electricity bill lower we wash our clothes in cold water and hang them to dry as much as possible. We do this every day it is not raining. If there is rain forecast for a specific day I will make every effort to get the laundry done around that day so that there is never a need to use the dryer. At last check our electric bill had gone down by $40 per month by just this alone. $40 per month is $480 per year. Wow! I can think of a lot of ways to spend $480 per year. As I thought about that lower bill I wandered around our home and came up with even more ideas to reduce the cost of electricity.

On a nice evening we will often bar b que rather than use the oven. We also utilize the microwave oven and the stove top. I don't have exact numbers on how much this lowered the bill but it was enough for us to continue the trend. The kids really enjoy bar b quing and the family time we spend with it.

I noticed that the computers (4 in all) and the coffee pot were always plugged in or on. As were the various clock radios around the house. I did some research on the Internet and read that even though we are not using these appliances, they are still sucking up electricity. Those little LCD clocks on them are still displaying aren't they? I unplugged them after that if they were not in use. I also unplugged anything else that I found not in use including the electric can opener.

No one likes to wash dishes around here, but I hate running the dishwasher and using so much hot water and electricity. The solution? I only run the dishwasher when it is completely full (you'd be surprised how much you can get in there just by a simple rearrangement) and I use the economy setting and let them air dry. Again more savings.

In the summer I open the windows at night and take advantage of the cooler air. In the mornings when it starts to heat up outside I close the windows and shut any blinds that are on the sunny side of the house. I also utilize some ceiling fans and other fans to keep the cooler air circulating throughout the house. When it is over 90 outside we will still use the Air Conditioner but by utilizing these techniques our electric bill has dropped dramatically.

Though my family has a ways to go to be perfect energy savers, we are well on our way to great conservation. Our electric bill has been lowered by almost $100 per month over the last year. Looking at my new found $1200 a year we could plan a fantastic vacation or buy something for the family. I wonder how much lower we can get it by simply paying attention to what we are doing as well as shutting off the lights when we leave the room.

Learn more about this author, Linda L Kinyon.
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