Inconspicuous, Pioneering Money Saving Solutions Part 3

This post is going to be a short one, but I believe it's got some tips that anyone can put into practice immediately. :)

5) Be conservative in consumption. That is a really broad statement, I know! Please don't roll your eyes. :) Have you ever taken a few moments to look over your utility bills? It might surprise you if you haven't. Let me give you a few quick go-to pointers to put into use right now if you believe your bills are too high:

• Lights out! Turn them off when you leave a room, unplug any unused lamps, and try investing in some inexpensive solar pathway lights (about $1.99 on a good sale at Fred Meyer) to use for lighting outdoors as opposed to leaving your porch lights on all the time. If you'd really like some higher-quality pathway lights, though, try these:
• Electronics not in use should not remain "on." It does consume a little electricity, even if they are not in use. A good example is our receiver for our surround sound in the family room. We have a tendency to turn off the TV, but forget the surround sound. A friend (who happens to work for our local PUD), suggested to me that I ought to pay more attention to turning that off at night, instead of leaving it on. As a result, I'm currently considering researching just how much that one electronic device saves me when I turn it off at night. I promise to post the results of my findings. :)
  
• Efficiency is everything. I don't mean you ought to run out and purchase brand new appliances. I simply mean for you, my dear readers, to be efficient in everything you do. When I do laundry, being that the laundry room is in an area of our home that doesn't have any windows, I have to use the lights when I do it. Therefore, I try to sort the clothes during the daytime, in the daylight, and change loads as quickly as I can. That doesn't mean I move so fast that I end up mixing colors, forgetting the fabric softener, or spilling the laundry soap everywhere; it means that I try to be intentional and purposed in my actions. The more efficient I am, the more I save - of my time, my resources, and from our family's hard-earned money! The less time I use under the glow of the lights in the laundry room, the more money and time I preserve for other uses. 

 6) Don't buy into bread. Does your family consume a lot of bread? Do you find yourself wishing you could save $5-$20 on your grocery bills? Wonder and wish no more! Shop the 1/2 price bread racks only! You'd be shocked to learn what you can get there - gourmet bagels, specialty breads, and general breads like whole wheat and white. You can also make your own bread at home - there are plenty of recipes online for simple and reasonably-priced homemade breads, and if you have a breadmaker, that will save you time, cleanup and it's amazing what you can do with them!

That's it for today! I hope you can put to use a tip sometime today or tomorrow! :) Let me know how it goes, I'd love to read your comments!