Save Water: Bathe With A Friend

TK and I are living on a budget (just like everyone else in the world) right now and in order to save on some bills, I have done a little thinking and figured I would share my findings in case anyone else would like to take advantage of the savings..

Energy/Water:

1. Use (if you have it) the timer on your thermostat. Take the time to read the manual and figure out how to set your temperature on a timer so that it doesn't waist heat/air while you're not needing it. Ex: turn the heat down a few degrees while you're curled up in your warm bed or turn it off completely while no ones home and set it to turn back on an hour before you're expected to return.

2. Seal up any holes in doorways or windows. One thing you can also do isput cellophane wrap or w/e on your windows in the winter. thats supposed to help keep warm in and cool out!!

3. Take shorter showers. The hot water is damaging to your already dry skin anyway!

4. Layer up, even indoors. Socks/Slippers = amazing. Never underestimate the power of keeping the feets warm!!

5. When baking in the oven, cut the oven off and just let the remaining heat cook the food for the remaining 10 mintues. Leave it in an extra minute or two if necessary. But ovens take up SO much energy!!


Groceries/Food:

1. Become a club member. Wether it be at a bulk store like Sam's or Costco or even just your local grocery store, join their club if they have one. TK and I the other day went in for a quick run, spent $25 bucks, but saved $8. Can't really beat that. Especially since signing up is free at most grocery stores.

2. Take an hour or 2 to browse through coupons. Tale as old as time and yet still some of us never make the time. If time is money, why not take time to SAVE the money??

3. Don't eat out! Ask around for some good recipes, google some of your favorite restaurant's recipes or just browse through the thousands of blogs dedicated to food.

4. Take a snack with you in your purse, in your car, anywhere you might be. This keeps from buying frivolously. On your way to an appointment and you're so hungry... you'll just pick up a thing of fries at mc Donalds. but then you see the picture of that Big n' Tasty and it just looks SOOOO tasty. OH and that milkshake.. MMMMM... $7 and a side of heartburn later.. you're regretting not having a bag of cereal in the car and so is your budget.

5. Biggest Food wasting mistakes: Don't throw away the left overs but eat them before they rot. And don't let that cheese go to waste--use it for all the millions of recipes that call for it.. Don't go to the store so hungry that you buy anything and everything that you've ever enjoyed in your life just to get it all home, pack your fridge, and don't even make a dent in your home grocery store before it all starts smelling up the place.

Random Expenditures:

1. Clothes: Try the Goodwill/D.I./Plato's Closet/ect. every once in a while to get a good bargain. Vintage is still in and some gently used clothes are way cute.

2. Gym: In those warm months, try getting outside!! Enjoy the world that God made for us instead of staring at the backside of that large sweaty man who refuses to wear a full covering T-Shirt as opposed to his belly shirt that he claims to be a "motivation lifter"

3. Date Night: Once again, try making your own food. Take turns or even cook together. Learn a new recipe together!! Go on a walk. Instead of going to the movies and spending $40 a person and your firstborn child's liver, try looking for a REDBOX ((absolutely the most amazing thing ever, $1 movie rentals!!)) and take your laptop with you for a drive. Park somewhere with a view and watch a movie on the go--almost drive-in style.

Welp, I'm tired of blogging now. Hope it helped? or at least reminded you of some stuff you could be doing too..

Peace, love, and cookiedough.