Search Results for: blog keep your cooling bill in check this summer

Staying Cool for Less

From May through August, our electric bill used to jump up high on the chart due to cooling costs. Then, a couple of years ago, we applied some serious strategies to staying cool for less. The change was so dramatic that the electric company sent out a work to check our meter, since our energy usage was so much different than they were used to seeing in the summer. Here are some of the changes that we made. Tightening up the House The major difference in our energy bill came when we sealed up the cracks and insulated our home. … Continue reading →

Power Hog in Your House

I don’t pay our electric bill, so I don’t have to be horrified when I open the envelope. Electricity is deregulated in Texas and we pay some of the highest per kilowatt hour fees in the nation. Electric companies here are constantly advertising and vying for business by claiming they can save you the most money. I wonder how much money the companies could save their customers if they dropped the advertising. We do not have any choices for electricity where we live. Our only option is the co-op that services our area. I do believe we’re paying less for … Continue reading →

Do You Want A Financial “Do Over”?

Does the state of your family’s finances make you want to throw your hands in the air and shout “do over!”? Sometimes, feeling like you are starting fresh can give individuals, couples, and families the motivation and inspiration that they need to get their finances back on track. If the idea of a fresh start appeals to you, here are a few tips that you can try. Whether you are taking a fresh start for your personal finances or working with your spouse to start your financial life over together, one very powerful thing that you can do that costs … Continue reading →

Budgeting For Those With Irregular Incomes

Everybody knows the importance of creating a budget to keep your finances on track. There are some situations that make creating and sticking to a budget difficult. Irregular income is certainly one of these. If one or both wage-earners in a family are self-employed or work at jobs that do not pay on a traditional regularly-timed, predictable earning schedule it is hard to know how much money is going to come through the door each month. Unfortunately, the world does not provide exceptions for those of us with irregular incomes. Your bills are due on the same day every month … Continue reading →

Tips for Eating Well on a Tight Budget

It’s no secret that I like food. I love to cook, and I enjoy preparing healthy and delicious meals for my family. The biggest challenge in getting food on the table around here is our budget. We want to eat tasty, wholesome foods but like many families, we have a fairly limited grocery budget. Today I decided to look into things that families can do to help their grocery dollars stretch as far as possible without sacrificing nutrition or taste. Anyone can slash their grocery bill by eating a lot of ramen noodles and other cheap, heavily processed foods. The … Continue reading →

Keep Your Cooling Bill In Check This Summer

Summer is here, and for many of us that means saying goodbye to sweaters and long sleeves and hello to tank tops, shorts, and flip flops. Although summer clothes are fun and on most days keep us fairly cool and comfortable, there are days when it is very hot outside and you need something more than breezy clothes to keep you cool. There are even some days when it can get dangerously hot and keeping cool becomes less about comfort and more about safety. Air conditioners are a very good way to keep your home cool, but they add quite … 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 →

Frugal Living Week in Review: July 9th Through July 14th

Summer is a great time to save money. Well, okay, anytime of year is a great time to practice a frugal lifestyle. So, come on in from the pool, beach, camping, backyard or wherever you have been spending these lazy days (personally I like to read a good book on the porch) and read up a bit on how you can do all of that for less. Here is your frugal living week in review for July 9th through July 14th. July 9th Two Kitchen Gadgets That Can Save You Money If you have these two gadget in your kitchen, … Continue reading →

Staying Cool Without Breaking The Bank

Yesterday we were two degrees off of a record high temperature. It was 85 wonderfully warm degrees (not bad for May in the Upper Midwest). My daughter and I met up with a few of our playgroup pals at a local park. The kids chased each other over the bridges and under the slides—for three hours—while the moms melted in the sun (you can’t see the playground from the park pavilion so we couldn’t camp out in there). We took turns making sure the kids were well hydrated and kept asking them if they were ready to get ice cream. … Continue reading →