How to Save on Your Electric Bill

Ah, thunderstorms. Maybe I'm the only one, but I've always found a good summer thunderstorm to be exciting, and I can't get enough of them. There's just something equally calming and thrilling about watching a downpour of rain with a clash of thunder.

My favorite part? When the electric goes out, and that meter stops running. The tranquility of not hemorrhaging money.

Occasionally for fun (much to the dismay of my husband), I'll pull the breaker on the house to keep our electric bill down. With the exception of the fridge.

The result? A $30 electric bill. Not too shabby for Met-Ed.

It can be a challenge to give up electricity. You'd have to stop reading this, and get off the computer. You'd have to notice how quiet your house is with nothing running. Go ahead and give it a try.

Currently I'm trying to convince my husband to go a week with electricity, with exceptions for the fridge and cleanliness. So far it's a no go, but when he's not home, the lights are staying off. The clothes are out to dry. The AC is off. The TV is off. The WI-FI is on.

Okay, it really is a challenge, and I can't do it, but maybe somebody else can take this to an extreme.

In the meantime, here's a quick list of ways to save money on your electric bill.

• Hang clothes to dry, rather than use a dryer.
• Eat an ice pop to cool off, rather than run the AC.
• But close that freezer quick or the heat will rush in.
• Play a board game, rather than watch TV.
• Turn the lights off when you're not in a room. It's a myth that it uses more juice to turn a light on and off than it does to leave it on.
• Use the grill. Tis the season.
• We.all know how I feel about dishwashers. Just fill your sink with a couple of gallons of water and scrub a dub dub.
• Skip brewing coffee. (I know, not possible for me either, but you'd save a couple pennies)

Just a few ideas to get your juices going. Mankind did survive thousands of years without electricity. The majority of the world still does.

I'd love to hear different ways to cut the electric bill, and if anyone can take the one week challenge! It's on my bucket list for sure.

54 Uses for Tin Cans

I was so inspired by "The Penny Pincher's Book" idea of 31 uses for tin cans, I decided to challenge myself to come up with a additional ideas, and I've got 54. Some are similar, but I'm sure after reading this list you'll have even more ideas.

It may seem like garbage at first, but with a little love, a can will save you hundreds. Just be careful if an edge is sharp that you smooth it out. I have a scar on my arm from an oversized can of fruit that got me. Safety first, savings second.

I love recycling, and if I can get a few extra uses out of items headed to the trash I'm all for it. Who doesn't love saving the environment, AND saving money? So, here we go.

Storage
1. Nail the bottoms to a wall, and you have a cute decorative place to store knick knacks.
2. Keep all your extra buttons in one. For bonus organizing, sew all the matching buttons together, or on a piece of paper so they're easy to find in the tin.
3.Keep your pens and pencils at arms reach.
4. Organize all those sauce packets you get with take-out.
5. Wrap your Christmas ribbon around it, and tape an end shut.
6. Nails and screws around the garage. You can either organize them into different cans, or add them to a junk can as you find them and sort through it when you have time.
7. Clothespins.
8. Instead of silverware in a drawer, you can put them in cans on your table. Ready to grab whenever you're ready to eat.
9. Store larger utensils such as spatulas and basters next to oven
10. Throw rocks in them, and use as bookends.

Gardening .
11. Start your seeds indoors in cans, and bring them out in the Spring.
12. Plant your herbs in cans, and keep them inside. Just don't forget a hole in the bottom for drainage.
13. Hang the cans from your fence to scare away the birds.
14. Use it as a scooper for fertilizer or compost.
15. Store you smaller tools and gloves in a bucket.
16. Use the cans to hold berries and other food as you collect it.
17. Bend part into a wedge, and use as a watering can.

Toys
18. Play kick the can.
19. Play kick the can with a stick.
20. Store things for arts and crafts
21. Decorate the cans as a project.
22. Put some dirt in a can and collect worms to go fishing.
23. Fill it with dried beans, and seal it shut TIGHT for a noisemaker.
24. Glue 2 together side by side for play binoculars.
25. Put a variety in their play kitchen.
26. Let them stack them up, and knock them down.
27. Tell them it's magical and see what they come up with.
28. Keep a couple for the sandbox. They can scoop and make sandcastles.
29. They can try making it float in the tub.
30. Rolling it across the floor.

For a Party
31. Add some flowers for a nice centerpiece.
32. Organize silverware for a buffet.
33. Tie the cans to a car for a wedding.
34. Make candle luminaries for decoration.
35. Set them up with candy for a candy buffet.
36. Bean bag toss.
37. Make a nice place for people to leave cards.

In the Kitchen
38. Store all your meat fats in one. They all come in handy.
39. Decorate how many ounces the can holds, and use for measurements.
40. Use as a biscuit cutter. Or cookie cutter.
41. Use as a rolling pin.
42. Punch holes in the bottom to make a pasta strainer.
43. Bake a cupcake.

Everything Else
44. Make a candle.
45. Store waste oil. (Which you can apply to tools so they last longer)
46. Nail it to a tree so a bird can build a nest inside.
47. Make a bird feeder.
48. Capture rain water.
49. When 2 people are painting, 1 uses the paint can, and the other has some poured into another can.
50. To collect all your composting material during the day so you only have to make 1 trip out to it.
51. Wrap a small gift in it. BONUS GIFT- let them keep the can.
52. Use it as a dice roller.
53. Get 3 and hide something under one. Rotate them, and hustle people out of some money.
54. Decorate nicely, and sell at a flea market. (who doesn't want a can after this?)
 

Penny Pincher Book Review

The Penny Pincher Book Revisited....Living Better for Less

By John and Irma Mustoe


I stumbled on this book at the library in Milford, and I had to share it with everyone. It is just page after page of short tips and ideas on how to save money, with a little but of humor throughout.

On the downside, it's from Britain, so some of the things I have no idea what they're talking about(like what the heck are Christmas crackers?), and everything is in pounds instead of dollars, but you still get the idea.

On the upside, this book is full of genius. And new ideas spark new ideas.

One section of the book is 31 uses for old tin cans, and one of the uses was put a string through them and make a phone for kids. Simple and obvious, but I completely forgot about it. And then that sparked all the other ways kids can play with tin cans.

• The tin coffee cans are perfect for storing crayons and arts and craft stuff neatly.
• Stretch a piece of plastic over the top, put a rubber band around it, and you get a little drum
• Cut them in half (and smooth edges) and you can make an army camp for all their army men
• Bring different sizes to the beach to make sand castles
• Collect worms in them for fishing (or just because your kid likes worms)

You get the idea. I'm sure there's a million uses, and this book will spark all of them.

The authors are also pretty old. They started their frugal living in the 1960s, so even though there's great old school tips, I recommend skipping the  chapter on technology to save time. I'm sure you're all aware that e-mail exists, and it's cheaper than the post office.

My favorite chapter by far, however, was on food. Am I the only one that's never cooked lettuce? Never made a vegetable stock? Wrap tomatoes in newspaper so they last for months? I'm very skeptical of the tomato tip, but I'm willing to try it with a couple.

I highly recommend it as a quick read, and a way to jumpstart your frugality. And every idea doubles as not only frugal, but better for the environment. Win-win.