SAVE ON ELECTRICITY

Most people where I live use more power than heating because it gets so stinking hot in the summertime and our winters are pretty mild - chilly, but not freezing cold where you need ski jackets.

So what happens when you crank up the A/C?  You pay thru the nose, that's what.  So, since Barry and I NEED some kind of cooling during those HOT months, we've discovered a way to save on all our other electricity use.  Here's how:

First, we made our electricity company our friend instead of thinking of them as our enemy.  We used to think the big fat cats would sit behind their desks watching us sweat while the malls, casinos and amusement parks sucked all the energy out of the homes.  But that just ain't so, we discovered.  

With just a few clicks of the mouse  I was able to  see my  monthly, daily and hourly usage.
Super neat.
Not only was I was able to determine which days were higher than others I was able to see exactly what time my electricity peaked.

And, as the sun went down we discovered when the lights went on, the TV went on, the light & fan on the stove went on, can opener went on, the garbage disposal went on, the phones were plugged into the chargers, the dishwasher went on and a load of laundry was thrown into the washer, our electricity soared.

With just one call our friendly electric company advised us to look at their website again and click on this picture.  Well, we pretty much knew that already.  So we called again and this time they walked us through reading our meter along with watching our online charts.

                                       

Oh, my gosh.  Life just got sooooo interesting!!!
We learned that when you read the numbers on the right the last number will be the one t hat moves when you use kilowatts. For each kilowatt hour that you use it will go up one.  Like the odometer on your car.
The more you use, the higher the numbers go.  

Sooo... what the heck is a kilowatt hour???  

They explained (of course) that in California during the winter months (Oct to June) they (the electricity company) will allow you 10.5 killowatt hours a day for a month at .09 a kilowatt hour (kwh).  If you use more than allotted, then your rate goes up .11 a kwh.  If you use more still, then it goes up as high as .19 a kwh.   

They explained it's like them giving us a bucket of energy...

This is the 1st bucket of energy they give for the month.  They charge  .09 for every kilowatt hour.  Picture the bucket holding 10 & 1/2 cups of water and taking out 1 cup of water at a time.  Each cup is like a kilowatt hour.  They call this bucket Tier 1.  When you used up your bucket, then you have to use another at .11 for every kilowatt hour in that bucket.

           

                     

The second bucket is called Tier 2 at .11 a kilowatt hour.  If you use all in both buckets they will give you a 3rd and 4th and even 5th at .19 a kilowatt hour.  

                                               

                     

Confused?  We weren't too confused at this illustration, but were more concerned how to live on just ONE bucket!!  (I even said to the sweet representative, "WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO??? LIVE BY CANDLELIGHT?????"  The sweet rep said, "Unplug your appliances you are not using".  (remember, the power company is your friend, not your enemy, although I didn't think so at the time).  

Now, here's were I got educated - and this goes for any state in our country that use city or state electricity:

When your appliance is plugged in you are paying for a constant flow of electricity hour after hour even though your appliance is turned off at the switch!!!  You have to UNPLUG in order to stop the electricity flow.  AND, don't let those power strips fool you - even if you turn off the breaker switch, it's still plugged in!!!

And do you know what???  IT WORKED!!!!!  Our electricity bill dropped by 85% just by unplugging when we aren't using!!!  And, friends, I am not kidding, you can do it too!!!!  (See?  I told you the electric company was your friend )

Save A Nickle, Save A Dime

     Hi!  Welcome to my blog :).  When I started this blog (a year and a half ago) I had just been called to be the Provident Living teacher at church.  My lifelong dream was to live in a little house in the mountains where I could live, love and laugh among the pine cones, rocks, dirt, and trees.  Living on a limited income, I set in search of my dream home, all the while living as if I already lived in the mountains canning, making bread, making homemade Christmas presents...  
     I loved my calling so much I started jotting down ideas for a frugal life with my husband helping me brainstorm day after day.   Before long, we were offered to rent a 120 year old house on 100 acres (including 7 fruit trees and animal pens) on my aunt & uncle's property.  Hallelujah, I was in heaven.  We got our chickens and planted our garden, ready to live as Liv and John Walton.  Somehow, blogging got put on the back burner as I awakened by the morning sun, tended my animals, (we got 2 dogs and a cat, too), tidied up my house, ground wheat, made soap, hung clothes on the line -- all the things Liv Walton would do -- and I was exhausted when the sun set.  I was in love with life.
     But, our journey has a way of turning corners sometimes and right smack dab in the middle of canning season when my garden started producing and my fruit trees started dropping fruit, my husband was injured.  Things got bad, then got worse and a separation was inevitable.  Now, with my daughter & her husband (with 3 young babies) having to move in with me to help, I am ready to pick up my blog again.  

     Everyday I will post one new tip.  You may have seen it on pinterest, or read it on Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey or The Wisdom Journal.  Maybe, if you're like me, you will have found ideas by hit-and-miss on the internet.  Like many other people these days, I am collecting all my ideas & tips and putting them in one place.  

     So, here it is, for you, the beginning of what to do first, no matter what stage or age you are in.  The first lesson is how to set up a budget.

• Make a goal:  ("Debt free by 2015" or "Downpayment in 2015" or something like that)
• Promise yourself you will NOT use Payday Loans
• Promise yourself you will NOT use your overdraft
• Promise yourself you will NOT borrow any money what-so-ever this entire month.

Step 1

• Get out your bank statements:  

BANK STATEMENT

                                                       

                                                        Deposits                     $_____

                                                        Withdrawls                 $_____

                                                         Ending Balance         $_____

Look at your Deposits.  Is this your total income?  

• Look at your Withdrawls.  Is this everything you spend your money on?
• Look at your Ending Balance.  Have all your bills been paid for the month?

Step 2

• Make an INCOME AND EXPENSE sheet.

                                            INCOME AND EXPENSE
Total Income  ________   (this is your total income)

 Less Tithing  ________    (if you don't pay tithing, leave it blank)

 Net Income    ________    (this is the amount you will need to live on)

                                                Now start listing where your money goes

                                                
Rent / Mortgage _____

Utilities                _____ (incl's power & heating, water & trash, phones, internet, cable)                                                                                         

Food                     _____

Transportation    _____

 Medical               _____ (incl's premiums, co-pay & medication)

Post Office          _____ (lets face it - we still mail letters)

Hair cuts             _____ (unless you're the Duggars you go to the beauty salon or barber)

Clothing              _____

Holidays 
   & Birthdays      _____  (even the one-on-one dates with your kids/g-kids/spouse/friend/relative)

Step 3

• If you normally have a Savings, or other Mandatory expenses, put them in.  
• Do not put "MISCELLANEOUS" as an Expense.  
• When you are honest, realistic and accurate, your Deposits and Withdrawls on your Bank Statement should be the same as on your Income & Expense record.  If it's the same - you're doing a GREAT job and KEEP IT UP :).  We can learn from you!!!

If your numbers don't match, then go to Step 4:

Step 4

• Either put your entire income in your bank, or...

•  Pull out your entire income, convert it into $1's, $5's, $10's, $20's & $100's.  
• Pull out blank envelopes or empty jars.  Write on each envelope or jar, "Tithing", "Rent", "Utilities", "Food", etc.
• Write a check only for your Tithing and Rent/Mortgage.  Everything else use your Debit Card or pay your bills online.  This is so that you will now have a record in one place of where your money went.
• Allow yourself a certain amount of money for Food, Transportation, Medical, Post Office, Hair, Clothing, Holidays.
• During the month, spend ONLY what's in the envelope or jar.  Do not borrow from one to pay another.

Step 5

• Start a log book and write down everything you spend your money on (even that .59 pack of gum or $1.00 hamburger at Jack's.
• Never pull out cash from your ATM.
• Never get cash back from the cashier when your shop.

Step 6

• Repeat this process for 3 months.  (okay, that may be a little hard, but at least for ONE month, be diligent in keeping an accurate record.)
• At the end of the month, look at how much you spent and how much you COULD have saved.

Step 7

• Start a NEEDS/WANTS list.
• Write down everything from your record log and anything that wasn't life sustaining, put over in the WANTS  column.  Anything else, keep in the NEEDS column.
• Start couponing (you already coupon?  Great - keep it up & find more coupons!)
• Start searching for sales (you already do that?  Then try to "up" it a little by finding more sales)
• Find cheaper ways to get your hair cuts.  
• Find cheaper ways to buy clothes.
• Learn how to make gifts.
• Search Pinterest and find ways to spend less on National Holidays.

When you are finished with your INCOME AND EXPENSE sheet for the month, start a new one for next month with your figures a little smaller than they were when you started.

Believe me, this works.  The internet is full of ideas on how to budget.  Lets start here and give it a shot.  Good luck and I'll be seeing you tomorrow :)