Little Changes in Your Home that Save Big Money

You might think that you are doing your best to control your home utility and housekeeping costs. However, there are a few things that even the most frugal person misses. Some of these items will surprise you.

Changing your TV mode will lower your electric bill and lengthen the life of your TB set. Go to the menu on your TV and check to see what picture mode it is in. It it is in "vivid mode" which is best for display at TV stores, change it to "home mode" or "standard mode" which is best for the lighting used in homes.

Don't pre-rinse your dishes. Dishwasher detergents actually works by sticking to the food particles on the plate, meaning your dishes will come cleaner if the plates are a little dirty. This doesn't mean leaving large food particles on the plate, but you don't need to get the clean enough to eat from before putting them in the dishwasher. Instead of running tons of water to rinse your dishes, fill the sink with water and give dishes a quick swish with a brush and then put it in the dishwasher.

More laundry detergent does not mean cleaner clothes. Extra soap in the washing machine causes build up that will wear down your machine. Use 1/2 of the suggested amount in your wash cycles and you will save on laundry detergent and repair bills.

Use smaller pots when cooking to save money. Using the smallest pot for the amount of the food you are cooking will help you use energy more efficiently. For instance it will take longer for eggs to boil in a gallon size pot than a quart sized pot as there is a lot more water to heat. Also, if you have different size burners on your stove, make sure that the pot size fits the burner or that flames are not coming out from under the pot as this is also a waste of heat.

You can lower the amount of water used in your toilet. To do this, put a brick or sealed jar of water in your toilet take to displace some of the water. This will cause less water per flush to be used. Be careful not to displace too much water because double flushing will negate your effort.

Purchase Smart Strip power strips for your home. It is well known that unplugging appliances eliminates ghost power usage which can be substantial. Plugging and unplugging these items every time you use them can be annoying. Instead use Smart Strip power strips that will eliminate idle currents and lower your electric bills.