5

3/23/2010 8:40:34 PM

3/23/2010 8:41:36 PM

Quote :

"^whenever you're watching something on TV the DVR is recording it. How does completely shutting off your cable box not annoy some of you guys? I don't feel like waiting 5 minutes for the box to start up and initialize every time I want to watch TV."

I know it records when I'm watching something. But the thing spins all the time. And by all the time, I mean all the time.

It doesn't annoy me at all because I don't turn it off and on every time I want to watch TV. I turn it off when I leave; I turn it on when I arrive. When I walk in the house at 5:00, there's nothing I want to watch anyway. Turn it on, leave the room, let the dogs out, check my email, make dinner ... nothing good comes on until at least 7:00 anyway.
Oh shit Lost is on in 30 seconds fuck fuck fuck fuck ... oh wait, I turned it on at 5:00 anyway. Crisis averted.

3/23/2010 8:41:53 PM

I save money on pot by growing it in my attic, and once the barrel of distilled corn liquor in my garage has aged for a few years I'll be saving money on that too.

3/23/2010 10:37:43 PM

i may or may not steal toilet paper from public palces...bring book bag into stall, poop, steal TP, profit

3/23/2010 10:43:15 PM

use paper plates to save on water

or eat over the sink

3/24/2010 9:15:58 AM

If you have a smart phone.

http://www.junefabrics.com/palmnet/index.php

Free internet anywhere.

3/24/2010 9:20:19 AM

dammit, i've got a dumb phone

3/24/2010 9:21:15 AM

At home, I eat over the sink to save money on the water and electricity it takes to wash dishes.

Though I rarely eat at home. I generally just eat at work.

3/24/2010 9:33:07 AM

Question:

Is it cheaper to wash your own dishes in the sink or use a dishwasher??

I think I use a lot of water when I'm washing dishes in the sink. If you pack the dishwasher to the brim, are you saving water??

3/24/2010 9:40:22 AM

also, you can live in a storage unit for like $80 bux a month, if it comes down to it and you are sneaky about it

3/24/2010 9:41:39 AM

I am all for saving the paper, but I gotta have the dishwasher!

3/24/2010 9:41:59 AM

^^ My neighbor lived in a storage unit. He showered/shaved at Planet Fitness for just $10 a month.

Swear to god. He slept in his van just outside the unit, so it was like he had a 2-room house.

3/24/2010 9:44:02 AM

haha, i pulled some all nighters when i was building my first subie

got a few headaches from the propane heater on those cold winter nights though

3/24/2010 9:48:07 AM

Quote :

"Is it cheaper to wash your own dishes in the sink or use a dishwasher?? I think I use a lot of water when I'm washing dishes in the sink. If you pack the dishwasher to the brim, are you saving water??"

depends on whether you are using heated dry. Heated dry uses a lot of energy/money. It is especially bad for those people that run the heated dry and do the dishes every time it gets half full.

As for cheaper on the water side it depends. If you only do the dishes once a week or so and don't use heated dry you probably aren't using a ton of energy and water. You will use about 15 gallons of water/wash cycle and I really don't know how much energy it is using off the top of my head.

If you fill up your sink until it is full, let them soak, then wash and rinse, you are probably using about the same amount of water and slightly less energy.

3/24/2010 9:52:41 AM

Word. I don't like using the dishwasher. But my roomie does AND he uses the heated dry....FUCKER.

I just don't like waiting to fill up the dishwasher before I can uses pots/pans/dishes again.

3/24/2010 9:55:22 AM

I read this article about how to live on $15/week. I stocked up on oatmeal and grits.

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/09/08/how-to-feed-yourself-for-15-a-week/

Pretty good ideas in there. One about evaporated milk? Tastes just like regular milk!

3/24/2010 9:58:24 AM

Not trying to be a dick, but I hope I'm never poor enough that I have to do all the things in that article.

3/24/2010 10:13:50 AM

^^^ I hear you; I'm pretty much the same way. My wife and I just wash our dishes as soon as we finish a meal. 1) its easier since stuff isnt dried on and 2) is the same as you: we generally just hate to wait until it is full to run it when you want to use it, but you really need it to be full and to run it once a week at most in order to make it worthwhile.

If you do it right after a meal when you don't have to let them soak and you just run hot water and clean with a soapy sponge quick you definitely save a little energy and slightly on water too as long as you aren't taking 5 minutes of leaving the faucet on straight to wash a set of dishes for 1 or 2 people.

Plus, if its just the wife and I using stuff (ie we aren't serving like this to guests/friends) stuff like cups will get used more than once if they just get rinsed out. I hate when I see someone grab a cup, fill it halfway with water/juice or something, chug it, and then place the cup in the dishwasher haha. Usually the same kind of people that run the dishwasher and heated dry when its only half-full because they are out of cups

[Edited on March 24, 2010 at 10:21 AM. Reason : ]

3/24/2010 10:17:51 AM

Quote :

"Have substantial cereals for breakfast. Oatmeal and Grapenuts were keys to my success. They both filled me up and kept me filled up for much of the day. A single container of oatmeal — not the flavored packages, which are expensive and insubstantial, but the big boxes of loose Old Fashioned Oatmeal — would last slightly longer than a week, even if I ate it every day. At the time this cost about $1.99 per container. You can get it today easily for $2.99 per container."

This is my FAVORITE tip.

I used to eat cereal for 3 meals a day because I was kind of addicted to Special K chocolate. Definitely cheap if you buy it on BOGO and double up with a coupon. Not a balanced diet, but a tasty one. And I lost weight.

I also take oatmeal with me whenever I travel because I don't like to eat out for every meal when I'm on vacation. Oatmeal is easy to pack and very easy to make just using hot water from your hotel room's coffee maker. And you'll have more money for excursions.

3/24/2010 10:20:40 AM

what happened? i started reading the first page and it was all trolling, then skipped to this page and its all serious.

3/24/2010 10:22:32 AM

http://www.salon.com/life/pinched/2010/03/15/hipsters_food_stamps_pinched

stolen from David0603

3/24/2010 10:22:53 AM

^^^yea my wife makes oatmeal for breakfast everyday. We just watch for coupons and she can get breakfast for over 2 weeks for like $1. She loves it too, so that works out well hah.

Quote :

"Not trying to be a dick, but I hope I'm never poor enough that I have to do all the things in that article."

really? I just went and read the article and was expecting some ridiculous stuff after you posted that

A lot of that is just good practice, not being cheap. I don't buy hardly any junk food for health reasons, but they are also ridiculously overpriced compared to healthier more substantial food. Pre-cooked food is just a no-brainer. Huge markup when cooking is easy.

I can agree that never eating out is silly. That gets into the territory of going to the extreme to deprive yourself to save money.

A good breakfast is great period.

Fresh, in-season produce is healthy and delicious and can be gotten quite cheap like they said.

I disagree with them about super-cheap stuff like Ramen. Its not worth eating like that to save money. Eating healthy is more important than saving money (however the key is that those two things aren't mutually exclusive).

That article was talking about $15 per week per person which for a month comes out to $120 for two people or $60 for one. As I stated earlier, my wife and I spend about $200 a month on food (or $100/person). I think there is a healthy balance needed. I have friends that spend over $300 a month for just themselves on food (not counting any drinks/bar tabs or truly going out to eat at a nice restaurant..just normal breakfast, lunch, dinner) and to me that is just crazy. However, dropping down to $60 per person isn't worth it if you are eating Ramen noodles every other meal. At $100 per person per month we are eating a lot of fresh produce, cooking great meals and certainly not skimping on the quality, quantity, or healthiness of our food. Once again, its all about finding the middle-ground. It is not worth saving a buck at the expense of quality and time, but there are lots of easy ways to save money. Obviously when it comes to food, it helps if you are good at or enjoy cooking.

[Edited on March 24, 2010 at 10:42 AM. Reason : ]

3/24/2010 10:23:58 AM

i used to spend hundreds on hookers, but then i got lucy's digits

3/24/2010 10:42:51 AM

3 words for what costs the most in many peoples' power bills:

HOT WATER HEATER

3/24/2010 10:44:48 AM

I take 20 min scalding hot showers every day

Its the only way I can function

3/24/2010 10:47:22 AM

point is though, say you go to the beach for a week...that entire week, your hot water heater is turning on to keep the water at a certain temperature...just flip the breaker before you go out of town for a long time

can affect power bills much more than misconceived stuff like HVAC

3/24/2010 10:48:29 AM

yep. when we move into the house I plan to put in a hot water heater timer (the heater is electric, the timers arent as useful for gas) + turning the temperature down since you don't need it to be as hot as most people have it set.


[Edited on March 24, 2010 at 10:52 AM. Reason : ]

3/24/2010 10:48:51 AM

ramen is a good noodle additive to a lot of foods though, just have to watch the sodium levels...

that guy is gonna die much younger than he should...

[Edited on March 24, 2010 at 12:16 PM. Reason : s]

3/24/2010 12:11:32 PM

Ramen is great for any and every occasion!

Those watching their waistline can make a ramen salad:


Doritos Ramen Salad

Difficulty: Easy
Ready in: 20 minutes

You will need:
- 1 package of ramen noodles
- 1 bag of doritos (a small one was enough for our recipe)
- 1/2 lb. of ground beef
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- Taco seasoning (optional)

How to cook:
The noodles:
1. Put 2 cups of water in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once the water is boiling add your ramen noodles.
3. Wait 2-3 minutes until the noodles are tender and separated.
4. Take off the water with the strainer.
The recipe:
5. Cook the ground beef in a cooking pan. Make sure it's fully cooked!
6. Once it's ready, put it in a bowl.
7. Add the ramen noodles and mix it with the beef.
8. Place the Doritos chips around the beef like on the picture (it looks like a flower!)
9. Break into small pieces the Doritos you have left and put them on top of the beef.
10. Add the shredded cheese and taco seasoning (optional)
11. Enjoy!

Got a sweet tooth? Use it in your dessert:



Jello Ramen

You will need:
- 1 package of ramen noodles (crushed)
- 1 package of jell-o (85g)
- 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 cup of cold water
- 1 cup of hot water
- a cooking pan

How to cook:
The noodles:
1. While the noodles are still in the package, break them in small pieces.
2. Put the vegetable oil in the cooking pan.
3. Turn on the stove and wait for the oil to heat up.
4. Put your noodles in the cooking pan.
5. Since ramen are dehydrated, you have to be careful not to burn them. Always gently shake the cooking pan.
6. Your noodles are ready once they have a nice brownish color.
7. Turn off the stove and put your noodles in a bowl.
The recipe:
8. Put your jell-o powder in another bowl.
9. Heat up 1 cup of water (on the stove or in the microwave)
10. Add the hot water to the jell-o powder.
11. Stir until the powder is completely dissolved.
12. Add 1 cup of cold water.
13. Add your ramen noodles.
14. Put in the fridge and wait for the jell-o to set.
15. Enjoy!


Looking for a real crowd-pleaser? Try the Ultra Cheese Ramen:



ou will need:
- 2 packages of ramen noodles
- 1 pack of Kraft Diner
- 1 cup of cheez whiz
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 4 cups of water

How to cook:
The noodles:
1. Put 2 cups of water in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once the water is boiling add your ramen noodles.
3. Wait 2-3 minutes until the noodles are tender and separated.
4. Take off the water with the strainer.
The recipe:
5. Heat the cheezwhiz in the microwave until the sauce is ready.
6. Add the kraft diner cheese and the milk on your ramen and stir until it's evenly coated.
7. Add the cheese sauce.
8. Add the shredded cheddar.
9. Enjoy!

3/24/2010 3:24:50 PM

3/24/2010 3:25:44 PM

Quote :

"3 words for what costs the most in many peoples' power bills: HOT WATER HEATER"

Well there's your problem right thar. You don't need to heat your hot water.
[/department of redundancy department]

3/24/2010 3:58:24 PM

^ gg. Never thought about flipping the breaker on the water heater though before trips. I'll start doing that as me and the family are always gone on weekends in the summer.

3/24/2010 4:00:14 PM

I'd like to see a real breakdown of energy usage for a water heater that decides where the proper cutoff is for turning it off. (cue mythbusters?)
Leaving for a month? Hell yea, turn it off.
Leaving for an hour? Hell no, leave it on.
Leaving for 3 days? I really don't know. If your storage tank is well-insulated, then the heater won't really have to work very hard at keeping your water hot. If you turn it off and let all your water get cold, then it will need a substantial amount of energy to re-heat the entire tank...

3/24/2010 4:10:31 PM

Quote :

"If you turn it off and let all your water get cold, then it will need a substantial amount of energy to re-heat the entire tank..."

The energy required to reheat the water is generally less than the energy spent to maintain the water at the set temperature when it is just sitting in the tank not being used once you reach the comparison point of a full day or so. Timers can save you money in smaller, everyday hour gaps you don't need hot water.

This is also similar to your AC/Heating. Yes, it takes a lot of energy to heat your house back up if you turn your thermostat way down during the day, however, after about 8 hours you reach the point where the energy you saved while the temperature was on turn-down is greater than the energy required to maintain it at that temperature all day when no one is home. Obviously, after that time the benefit just keeps growing.

Quote :

"Leaving for an hour? Hell no, leave it on."

Actually, if you have an electric water heater, you actually can save energy by cycling it on and off during the day just like you do with a programmable thermostat so that it is only keeping it as warm as you need during the times you actually need it. DOE says that can save 5-12% on your monthly bills during regular use (ie this is a savings you see when you are at home, not turning it off for long trips or anything)

Published by the DOE:

Quote :

"Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings You can reduce your water heating costs by simply lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater. For each 10ºF reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3%–5% in energy costs. Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140ºF, most households usually only require them set at 120ºF. Water heated at 140ºF also poses a safety hazard—scalding. However, if you have a dishwasher without a booster heater, it may require a water temperature within a range of 130ºF to 140ºF for optimum cleaning. Reducing your water temperature to 120ºF also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes. This helps your water heater last longer and operate at its maximum efficiency. Consult your water heater owner's manual for instructions on how to operate the thermostat. You can find a thermostat dial for a gas storage water heater near the bottom of the tank on the gas valve. Electric water heaters, on the other hand, may have thermostats positioned behind screw-on plates or panels. As a safety precaution, shut off the electricity to the water heater before removing/opening the panels. Keep in mind that an electric water heater may have two thermostats—one each for the upper and lower heating elements. Mark the beginning temperature and the adjusted temperature on the thermostat dial for future reference. After turning it down, check the water temperature with a thermometer at the tap farthest from the water heater. Thermostat dials are often inaccurate. Several adjustments may be necessary before you get the right temperature. If you plan to be away from home for at least 3 days, turn the thermostat down to the lowest setting or completely turn off the water heater. To turn off an electric water heater, switch off the circuit breaker to it. For a gas water heater, make sure you know how to safely relight the pilot light before turning it off. "

Quote :

"Install a Timer and Use Off-Peak Power for Electric Water Heaters If you have an electric water heater, you can save an additional 5%–12% of energy by installing a timer that turns it off at night when you don't use hot water and/or during your utility's peak demand times. You can install a timer yourself. They can cost $60 or more, but they can pay for themselves in about 1 year. Timers are most cost effective if you don't want to install a heat trap and insulate your water heater tank and pipes. Timers aren't as cost effective or useful on gas water heaters because of their pilot lights. Contact your utility to see if it offers a demand management program. Some utilities offer "time of use" electricity rates that vary according to the demand on their system. They charge higher rates during "on-peak" times and lower rates during "off-peak" times. Some even offer incentives to customers who allow them to install control devices that shut off electric water heaters during peak demand periods. These control devices may use radio signals that allow a utility to shut off a water heater remotely anytime demand is high. Shut-off periods are generally brief so customers experience no reduction in service. "

[Edited on March 24, 2010 at 4:57 PM. Reason : ]

3/24/2010 4:40:56 PM

We put a dryer heat reclaimer on our dryer this winter. (Which needs to be routed back into the floor soon though because it gives you all the heat from your dryer.) And with the NC humidity, it will fog up the kitchen instantly, and make the walls sweat sometimes. Other than that, I love the thing!

3/24/2010 4:44:32 PM

bet it makes the house smell good too!

3/24/2010 5:05:40 PM

more like lucyinthesky with cubic zirconias, amirite?!

3/24/2010 6:31:15 PM

^^ It does! And I use a Bounce dryer bar, which also saves money and smells good.

3/24/2010 10:56:51 PM

Instead of spending money on bathing suits, just wear your undies to the beach!

3/25/2010 5:06:27 PM

eat healthy foods, exercise, eat fewer calories than you burn, saves money short term and long term

3/25/2010 5:12:34 PM

Marry for money, look for love later

3/25/2010 5:21:38 PM

more like frugal jews ITT

3/25/2010 5:55:02 PM

My house was 85 degrees yesterday at 7 pm. I refuse to turn on the AC until May.

4/7/2010 1:30:33 PM

^ ceiling fans are also an extremely under-utilized device in people's homes. People waste a lot of money conditioning whole houses or whole floors or houses during plenty of times that they are actually only in 1 or 2 rooms. Having a fan on (in both summer or winter) can easily swing the temperature your body is sensing by 5+ degrees either way (depending on the time of year)

4/7/2010 1:39:29 PM

That's 85 degrees with my ceiling fans on high.

Orlando gets warm.

4/7/2010 1:40:23 PM

well yea, your thermostat won't get affected too much (depending on placement), but that 85 + a ceiling fan probably feels like an 80...which would be comfortable minus the extra humidity in Orlando

4/7/2010 1:44:33 PM

good thread ... i'm going to start switching off my dvr/cable box/receiver power strip when i am done with them and night

and also check the thermostat on my water heater

i've been living in what i think is too much excess since i got a decent job but now i've been trying to save $ and reduce cost of living

it stresses me out thinking about it though

i just really hate paying my cell phone bill...i don't use it much, but I don't know anyone who does not have less than the base verizon plan...suggestions?

4/7/2010 3:24:00 PM

re-gift

4/7/2010 3:30:50 PM

(I'm about to make a fool of myself in this post. If I'm misremembering my thermodynamics, please correct me (politely))

Quote :

"The energy required to reheat the water is generally less than the energy spent to maintain the water at the set temperature when it is just sitting in the tank not being used once you reach the comparison point of a full day or so. Timers can save you money in smaller, everyday hour gaps you don't need hot water. This is also similar to your AC/Heating. Yes, it takes a lot of energy to heat your house back up if you turn your thermostat way down during the day, however, after about 8 hours you reach the point where the energy you saved while the temperature was on turn-down is greater than the energy required to maintain it at that temperature all day when no one is home. Obviously, after that time the benefit just keeps growing."

After thinking about it for a little bit and not doing any real research, I'm starting to lean toward shutting it off whenever possible.

IIRC, heating rates are linear:
(1) Heating 70 degree water to 120 degrees (deltaT of 50 degrees) requires X amount of energy
(2) Heating 115 degree water to 120 degrees (deltaT of 5 degrees) and repeating the process 10 times requires the exact same X amount of energy as (1).

You water heater has a thermostat in it that works approximately like (2). It heats the water to 120 degrees and then shuts itself off. When the average temperature drops a certain amount (say, to 115), then the heater kicks back on and heats the tank until it hits 120.
So if you turn it off for a day and the entire tank cools to 100 degrees, then heating it up from that point requires the exact same amount of energy as it would if it cools to 115 and then gets reheated, repeated 4 times.


Am I remembering my thermo more or less correctly?

[Edited on April 7, 2010 at 4:22 PM. Reason : ]

4/7/2010 4:21:52 PM