Saving money

My household’s energy usage dropped 19% in 2011

Dave Farquhar Saving money , , , , , , , ,

I got a letter from my utility company Saturday morning. Inside was a chart, comparing our household’s energy usage from 2010 and 2011. It dropped 19 percent.

Considering our total bill for 2011 was over $900, that’s hardly chump change. Read more

How computer and energy technology don’t relate

Dave Farquhar Saving money , , , , , , ,

Bill Gates says the rapid advance of computers created unreasonable expectations for the advancement of energy technology. The argument makes sense. And while desktop computers did advance very quickly, I think people have a misconception of even how quickly computers developed–which makes it worse, of course. Some people seem to believe the computer was invented by IBM and Microsoft in 1981. Far be it from Gates to lead people to believe otherwise, but the direct ancestors of modern desktop computing date to the early 1970s, and the groundwork for even that dates to the 1940s, at the very latest.
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Review: The Lutron MS-OPS2 occupancy sensor switch

Dave Farquhar Saving money , , , , , , ,

I installed a Lutron occupancy sensor switch this weekend. It detects you entering the room, turns the lights on, then turns them off five minutes after it detects nobody is in the room. The timeout period is adjustable. It comes in four models: MS-OPS2-WH (white), -AL (almond), -LA (light almond), and -IV (ivory) and retails for $29.

Installation was surprisingly easy–it took about 15 minutes, which is about how long it takes me to change a regular switch, and unlike most models in its price range it works with modern CFL and LED lighting, but I recommend some prep work ahead of time. Read more

LED lighting gets cheaper

Dave Farquhar Saving money , , , , , , ,

I saw this week on Cnet that Pharox is selling basic, bare-bones LEDs direct from its web site, hoping to get consumers to try out LED bulbs.

The Pharox 300 is a 6 watt, 360 lumen bulb priced at $6.95.

The Pharox 200 is a 5 watt, 240 lumen bulb priced at $4.95.

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How I remembered how to negotiate

Dave Farquhar Saving money

My wife found a dining room table she really liked on Craigslist. But the logistics of me picking it up just weren’t good because I’m going to be really busy the next few weeks. If I couldn’t get it done on Sunday the 29th, it wasn’t going to happen.

The deal ended up falling through because I couldn’t get enough cash on a Sunday, and they wouldn’t take $400 in cash and a check for the rest because everyone knows everyone on Craigslist is a scammer (I’m paraphrasing, but he pretty much told me that only scammers use checks). I won’t have time any other day this week, and next weekend I’m taking my boys to a train show (you gotta keep your priorities straight, you know). But as it turned out, it’s probably for the best anyway.
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How to replace cash envelopes, and when not to

Dave Farquhar Saving money

This morning as I was trying to dodge commercials and morning-show call-in games, I heard a couple of DJs talking about personal finance, and how their finances are a mess, and they heard that in the old days, people budgeted by putting money in cash envelopes, paid expenses out of those envelopes.

They asked if anyone has a high-tech way of doing the same thing.
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The LG 593260 LED bulb from Costco

Dave Farquhar Saving money , , , ,

I bought a 2-pack of LG LED bulbs from Costco for $16. They aren’t as good as the bulbs I bought at Home Depot in 2010 or the ones I bought at Lowe’s last year, but for the price difference, they’re probably worth it at least in some cases. The Home Depot bulb sells for 25% more and uses 1.1 watts more energy; the Lowe’s bulb sells for 50% more.

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Do insulated vinyl blinds work?

Dave Farquhar Saving money ,

Back in November, I bought a bunch of insulated vinyl blinds on sale. Installing them took about a week–I had to replace all the hardware, which involves drilling, so I had to be careful what I did and when so as to not wake the kids–but they’ve all been up almost a month now, and it didn’t take long for them to leave an impression. I know you’re asking, “Do insulated vinyl blinds work?” I have to say yes.

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Buy toys now, but keep procrastinating on the electronics

Dave Farquhar Saving money , ,

According to The Consumerist, if you’re shopping for Christmas (or Hanukah or Kwanzaa or any other giving occasion) gifts right now, this is a good time to buy toys but not necessarily electronics. The logic makes sense.
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Spending money to save money

Dave Farquhar Saving money , , ,

Last month our budget billing for our electric bill reset, and I got a pleasant surprise. The monthly bill is $7 less than last year. That’s $84 a year, which isn’t huge, but it’s significant–especially considering I never hear anyone say their electric bill went down. Only up. I had an idea in the back of my mind to spend the savings on another energy saving project, to keep the momentum going in the right direction.

Then my wife mentioned she’d like some new blinds. And the timing could scarcely have been better.

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