Stewardship
Here I will post tips as I think of them on how you can save money.
One of the most effective summer cooling tips I have ever ran across is to line your sun facing windows with the foil emergency blankets sold in the camping section of most stores. The blanket goes against your window under the curtain, shade or blinds. I live in a farmhouse with many huge windows. It cost me $12 to do all of the windows that receive sunlight. This really cuts the heat coming from the sun. You can put your hand over the window and feel very little heat. Put your hand under the blanket and it's amazing how much heat the blanket is blocking. If you are looking to cut cooling costs and have sun exposed windows, I encourage you to try it. Some people also use the foil backed insulated board found in hardware stores.
Another great tip I found that works well in our home is to use Ajax dishwashing liquid for laundry detergent. This tip was shared with me by a wise older woman. She has been using it for years with no ill effects. I have been using it for years now also and have not had any problems. Many people know dishwashing liquid is great as a spot treatment. I use 1-2 tbsp per load in my super capacity washer. It does not suds up or overflow. It washes out of the clothes and there is no heavy perfume smell (unhealthy chemicals) left behind. I can usually find a bottle on sale for under a $1 and it lasts weeks.
I use a clothesline year around. I do not have a dryer and have not used one in over 12 years. A clothes dryer is one of the most costly appliances to operate. If you do a cost analysis of how much it costs to run one for each load, you will see how quickly savings can add up. When it is too wet to hang clothes outside, we hang them in an enclosed backporch on cotton clothesline.
©2006 Wendy Asbell