Ten Ways to Save Money on Your Utilities

Every year I end up going through the same shock and awe when I see my summer utility bills coming in!  That first bill comes in with a substantial difference and I'm an energy ninja.  You would think that having spent most of my life in SC that I would be used to this!  =)
Anywayyyy, here are some quick things you can do to instantly cool down AND start seeing a savings on your bill.
1. Set your thermostat higher.  Most people can handle temps between 73 and 80 degrees.  Raise it as far as you can stand it.  Which leads to step #2....
2. Use your fans.  Most of us here in the south have ceilings fans for a reason.
3. Menu plan.  Yep, here we go again with menu planning.  Take it up a notch and do your "big" cooking once a week.  Preferably one early morning before it starts getting hot outside.  That way you don't have to heat up one end of your home cooking for an hour every evening.  Use your microwave ( we all have them) and quickly reheat your meal.
4. Speaking of cooking, ever notice when you see or tour old homes that the kitchen is always separate from the house?  Not only did this decrease the chance of fires, but our ancestors here in the south knew it kept the home cooler!  I'm not saying build an outdoor kitchen, but how about grilling out?  Everyone loves a good BBQ!
5. As soon as you wake in the morning make sure all windows, curtains and blinds are shut.  I love natural light so this is a hard one for me, but it makes a huge difference.
6. Leave lights off!  Unplug appliances you are not using.
7. Dress appropriately.  I could live in a sundress and flip flops so this one is easy!
8. Remember your mom fussing at you when you were a kid for keeping the fridge door wide open while you pondered what you were having for a snack?  All kids do it.  Keep snacks easily available on the counter within reach.
9.  Implement your solar powered apparel drying device.  Use a clothesline!!
10. Plant trees around your home.  They benefit everyone!  Trees provide an incredible amount of shade which means they are blocking that sun from cooking your home.

DIY Candles and Garden Markers

 These projects are super simple to make, and take less than thirty minutes each! They're also kid-friendly, and cost-effective, as both deal with recycling.

 These candles are made from old tealights, broken candles and seashells.

Before the wax can be melted down and shaped, you must first remove the wick from your tealights. Flip your tealight over and remove the metal backing, and (VERY) gently pull on the small, metal circle. This will remove your wick. Set aside for now.

 Once you have removed your wick and designated your amount of candles, place the wax into a double boiler, or a tin can inside of a pot filled with boiling water. (Personally, I do this fairly often. If you are working with children, I suggest intervening at this part due to the heat.) Keep an eye on the wax, as it will begin to melt fairly quickly. Continuously stir until fully melted.

 

 After your wax has melted, position your wick in your seashell. Try to keep it from moving, and away the inside of the shell. Once positioned, gradually pour your wax into the shell. Before using your new candles, remember to let them cool a few hours in advance. :-)

 These lovely garden markers are made from wine corks and bamboo skewers, however chopsticks or old paintbrush handles would be perfectly fine, too. Obviously this isn't much of a tutorial since it's just sticking a cork onto a stick...But ta-dah! 

Romaine lettuce~ Regrowing from kitchen scraps!!

I started these in water for about a week and then  moved them to their new home.  So far so good.  The plants are adjusting nicely.  Now that our nights aren't dipping down into freezing temps, I may just start transitioning them outside.  I love finding ways to save money.  And who doesn't love a good salad?

I love when the forsythias bloom.  It is always the first signal that spring is here in our part of the world!  My daughter and I were in a big box grocery store just the other day and saw some forsythia branches for sale in the floral department.  The branches were being sold in groups of five for five dollars!  A dollar a branch?  Apparently, we have a small fortune in forsythia bushes and never knew it~  =0)

Fall crafts on Pinterest~

We've been busy with fall crafts!  Carvable foam pumpkins are always easy and affordable.  This year we not only painted several, but tried a new decorating technique using thumbtacks!  I love this effect!!

We are now picking tons of peppers daily! Well, not exactly "tons" but a whole bunch of them!!  =0)   I love using them in everything from eggs to stir fry.  This year we are freezing a good many of them.  It's a very simple process to prepare them!  All you need to do is the following:

1. slice and remove seeds
2. add peppers to rapidly boiling water for two minutes
3. remove peppers and instantly submerse in ice bath
4. drain, pat dry and place them in freezer bags

That's it!

Stairs Redo

I'm loving the fact that the carpet is slowly, but steadily, disappearing!  My hands are killing me.  Five hours invested at this point, but I'm thinking it will be all worth it!  I am headed to Lowe's to pick out a color for the stain.  Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping this project will be finished by tonight...

Thrifty

I go through a lot of these!  I hate using one to scrub a pot and then having to toss it in the trash.  On the other hand, I hate reusing something once I've scrubbed the pot.  It's just one of those things~ I thought about this the other day.  Why not cut them into several different sizes?  That way I just use the one I need an toss it when I'm done.  BUT, I won't have to really waste anything!  It's the little things that make me happy.  =0)