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Cost cutting tips. So with the spiraling cost of food and electricity I thought this would be good.

AMKC

So share whatever cost cutting tips you have.

I will start.

Do not use your house lights at all. I do not. I have a rechargeable led torch that I use wants it gets dark.

Do not buy bin bags. I just decided today I would do this. Just but your rubbish straight into the bin

Reuse teabags. Yes you can do this and get at least 3 cups of tea out of one teabag.

Do not watch shows you have seen before. Watch less T.V.

Turn off anything with a red light in it.

Cut back on the news if you watch a lot of it.

Only use your washing machine at 30 degrees. It will do just as good as it at 40degress. This saves energy.

Cut back on playing computer games. Get the board games out instead.

Any other tips people?

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gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562053#Comment_119562053

I didn't mention smart bulbs (though I have a couple I bought on sale on Amazon)

I have Alexa plug connected to an extension, I can turn everything off (so no red lights for TV, sky box, Xbox etc) in one go when going to bed.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562088#Comment_119562088

The oven thing has to be after, rather than during. And anyway, the heat is going to leak to the room anyway, you just have it go out faster.

Doing it during means you're heating the entire room using resistive electric heating (the most expensive way possible), and you'll probably never get your food cooked either.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562003#Comment_119562003

Bin bags are more hygienic...I would think, your bigger bin in your house will be absolutely stinking, and your outside bin will be even worse

I am just throwing all my waste straight into my outside bin from now on.

I always wash my bins after I take them back in from being emptied anyway. So should not be too bad and besides there is not really that much rubbish. Most stuff these days is recyclable :) .

bigroad

After work go to your local hotel and order a coffee.Stay as long as you can while enjoying their heat and TV.

Return home and go straight to bed.

Never use your own heat or electricity.

Jim_Hodge

Leave the oven door open when cooking dinner and it'll heat the room.

Don't empty the sink after washing up until the water is cold, as it'll heat the room while cooling.

Go to work early and stay late to save on heating at home.

brokenangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562066#Comment_119562066

Oh I had them all around the new house, spent 5 days, 4 of us cutting them to the ground. Filled 3 sheds with them and only burning at the moment after I left for 3 seasons....hate the trees

brokenangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562026#Comment_119562026

In reality Tesco home delivery can work out cheaper. I pay 7.99 a month to get the shopping delivered to the house, it save time and fuel money

Plus when you are at home doing the actual shopping you buy exactly what you need, in the shops I always forget what I do/dont need. Plus you end up coming out of Aldi/Lidl with a chainsaw or running machine. Impluse buying is a killer.

When shopping in Tesco you need to know what you want, plus they have reduced the options now but we buy a huge amount of fruit & veg and they have good quality

thegame983

The thing is, even if we all reduced our energy consumption by say 20%, they will just increase the prices again. (20% + an additional price gouge)

A loss in profits is not acceptable to these people.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562056#Comment_119562056

Yep, I've spent many a weekend cutting back leylandii and getting covered in sap and needles.

brokenangel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119561998#Comment_119561998

Depends on the trees....Ireland is full of leylandii which takes a few seasons before you can burn. Horrible bastids of tress

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562026#Comment_119562026

I don't think smart bulbs would save you much in the long run, they're expensive to buy.

You're getting convenience more than energy savings since leaving a 10W LED on all night will only cost pennies in electricity.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119561932#Comment_119561932

I've been using a thermus flask since working from home kicked in, saves you time as well as money. No waiting for the kettle to boil when you want tea or coffee during the day. They are handy to have for outings etc too.

We have a very efficient dishwasher too called Enfilade 😅

gmisk

Mine would be.

Never buy anything bar the ticket at cinema. Go at odd times if you can, or use three scheme for 2 for 1 tickets.

Switch to Aldi/Lidl for big shop..some of the stuff is literally identical. Obviously handy to have the apps for different supermarkets as some excellent vouchers and freebies on them.

When it comes to switching things off at night a lot of ours are on an Alexa switch so can turn them off in one go.

Don't leave your phone on charge obviously when it is at 100.

If you have fresh herbs and you aren't going to use them freeze them. Same with any ready meals that are getting near use by date. If lots of veg left soup is always a good thing to use them up. Freeze a loaf if you just want to use a slice or two at a time as toast.

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119562015#Comment_119562015

Sex life would get more interesting too I suppose

Be right back

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119561938#Comment_119561938

Free prison food? Wouldn't say no!

J.O. Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119561957#Comment_119561957

I don't know if it's serious or a parody. It could be read either way.

Attribute it to Eamon Ryan, post it on Facebook and by this time tomorrow half the country will think he actually said it.

walshb

Shower and get the fook out. Turn water on, wet yourself, wash yourself and turn off. 3/4 mins tops!

Turn lights on only when light needed!

Stop fooking throwing out perfectly edible foods because a label says “best before.” Use your two senses, taste and smell!!

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119561887#Comment_119561887

Most kindles have a backlight I suppose...

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119561981#Comment_119561981

By using a head torch instead of putting a few led lights in the house? Come off it.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058261623/cost-cutting-tips-so-with-the-spirriling-cost-of-food-and-electricity-i-thought-this-would-be-good

I am not sure the above are all that practical. Going around with a torch in your house is a bit bizarre...just turn off lights you aren't using...

Bin bags are more hygienic...I would think, your bigger bin in your house will be absolutely stinking, and your outside bin will be even worse.

30 degree wash is fine for most things I agree on that and the red lights.

Padre_Pio

The biggest energy outlay is heating your house and heating water. Better to focus on this than penny-pinching on binbags and drinking lukewarm tea.

If heating bills are high then buy an electric blanket. Most are less than 100W and it'll take the chill out of your bed. Better than heating the whole room.

Insulation isn't worth a damn if you have a draft. Buy draft excluders and get someone to look at your windows and doors for airgaps. Even roller blinds can make some difference keeping cold air near the window away from the room.

Next tip if you have a fireplace and you have trees in your garden that may be a bit overgrown. Get them cut back now and split and season the wood in the shed for the next few months. Free firewood. It's surprising how much firewood you can get from a single tree. Trees are dormant from about October so you'll do less damage to them at this time of year.

Make sure all your heating is on timers. Instead of having the heating on for 2 straight hours, turn it off for 30 mins in the middle. You'll likely not feel the difference.

You should have done this already, but replace all your non-LED bulbs with LED. Keep an eye out for deals on decent quality bulbs, they crop up all the time. Read up on colour temperature and illumination. Honestly yellow lights make rooms feel warmer.

El_Duderino 09

I'd say a real one would be getting draft excluders thst slip under the door and turn down/off the radiators in rooms you don't use every day. No point heating rooms that aren't being used.

Only use the washing machine when it's full.

Hanging out clothes on a dry winter day can three quarters dry them. Then hang them on the clothes horse over night to finish them. Helps if you're working from home to keep an eye on the weather.

Following up on the fridge, check the refrigeration unit for dust and clean it out. If they get clogged they can't transfer the heat and they burn electricity.

If you have a combi boiler, turn down the water temperature. It only needs to be 45 or 50 degrees. Often times they're set much higher. Plus turn off the pre-heat setting.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119561957#Comment_119561957

I do it so I can have a life and spend my money on the things I want to spend it on like my T.V subscription and going to the cinema.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058261623/cost-cutting-tips-so-with-the-spirriling-cost-of-food-and-electricity-i-thought-this-would-be-good

Life wouldn't be worth living like that. You may as well stay in bed all day and do nothing with your life. And a 30degree wash won't shift stains.

Ubbquittious

If your fridge is any colder than it needs to be turn up it's thermostat by 1 or 2. We have a fridge that was burnin' 2.5-3kW a day, now only 1 or 1.5 after adjusting so a good whack of power saved and no need to be hardshipping reading books using a head torch.

KilOit

Commit a crime and go to prison for a few years

screamer

I have a water filter that sits on my countertop I fill it and boil the water from it, room temperature water is cheaper to boil than straight from the tap. I have an insulated jug that I pour the water into them to keep it hot for 8 hours.

Be right back

Read by candlelight, where are you going with your fancy LED torches?!

Overheal

Just stream shows and play computer games on your mobile device.

https://slate.com/technology/2012/03/is-charging-your-cell-phone-overnight-a-major-waste-of-energy.html#:~:text=Leave%20the%20average%20phone%20plugged,of%206.5%20kWh%20of%20electricity.

It's about $1 of electricity for year, Bob.