I looked at my last electricity bill and almost fainted. I know Honey is going to pitch a fit when he sees it because he will have to pay it. The last bill was ridiculous and this is mainly because of the heater that I was running over the few nights that it was cold.

I have been using more electricity also because I have been coming home early and leaving the computer on all the time while I play games and download stuff and chat and blog and manage my finances. I have decided to cut back on those things as much as possible and here are a few tips I will be using to save money on my electric bill for the next time it rolls around.

  1. Use candles. I started to do this some time ago and then I just stopped for a little bit. I use candles in the bathroom and this provides enough light to shower and brush my teeth and do some other bathroom stuff by. I will need to put the light on in order to put in or remove my contact lenses because the light of one candle is just not enough for that delicate procedure. I used to use scented candles (which were a bit pricey) so I would get the added benefit of have some aromatherapy going on while I do my other business. I have started getting prayer candles (because we are now in Lent) and those are so much more economical. The candles cost $0.94 and they burn for 5 days so that would run me about $5.00 a month since I light them on Sundays to get my prayer going for the week.
  2. Continue to unplug the appliances that are not being used. I only use my microwave to heat water in the morning to make breakfast and to reheat my lunch at home. As soon as I take the food out of the microwave I unplug it. This saves a little bit of money but I do not need the microwave to function as a clock so what is the point of leaving it plugged all day?The only thing I have plugged in is the router on the computer. This is on a separate power strip from the rest of the computer so I can shut down and turn off the computer but just the router stays on because other people use it.
  3. I open my windows to let in light and heat so that the apartment is comfortable all day. I have those things (I don’t know what they are called) that prevent the windows from opening past a certain point and I only open the windows just a little bit so I feel confident and safe doing this. I love getting fresh air so I open the window in the morning before I leave and open the blinds on the sliding glass door. By the time I get home from work the apart is nice and warm from the light and the place just feels fresh from all the air that has been circulating since I leave all the interior doors open to all the rooms.

Now these are just some of the small ways I am trying to save a few pennies on my electric bill and they have worked for me in the past so I am confident going into the future that my next electric bill will not be so high.