Sunday, August 17, 2008

$349 in FREE coupons!!

Misc. Coupons 7/6


I’m giving away a total of $349 in coupons to FOUR lucky winners! I have four envelopes each for different products and amounts. Also included in these envelopes are some great coupons from Enjoying the Journey (formally Hearts on fire for Jesus). After winning my first giveaway she decided to spread the coupon joy and provide me with a few to share.

I want to get these coupons out quickly because some of the dates are coming up. all you have to do to win is leave a comment with your favorite energy saving tip and an active email address. Those who do not leave an email address or blog link will be disqualified.

You have until 3:00pm (est) Thursday, August 21st to enter.

128 comments:

Gina @ MoneywiseMoms said...

Thanks for doing the giveaway!
I've taught my kids (2, 2, and 4) to turn off lights when we leave the room. Now they even remind Daddy when he forgets!

ginava3 (at) yahoo.com

Frugal in Virginia said...

Thanks for the giveaway! Our biggest energy saving tip is to keep the AC up at 79 degrees in the summer time. We have quickly adjusted to the change of it being a bit warmer, and it has saved us a bunch of money!

Anonymous said...

oh wow enter me please i go shopping on the 5th :)
liza121870@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the giveaway!! At night or when we leave for the day, I unplug the tv, computer, and as many other things as I can.

Heather
ellishl@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

This sounds like an awesome giveaway! Thank you!

My energy-saving tip is to switch to all energy efficient lightbulbs. (We had a friend at GE who had some awesome coupons to get all of it for almost free. )

rvickers03 [at] gmail.com

Corianne said...

Oh wow! That looks like a GREAT coupon give-away!
My friend worked for a company that installed air-conditioning, and she taught us that even switching it like 2 degrees during the day (different people getting the temp. up or down) was costing us a lot of money. We stopped doing it during the day and we saved tons of money of our energybill. So small things count!!

Anne said...

We switched to energy efficient light bulbs and turn all appliances off when not in use.

lovin_singing (at) yahoo.com

Heather said...

We have ceiling fans in every room and have them going constantly, this allows us to run our AC at a higher temp, saving us $$ on the electric bill!!

Unknown said...

Favorite energy saving tip not already mentioned: I try to cook multiple things at once- bake all of the chicken I'll need for the next few meals. This saves energy, water and time. Thanks for this give away. christina.hidek @ gmail.com

Marin said...

We live in Florida but we've learned to keep our AC a few degrees higher and run our ceiling fans instead. The movement of air makes the room feel a little cooler.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for offering all of these coupons! :-) One of the biggest things we've done this summer to save energy is not run the air conditioning. :-)

Megan said...

Oh yay! i am new to couponing and this would be a perfect start to my collection!

We do not run the air conditioner in our apartment, we have probably run it 5 times this summer, and we live in the desert! My husband is also very energy efficient and has taught me to turn off each light as we leave a room.

megan.nadalet @ gmail.com

Lady Amalthea said...

Great giveaway!

We use weather stripping around the edges of our doors to keep the warm air in during the winter, we block the bottoms of the doors with a blanket but you can make cute little socky animals to put there and around windows too!

samantha.tjoelker @gmail.com

Becky said...

great give away!!

My favorite tip is to learn when each store does mark downs. For instance our GAP does mark downs on Mon nights/Tuesday morning so the best time for me to shop is on Tuesday. And I always check the clearance rack every time I'm in the mall. I've picked up several items that were returns for less than a dollar at Children's Place recently.

bargainpreneur (at) yahoo (dot) com

MTMC said...

Enter me!
We switched all our lightbulbs (not an easy feat) to CFL.
deena (dot) clarke (at) gmail.com

Jen said...

I NEED THOSE!!!

We are all about NO lights during the day unless we have to have them. So we take showers by window light, and everything else we can do without turining on the lights.

Anonymous said...

A thermostate that you can program is an awesome way to save...you can program it for lower (or higher) when you are not at home. jtmkcm at yahoo.com

brightleigh said...

Cool deal! We keep our thermostat at 79 during the summer. Also, the ultimate energy tip--we live in a concrete house, so that really helps our energy bill! Thanks for the opportunity!

robandleighbright@suddenlink.net

Jerry, Lauren, Kaylee, and Isaac! said...

those look awesome!!! We try to keep our a/c up higher (about 79) and run ceiling fans. Some people keep their shades closed. But I personally can't do this when I am home all day. I have to have light! :) We also try to make sure the tv and all electronics are off before we leave the house.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the great giveaway. My best energy saving tip is to replace the air conditioning filter more often than recommended. We do it once a month. It keeps the air flowing easier allowing the a/c to run more efficiently.
nonacurrence@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Like others, we've changed light bulbs, use a programable thermostat, and use cold water for washing. Great ideas! Thanks for the chance!
wishbone317@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I am new to coupon shopping. But I already love it. Those coupons sure would fit nicely in my new coupon organizer...

I save energy by opening the blinds to use the daylight instead of electricity. I also have magnetic vent covers in the basement to help push the a/c upstairs where it is warmer.

meg@purdue.edu

Rachel said...

We do several things (the usual unplugging of things and using energy efficient litebulbs) but one maybe more interesting thing i've done is that I quit using the plug in scented oil air fresheners and just light a candle for some good smellies!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the giveaway. With a open floor plan I try to keep the door to the vent closed in the laundry room so it is not cooled as much as the rest of the house.
ginggin71 @aol.com

Antje said...

Thanks for the giveaway.

WE try to air dry our clothes outside so we don't use the dryer and save on our energy bill.

seesawstar said...

We try to save energy by being morning people to take advantage of the daylight!

Email address is in blog: mypreciouspennies.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for doing the giveaway! I saved energy by buying an energy saving air conditioner - it has saved me a bunch of $$!

debbie at lildebuf@gmail.com

Heather said...

We turn the ac off at night because our bedroom is cooler than the rest of the apartment and we run a fan at night. Plus, in the winter, we move our 2 computers into the living room and they heat it up so much that we hardly have to run the heat. (We live in the south, so mild winters, but still we felt brilliant.

The Sayler Family said...

Great giveaway - I never have been able to win one of these! Anyway, I've been hanging out my laundry and unplugging all appliances when not in use and have saved about $10/month on the electric bill. Thanks!

Sunil said...

Power saving tip:
Open doors and windows and switch off the AC so that the rooms become cold and save energy.

sunil.hps@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

We switched to energy efficient light bulbs and use white ones more than the yellow ones.

Thanks for the giveaway.

Jem
jemtanghal@yahoo.com

lotsofolives said...

Air dry large, bulky items like comforters and bedspreads. If you don't have a clothes line, try draping them over a porch rail or over a porch swing. If weather doesn't permit outside drying, hang them over a door to dry.

Jackie said...

TURN OFF THE COMPUTER!! haha its a hard thing for us to do :) We also turn the air off when we can use our windows :)

Aubree said...

TURN OFF LIGHTS WHEN LEAVING THE HOUSE..or when not in the room.

Unknown said...

Installing power strips has saved us a bunch. Especially for things like the computer.

bevsclark said...

I wash everything in cold and have the energy saving light bulbs.

Mars said...

Great giveaway! We've let our lawn mowing go a littel longer this year to cut back on gas. (hsmars72@aim.com)

Savemycents said...

Thanks for doing the giveaway! My tip is to plug in any electrical device only when needed and immediately unplug it.

savemycents@gmail.com

Theresa N. said...

We set our thermostat on 75 in the summer and 71 in the winter (68 at bedtime).
Theresa N
weceno(ay)yahoo(dot)com

usafcole said...

Although it is tempting to open all the blinds and curtains in the summer to let the light in, we keep them closed and run the AC at a higher temp. It keep the heat outside and saves dollars on the electric bill.

Anonymous said...

What a great giveaway!! I make sure that my kids turn off lights when they leave a room, close the curtians in the daytime, and I also started washing my clothes in warm water instead of hot, it made a difference in my elect bill immediatly!
Stephanie
Sfischer06@hotmail.com

Michelle said...

We try to always turn the lights out when we are leaving the room. (Yes, simple, but our 2 year old doesn't always abide.) I would also like to start to hang my clothes on a clothes line to avoid running the dryer. Thank you for the giveaway!

shelnew19 [at] gmail dot com

pdandeh said...

Electronic Thermostat (its so worth the money!). All the electronics are on a power strip - simply switch it off when you are done!

Eva
pdandeh@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

We have zone heating/cooling which is great because we only cool (or heat) certain areas of the house, rather than the whole house!
kvicker at hotmail dot com

Jeanette said...

We made a conscious decision NOT to buy an air conditioner this year. In the North East, it doesn't really get too hot. A little discomfort for a few days is worth the money we save in energy costs!

pennypinchermama said...

Wow - to my suprise!! I learned that turning off your ceiling fan when you leave a room saves lots of money!! The fan doesn't change the temp in the room, it only makes you feel cooler when sitting under it. By turning it off when you leave the room, you cut your energy use. This has made a big difference in our electric bill!

Diana said...

I love these giveaways, thanks!
My money saving tip is unplug all those chargers after you are done using them. Iv'e heard this is a big electricty waster.
dwolf5267(at)msn(dot)com

Teale said...

Hi there, I'm new to your blog, but enjoy it!

I save energy by turning the a/c off when I'm not home. I also unplug all appliances that I don't use daily.

My email is teale.huff@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi, thanks for the great giveaway =) i know everyone will appreciate it much. I always remind everyone in the house to shut all windows and close doors leading outside, before turning on the central air. Plus we also open all shades for sunlight, so we do not turn on the lights until it gets dark enough.

my e-mail is: lovely_rose03@hotmail.com

Z said...

We have a programmable thermostat and our AC is off when we're at work.

Thank you for a great giveaway!

Unknown said...

we keep both thermostats on 78; actually one on 80 b/c we have a separate thermometer that says its 78 in the room when we have the a/c set on 80.
kathy.kjbear@gmail.com

mom2nji said...

My biggest tips are wash clothes in cold water. We keep our air at 76 but have a brand new ac and its pretty cheap! (much better than the $380 power bill with the old ac!)I would love the coupons~
mom2nji@yahoo.com

Lettie said...

We hang out our large laundry items over our hammock.

kristen(underscore)tepera(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

The biggest things that I've been doing recently are: turning down the AC during the day, turning off the lights when I leave the room, and trying to cut down on my shower time! Winning coupons would be awesome. =)

Anonymous said...

To save energy, I use my clothesline as much as possible and always wash in cold water.

lstory@truman.edu

Margery said...

I just bought 12 CFL bulbs this week. I can acually get a $20 rebate (1/2 of the cost) from my EMC. OK, so I've only installed three of them, but I'm working on it!! Also, you can get some $1/1 off MQs from gelighting.com. There were also some GE Qs in the Sunday paper, I think two weeks back.

Kristin said...

These coupons would be great!

In summer I try to make meals on the grill or foreman grill so I don't heat up the house and make the a/c work harder. I also will run loads of laundry/dishes at night when energy use is lower, they also heat up the house so same idea as the oven.

Beeb said...

Thanks for hosting this great giveaway! Don't know if anyone's mentioned this tip yet, but defrosting the freezer regularly is another great way to save energy - and space! ;)

ETA: I'm sorry, almost forgot my email address! fwuffles(at)jaided.com

April said...

Wow, i just found this site! We try to save energy by washing clothes in cold water and using EE lightbulbs.

EmmyJMommy said...

We keep our A/C around 75 during the day, and only run our dishwasher & dryer in the evenings.

We are praying for cooler weather soon here in Alabama, that will help the most!

Anonymous said...

The giveaway sounds great! We unplug all devices and lights when not in use. Also, I set a timer on my washer and dishwasher to run during off peak hours then use a hanging clothes rack to hang my clothes to dry. Also, have everyone in the house cut back their showers by 1 full minute to save energy & water! Thanks again! Teri

smilesbyteri@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Excellent giveaway!! We have changed all of our light bulbs to the low energy ones and have our thermostat set to turn down only at night, from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Anonymous said...

Hi! First time on your site. Love it!
Karen
kltah@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I don't let the water run when I am brushing my teeth. Now I have to get my husband to do the same thing.

michellehanger@hotmail.com

brady said...

This summer we decided to string an "old school" clothesline in the backyard to cut down our dryer use. It has been awesome! Every little bit helps!

tracy_nicole@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

an old clothesline. great giveaway.
debra.pauley@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

What a great give away, I hope I win one of them. My energy saving tip is to cut off the dishwasher when it is in the dry cycle. This saves quite a bit of money.

shemingway@embarqmail.com

Anonymous said...

hi, my energy saving tips is as follows:
1. Raise your thermostat setting in the summer to 78 degrees; lower it to 68 in the winter.
2. In hot weather, close curtains that face east or west to keep the sun from raising the indoor temperature. On cold but sunny days, throw those drapes open.
3. Make sure your fireplace flue is closed, the windows are adequately caulked, and the weather stripping around doors is in good condition.
4. Turn off your furnace pilot light during non-heating season.
5. Don’t scrimp on the SEER rating of your appliances. Make sure you buy energy-efficient appliances with high SEER ratings.
6. Set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees or 140 if you have a dishwasher.
7. Replace incandescent lights with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
8. If you have a pool, shorten the operating time of the filter and auto-cleaner, lower the heat and keep the pool covered when not in use.
It's common sense, but it's nice to be reminded of these tips.
my email is mathalways@gmail.com.
thx

Anonymous said...

If it is plugged in it is using energy.... even if it is not on. Always unplug unnecessary items when not in use. Thanks for the giveaway!
Kelle
bollmank@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

We keep our A/C at 78 in the summer, and have quickly adjusted to the temp increase. I also try to wash more clothes with cold water than warm.
Thanks for entering me!
flowers7886 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for a chance at this giveaway.

My energey saving tip is to turn up the temp of the air conditioning before I leave the house.

Araceli

ada51654_@hotmail.com

Jessica-MomForHim said...

I am like the light nazi...I'm constantly turning off lights! My hubby hates it when I do this before he's left the room, though! :-)

Homemom3 said...

leave lights off, use only outside light unless it is after the sun has went down. Then locate to one room and use that light. This also ensures family time. No using the water and leaving it on. Unplug everything before leaving house, this helps cut down the electric bill. I learned that from the electric company. Shhh

homemom3@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I try not to use my dryer and instead hang everything on a clothes line and we dont use the drying cycle on the dishwasher- instead we let them air dry.

rds808@yahoo.com

Amy said...

Thanks for the giveaway! My favorite energy tip is to use energy efficient appliances. Our washer uses something like 50% less water and our toilets are the really low flow kind. Our dishwasher is stuffed to the gills when we run it.

almoury at gmail.com

Sober Mommy said...

We just redid our heat pump as well as completed full servicing on our cars - what a difference that makes!

pam said...

We use energy saving lightbulbs, always turn off room lights when we leave, and never leave the water running while we brush our teeth. Thanks so much.

Anonymous said...

Fave energy-saving tip: a lot of people do not do this, but it is probably the easiest thing: unplug your applicanes if you are not using them.

sarajsk@ilstu.edu

Karen said...

Make sure the oil burner is serviced each year to make it the most efficient it can be.

epfender@verizon.net

Anonymous said...

We use our programmable thermostat to change the temperature depending on the time of day, it has really helped. But, one tip that has definitely saved money is that I have turned off the kitchen counter-top appliances in the evening/overnight. Everything but the coffee-maker for the coffee in the morning!

kufishy at hotmail dot com

Anonymous said...

We have a sunroom that gets a lot of direct sunlight in the summertime. We bought honeycomb shades for the windows to insulate during the day, but they still allow the sun to come thru. We also hang a shower curtain over the sliding glass door to keep the direct sun out. It keeps it SEVERAL degrees cooler in the sunroom now. This also helps in the winter to keep the cold out and the warm in.

thumps77 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

great giveaway!

We keep our ac up (~78 degrees) and shut off the water when we brush our teeth.

Kimberly
kimmeigh@gmail.com

Katie said...

We keep the light off as long as possible and and keep our ac off until it is 80 in the house. Thanks katie_mmartin at yahoo dot com.

Anonymous said...

My energy saver is making sure I turn off the lights when I don't need them on and unplugging unnecessary things.
piglet96_98@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks! My saving tip is to use a power cord and turn off the whole thing when not in use!

sgettman@emmawillard.org

Coupon Mami said...

My tip is to eat less (or no) meat. I have been a vegetarian for 12 years. I also make vegetarian meals for my meat-lover husband a couple of times a week. My little one has not yet tried meat. Eating an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet is good for my health and for the environment. For example, "almost half the grain grown in the U.S. is used for livestock feed. To produce a one pound steak it takes 16 pounds of feed, and as much water as a typical household uses in a whole month!" (see eartheasy.com for more info).

Lisa P said...

Awesome Giveaway! I would love to be entered! I found you through the Centsible Sawyer. Keep up the great work!

Anonymous said...

I line dry all my clothes in the summer! Nothing beats fresh smelling clothes except having fresh smelling clothes for FREE!!!

rachel_krych@hotmail.com

Amanda said...

I have taught my older son to turn off the lights when we are not in a room! Thanks

nicki72182 said...

We get out of the house in the summer so we really don't run our AC that much. We also don't leave on lights or TV's and such when we leave rooms. I'm trying hard to teach my kids not to let the fridge door hanging upon while they are getting something...I'm hoping they'll get that down soon too :) Thanks for the giveaway!

Sarah Shaw said...

Our biggest energy saving tip is to wash in cold water as much as possible. Towels and sheets in hot, that's it!

sarahjshaw@verizon.net

smdrm said...

We switched to CFL's wherever we can. Use cold water for laundry. Thanks for the giveaway

Anonymous said...

We set the timer when we start the dishwasher. When it goes off (right before the drying cycle - yes it took a while to time that just right), then I just open the washer & let the whole thing air dry. We save a lot of money per month doing that!
Eden
nathanielcswife@yahoo.com

chad and chrissy said...

One of the best tips I know is to run your ceiling fan instead of the air conditioner. Thanks for the giveaway!

cxt0k33(at)yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Hello. By far my most favorite tip is the light bulbs. After reading 1 would save me atleast $33 a year in enrgy cost I thought well then 12 would save me $33 a month. WRONG! I save on average $45 a month on my energy bill. YAY! I aslo read that switching just 1 would save so much enegry it would be like removing several thousands of cars off the road. Sounds like a win win all the way around to me :o) Happening5@rocketmail.com

Anonymous said...

In the summer, we do use our air conditioning, but to help offset that some, I hang all of our clothes outside on the clothesline to dry. In the winter, I dry our jeans, sweaters, and stuff I don't want to shrink on wooden dry racks.

KellyH

skyviewksh@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

We air dry our clothes on a line in our backyard - through the fall until the weather drops into the 40s during the day (our clothes have been known to freeze overnight on the line!), use sunlight during the day, wash only when we have a full load and on cold, reuse foil, have our AC set on 76, and have our electronics plugged into power strips we turn off each night.

Rebecca
rebeccak1216 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

Hi, we turn the hot water heater on only when we need it for showers/baths/washing dishes. We turn it off at the breaker box, it really helps. Annette tarhid@tampabay.rr.com

Anonymous said...

We installed solar screens on the house and got the rebate for installing them from the city. Cha-ching!
sldurland@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

In the winter, if you have ceiling fans in your home...push the switch that changes the direction the fan rotates. Change it so that it will push the warm air down. Heat rises...push back down so it is not wasted. This should help your funace to not kick on as often...makes a huge difference! Remember to change the switch again in the spring and summer months to pick the hot air up and leave you feeling cooler!

Thanks for the chance!

Jodi
Jowa1020 at aol dot com

Anonymous said...

I always make sure to turn off the lights when I leave a room and during the day I keep all my windows open so that I often don't need to use the lights.

pennypushbroom@juno.com

LifeAfterSchoolBlues said...

Awesome giveaway! I just started couponing a little over a month ago (newlywed with a new tight budget), and I'm addicted.
We do mostly what's already been said--fans on instead of the air, blinds open instead of always turning lights on, turning appliances off when not in use. I'm teaching my husband that the TV does not always need to be on :)
I just discovered we've been saving energy in our bathroom without meaning to. The electric outlets are connected to the light switch, so when I turn the light off, the power to everything else is stopped as well. Big surprise to me though when I thought I was charging my electric toothbrush overnight and then it didn't work the next morning.

cricket_1027 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Re said...

my easiest and favorite tip is to just turn things off when you are not using them and especially when you are not home - unplug items :)

Lisa said...

we switched to all energy efficient bulbs, and put our front light on a timer and have all energy star appliances!

lisa.a.mccartney@gmail.com

Num said...

- Wash clothes using cold water and shortest cycle
- Dry clothes for only 45 minutes instead of using moisture sensor
-Turn off all fans/lights when leaving room
-Only wash dishes twice a day instead during the entire day as dishes are used.

THANKS.

Lisa

Anonymous said...

Wow what a great giveaway. We save energy by changing out our air filters each month, setting the air conditioner at a little higher temperature, and investing in a tankless water heater. Not only does the water heater save us energy, but we get an additional tax break to boot.

redchip1 at yahoo.com

Our Creative Day said...

We used instore coupons at Wmart in conjuction with our local utilities company for energy saving light bulbs and got them for .15 cents a bulb. We replaced every light bulb in our house and DID see a change in our bill... amazing! We also proceeded to stock up with tons more!

Thanks for the give away!!! :)

maizeydaizey at hotmail.com

Jessica said...

I bought all energy saving lightbulbs at costco. i did this before i started using coupons, but it still saves a bunch on electricity. email yessica.ashurst at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

We installed ceiling fans in every room, got energy saving light bulbs cheap from Aldi, and put up an inexpensive gazebo and blackout curtains in front of the windows where the afternoon sun heats our house up to unbearable temperatures. I also cook on the grill a lot in the summer. It's energy efficient and healthy and for french fries and such I use the toaster oven.

Anonymous said...

We leave ceiling fans running to help keep the a/c from running as much and we focus on turning lights off that we aren't using!

http://thebugandthebear.vox.com

stneal (at) gmail dot com

Jenn said...

What a wonderful giveaway... thank you! Our electric saving tip is that we changed all of the devices in our house so that when you hit the power button to turn the light on, it "ramps" on (comes on slowly). This saves the life of the bulb (over 50% longer usage of a bulb) and that really makes a difference! Thanks!

Jjlance04@aol.com

Anonymous said...

We have been looking for and buying products in their condensed verisons such as dish soap and dish detergent to save on manufacturing/energy/waste of plastic and glass bottles. We try not to use extra packaging..do not use baggies to bag our produce, etc. Less waste, less in the land fills! thanks for doing this! amy


kiravens (at) yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

My husband and I have starting unplugging small appliances (toaster oven, can opener, etc.) when not in use. It only takes an extra second, but we've seen the savings on our bill!
Thanks!
Laura
laurasu82@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

thanks for doing the giveaway!
My tips are to use energy saving lightbulbs and keep the ceiling fan running along with the A/C.

juychang(at)hotmail.com

Susan said...

Fun giveaway!

My favorite energy saving tip is to use a programmable thermostat.

iheartpinkandgreen@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Things we have done to conserve energy:

I walk or bike instead of driving.
I use a toaster oven or the microwave whenever possible instead of heating up our huge gas oven.
I try to keep our thermostat turned up to a higher temp...although this has been a struggle because my hubby keeps turning it back down.

Melissa
holamelitta at hotmail dot com

Michelle said...

I signed us up for the real time pricing through the electric company. It allows you to pay the actual hourly price for electricity instead of the same price the electric company charges you every month. It cost $3.00 a month but saves us 50% on our electric bill. I check online each day to find out what the prices will be for the next day and then plan the next day according. Sometimes the prices do double (not everyday but some days for 1 to 5 hours usually, but that is when we leave the house to visit friends and family. The prices get real low and sometimes go negative generally after midnight. I program my dishwasher and washing machine to run during the cheapest hours. And yes when it goes negative, they actually pay me to use electricity and that reflects on my bill. I bought a brand new toaster oven at a yard sale for a few dollars and use that before using the big gas stove. I use the cfl light bulbs and I use ceiling fans. I turn up/down the thermostat accordingly. I bought a kill-a-watt meter (bought it online for a couple dollars and free shipping to boot)to find out where the phantom loads come from and how much that appliance or power source is using. I also use power strips and shut them off when not in use. My boys have their bedrooms upstairs and forget to turn off their lights, so I bought adapters (on clearance) that screws into the light socket and the bulb screws into the adapter, then it shuts the light off automatically after 10 minutes. It works like a charm. Our big screen tv has an energy saving feature that we always use. All of our appliances have the energy saver label. We bought them new last year, when we bought our new house that is twice the size of our old house. I was worried that if the size of our house doubled, that the size of our electric bill would too. That's not the case. Our electric bill is cheaper than what it was at the old house. HTH someone. Great contest and thanks for the opportunity to share my ideas and enter the contest. I hope I win..
My email address is mshard1(at)hotmail (dot)com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the opportunity. Changing to Compact Flourescent bulbs is so easy--just change them out and you don't have to think about it anymore!
gigi.ruby@yahoo.com

KD said...

Like the first poster, Gina, I've taught my 3 y/o son to turn off the lights when he's not "using" them. Now he is getting good at identifying other areas of waste, like water, tv not being watched, etc.

We also save another kind of energy ~ we walk as much as we can instead of driving! We have the graco duo rider stroller ~ a double with BIG baskets underneath and that makes shopping or library visits easy to walk to. yay!

kimberly at berkeley dot edu

Anonymous said...

Great opportunity to share savings tips. Adding to raising the A/C temp during the day we run our dishwasher late at nite using the delay timer so it runs during the coolest time in the kitchen not to raise the house temp anymore. Plus it runs while we're on the other side of the house and the humming keeps us sleeping.
meredithbenadum@bellsouth.net

Anonymous said...

What a great giveaway! My tip for saving energy is to use electrical power strips for areas like the tv, vcr, dvd player, video game systems, etc. When not in use you can just flip the entire strip of plugs to off so you are not wasting energy! Even though the tv is not "on" it still uses energy while plugged into the wall socket!
tswetter@hotmail.com