May I propose a topic that will help us all? Perhaps a new group?

[yy4me]

Like many of you, things are very tight here for many reasons. I must find ways to economize that will help get through this economic mess we are in (including fuel costs this winter). Perhaps short postings with suggestions that we could print and keep handy. I'll start.

Forget paper towels or limit the use. Wipe windows with newspaper or ammonia & water and old rags.

Hang a hand towel somewhere near the kitchen sink. Free and washable when needed, no wasted paper.

One ply/1000 TP sheets. Frequently on sale at CVS or somewhere stock up. Not quite so soft as two-ply but toughen up, it won't heart, trust me, and much cheaper.

Hang the heavier clothes on the line and let the sun do the job, dryers cost a lot to run.
Use a clothes rack too.

Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. A few gallons will just go down the drain if you let it run while you brush away.

Please add your own, we all need the suggestions!

Thanks for your ideas, there must be hundreds out there.

[NMDemDist2]

1. turn off lights. buy the CFL bulbs and use them. If you can't afford to replace ALL your

bulbs, at least put them in the lights you use most.

use power strips to turn off the 'phantom loads' that steal your power on the 'always on' appliances like DVD players, TVs, phone chargers etc

Clean your A/C filters every month! If you don't already have a 'lifetime' filter you can clean, invest in one.

wash clothes in cold water, use less soap. use vinegar as a rinse aid in your laundry and your dishwasher if you have hard water.

Make or buy some heavy drapes (you can usually find them at thrift stores) and close them to keep the heat out during the day. Open your windows and turn off your A/C at night if your climate allows.

that's all that springs to mind right now, I may post again......

[yy4me]

2. Speaking of power strips, does the programming on your

TV or VCR disappear? Seems to me I remember after a power failure that we had to set the TV channels again. I could easily flip the switch on the computer and the TV/VCR/DVD but I would not know how to reset the things. My husband used to do things like that. I'm on my own now to figure these things out.

[Kolesar]

4. the VCR and TV clocks lose track, but the channel programming is ok

I tape shows so seldomly that it does not matter if I lose track of the time. I had set up my Panasonic VCR to tape "Lil Bush" once a week, and when they wrote new shows a year later, the programming for recording was still there. Same time, same station, like they say.

[Warpy]

6. That's the only reason I leave the set on

with the VCR and DVDR. They all need to be reset every time the power is interrupted.

The computer isn't a problem. I fired one up last week after it had been sitting in the closet for 5 years--an indestructible old Win 95 box--and everything was set perfectly. The clock had lost about 40 seconds in that time.

[roody]

20. Those are expensive clocks. Why not get a

satellite or battery clock? It is cheaper to run.

[old mark]

21. We started using the CFL bulbs several years ago

as you suggested - in the heaviest use lights.
We notices a reduction in our bill immediately, and have replaced nearly all our indoor lights with CFL's now. We estimate savings at 30% per month over the old bulbs.

mark

[hippywife]

3. Actually,

I've seen everyone of these suggestions in threads in this group already. They're all good ideas, tho, and always bear repeating. :hi:

[yy4me]

8. My thought was to have lots of ideas in one place. How would

we ever find some of the great ideas from any of the 30,000,000 posts on DU. Just think of some of the little things you do, some of us may never have given any thought to trying.
Three of my favorite groups, Cooking, Home Improvement and Frugal frequently have ideas that are helpful.

Now they tell me fuel oil may be over $4.00 a gallon this winter, I'm going to have to find some way to heat the house so I don't freeze. A sweater helps but we always kept the thermostat at 64 degrees anyway. Any less and our pipes in the upstairs bathroom will freeze (200 year old house, not too much insulation and I have no money to add more.). I am alone now so income in this house is minimum. I really hope we can all participate here.

I guess it is a cry for help from all of us who may need it.

[hippywife]

9. I agree that it's a lot to

hunt through. Maybe a better idea than asking for a new group would be to ask the admins for a sticky post at the top similar to the recipe one in the Veggie group. Then it would always be easily accessable and we could keep adding to it. What do you think?

[yy4me]

10. Went to look for the Veggie group...What are they called?

Couldn't find it so that I could agree. I periodically review the groups and every so often add one. Like to find these folks for the reading too.

[hippywife]

11. Here is that forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=231

Note the sticky at top for recipes.

[yy4me]

13. I just went to take a look, didn't realize that was a special

request, just thought it was part of the Intro for the Computer folks and I have just checked the Veggie group. Both are exactly what I was thinking about. Perhaps in the Frugal & energy efficient Group, or wherever. Just a central spot where we pan post some good, money saving thoughts. How do we go about asking, anyone know?

[hippywife]

14. I know it takes

an actual proposal and a request signed by 10 donor members for a new forum. Not sure on just a sticky note. You might want to email the admins and see what they require to do it.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

15. i posted downthread but it got lost.

just PM the admins and ask them to do a sticky.

:hi:

[NEOhiodemocrat]

19. I live in an old farmhouse

It was built in 1829. Ways we have tried to keep warm over the years include putting quilts over the inside of windows in the winter on the side of the house the wind comes from. That blocks alot of the leakage from air coming in around the old windows. Also we close off any room we don't use, and one year I even hung a quilt over the bottom of the stairs so not so much heat went up there. Of course we don't have a bathroom up there, all our piping is in a later addition where our kitchen and bath and breakfast rooom are located. We have a small portable oil filled electric heater that we can put on in there when the temperature really drops. We don't have a furnace, just a wood burning insert in the livingroom fireplace, so can't leave the house for long in the winter. Oh, also put rugs down, even throw rugs on carpet if you have it, that will insulate from the basement or crawlspace and keep the floor warmer. Good luck and try to keep warm, if you start feeling really cold I have found out that a nice hot bath will get your body temperature up quickly! One winter I just couldn't seem to stay warm...I was the cleanest I have ever been :)
Oh, just remembered, wear long johns under your clothes. I live in them in the cold months. They really make a difference. And if the house is really cold if you put a stocking hat on it conserves your body heat. I also wear hand warmers when I am on the computer as my hands freeze while I sit by the computer and type! And drink hot tea or cocoa. My husband says the best way to keep the house warm is to keep baking things in the kitchen! Especially cookies and pies...hum, think he may have just made that up!

[Warpy]

5. A roll of paper towels lasts me a year

The one thing I find them indispensable for is cleaning out the wok between courses when I do a Chinese dinner, along with scouring it at the end with one of the dirty towels and a tablespoon of kosher salt.

Other than that, I'll use half a towel for really nasty messes like cat puke.

I also use the scratch yer butt single ply TP. That luxury stuff clogs the ultra low flow toilets we have here in the desert. I've been in this house for 12 years now so my butt's got calluses built up. The cheap TP has the added advantage of not requiring the roll to be changed that often.

I always throw my rag rugs outdoors to dry, winter and summer.

I turn off the water while I brush, then use the Water Pik to rinse, just turning the tap on briefly at the end to wash the brush, itself.

[Lisa0825]

7. I just recently started reading/posting here.

Changes I have made include...

I hung a clothesline.
I changed all my bulbs to CF except my one dimmer bulb.
I started unplugging everything I don't use everyday or at least every couple days and turning off everything I can that I leave plugged in (computer, DVR, etc).
I started a veggie garden.

Changes I have planned for near future:
Put insulation around water heater.
Add new insulation as soon as summer cools down... I couldn't do it before summer due to finances and other imperative home repairs.
Replace front and back doors. Both are in bad shape and very drafty.

Changes I am planning to save up for:
Replacing old drafty windows.
Getting new siding and either including insulation or adding it.

Many of these things will if not pay for themselves eventually, at least reimburse me partially while making the home nicer to live in (such as making it easier to cool).

[Longhorn]

16. What kind of clothesline did you end up getting?

I've really been enjoying hanging my clothes out! And in our Texas heat, they dry in no time! :)

[Lisa0825]

17. I ended up going with the simplest.

I tied to 2 points across the L shaped roof line. I want to get a retractable one, but I'll wait until I can get someone to put that up for me.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

12. mods can't do a sticky, but admins can & they've always

seemed cool about it. i know that the computer group asked for a sticky and the admins obliged. i think it's a great sticky idea.

:hi:

[fudge stripe cookays]

18. Actually, for windows...

it's more healthy to use a solution of vinegar and water with a little scented essential oils and some hydrogen peroxide. Ammonia is one of the most toxic substances there is.

I got this idea from the book "Gorgeously Green" and made some up yesterday. Works great!