Just make a bunch of ice cream!

If you have an ice maker, store your extra buckets/bags of ice in there.

Buy a cow. A dead one.

Buy a bunch of distilled water ($0.99 per gallon here) and keep it frozen for when the SHTF or bad weather hits.

Be sure the containers are closed and sealed. If you just have ice it will just vanish because of the auto defrost.

Win 10 is installed and working. The XP mode is gone and I guess the AutoCAD 2001 will have to go on a real XP machine. We only use it to open a DWG file to make sure it is generic enough for anyone to use the file.

Glen if you ever need a dwg file open and saved back to 2001 I can help with that.

The only electricity I use is HVAC, Fridge, dish washer, washer and dryer, lights, computers, stereo/TV.

My lights are almost all LED now and don't use light much day or nite because it being lighter makes my floaters more bothersome. At nite only use one light in the room I am in unless on the computer or watching TV. Do keep porch and drive lights on from dark until midnite or whenever I go to bed, but they are LED also. Have a three small LED nite lights in bathrooms and kitchen so can get around in the dark.

My keep my internet/routers and server on all the time. My computer, stereo stuff is on switched power strips so when I am not using them even the transformers for them are not drawing anything. For my TV and stereo the powerstrip they are on have one plug for the receiver, and turn on/off the other plugs when it is powered on/off. Receiver uses the least when off. Makes it convenient.

Try to manage washer and dryer so I have big enough loads that I'm not wasting anything there. Don't have any colors that run and don't bleach whites so no color vs white loads and permanent press cycle cleans everything well.

Dish washer is only run when it is full and I am almost out of plates and glasses. Do rinse everything before putting in the dish washer to sit so doesn't stink or any stuck on foodstuffs.

As for Gas, the only thing I got is my Hot water tank and have it set a 140 so the dishwasher at least get things hot. Shower every day, but very fast. 4 bags of salt for my water softener lasts a year, so low water usage including the hot water. The softener back flushes with salt water every 800 gallons used.

Keep my house at 72°F year round. Had the house at 70°F when my brother with MS lived here because if it got any warmer it would effect his MS and he couldn't move. 72°F is all I have been able to raise it to or I get sweaty sleeping or just sitting at my computer. Have tried raising it to 73° and even after a couple of months I found myself still getting sweaty. Just can't seem to get used to it being even 1 degree warmer.

Trying to make my cost of living basics as small as possible.

Looking at the smaller gas grills it looks like they would use 1/3 to 1/2 as much gas as my current grill. That ain't gonna save me enough on grill gas to afford buying the grill. That's kinda like the Cayenne. It doesn't get fantastic gas mileage, but even so only drive enough to use 18 gallons a month anyway.

after the kids are gone we will probably do some of that.

After going through the lay off scare I started seriously looking at reducing my cost of living.

Getting back my 928 won't matter much, it gets the same gas mileage as the Cayenne.

I've already gone thru and reviewed my home and auto insurance. After the reviewing and updating all total it is gonna cost me a whole $5.00 more a month. I got a lot more coverage, and didn't change companies because my rate and coverage is based on a grandfathered in basic policy that the other companies can't get close to. Also found the low rates the other companies advertise and offer are for only 3 or 4 months then shoot up dramatically to more than I am paying now and with less coverage.

We have electricity suckers like crazy at home. The 150 gallon indoor aquarium is always on with pumps and aerators and the lights. The Koi pond is always on with the big pump sucking electrical juice.

With the little fridge in a garage and the big fridge in the kitchen sucking and of course the AC is the big one.

The garage AC costs me right at a buck per hour. It only runs when I am working in the garage and it is still 100% worth every dollar per hour to stay at mid 70s and not 100+ in the garage.

The former Win 7 computer is now running Win 10 successfully. except that Win XP issue. Since we have a dozen Win XP computers I can work around that issue.

Glen, virtualize!

Our A/C is one of our smallest expenses and is cheaper to run than the attic fan on low. I don't have A/C in the garage but the attached garage is pretty cool as it is partially underground. The detached garage has windows that open but no heat or A/C.

We have more efficient appliances finally as well, but we also have a full blown home theater PC connected to the TV in the family room but it throttles down to 15w at the processor when not in use so about 30w total when idle. My work laptop is on most of the time, my wife's laptop is on most of the time. My regular computer and the kids computers run a lot. The kids should shut theirs down but mine does some video processing overnight some nights when I remember to start the process.

Our biggest difference was replacing the fridge. The compressor on the old one never stopped running.

I don't even want to think about what is on and not on at my house.

According to my kids, turn everything on, it is easier that way.

oh and leave it on when your done cause it saves time for later.

Yep. Why turn it off when you just have to turn it back on.

your kids sound like mine.

I thought yours sounded like mine. Then again, yours are older I think. The future army ranger is 6 and the rock and roll bass playing daughter is 14.

18 and 15 so you are following in my foot steps. RUN!!!!!!!!

Hahaha! I vaguely remember those days! :D

some day I hope I can to.

....and mine.



Still waiting for the widow to drop the van off for detailing.

I tried calling her but the message advised that that number is no longer in use. Weird.

We may drive to her new house tonight and see what's up.

one would hope she is ok.

Some interesting numbers.

Our electricity is $.95/kWh

Refrigerator $.16 a day
Cable modem and routers $.06 a day.
Server and ext hard drive $.11 a day.
Laptop for work $.02 a day, 8 hours.
Toaster oven, 2 slices of toast or heating a left over $.011 vs $.03 for oven.
Cooking on stovetop $.02 per burner.
Dishwasher $.03 a load
My 3 outside lights on $.01 a night.
Clothes washer $.02 a load.
Dryer s $0.10 a load.
Vacuum the house $.05
Garage door opener $.0007 to open and close.
Light (LED) $.0025 per hour
Watching 60 in TV with cable box and surround sound $.03 per hour.

Transformers/chargers and stuff like TV's Receivers or Computers that have sleep mode each cost $.01 a day without anything plugged in or turned on.

All those pennies really add up!