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Old October 18th, 2013 #1
Alex Linder
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Default Bills - How to Keep Them Low as Possible

[found this while back, forgot to post it, but it's deeper than most of its type]

Advanced Bill-Lowering Practices, for the Frugalitarian in All of Us


By Mavis Fowler-Peabody

This is a serious thread. It contains what I must call advanced techniques, since they are deeper than the superficial recommendations I've seen in the 1-2 dozen articles I've read on this stuff. No extraneous bs or opinionizing. If you know something valuable, post it, otherwise read only.

This thread is for people who want to keep their costs as low as possible, or at least lower them significantly from the American average.

electricity - main key is: don't plug anything in unless you are using it. unplug things not in use. literally unplug them, don't just turn them off. put what you can on power strips, where you can turn off multiple items with one push. This way you're not having any off-loss. Many things that are "off" actually suck electricity, including tvs and microwaves, alarm clocks, etc.

refrigerator: clean the coils so the refrig operates most efficiently. the more clogged the coils, the harder the engine works, the more electricity is needed. second, set the internal temperature dial at the lowest point you are comfortable with. that's it.

gas - if your stove has four burners with two pilot lights, turn one of the pilot lights off. if your hot water is heated by gas, you can turn off the pilot. you will still have hot or hottish water for days. if you don't shower much, this works just fine through the summer. you can turn it back on easily if you have guests or some other reason.

cable/internet don't subscribe to cable and save minimum of 50/month. you can see most tv online either streaming or by torrents.

torrent client 'vuze' can be downloaded for free here
http://www.vuze.com/
various movies, books, software, tv shows, etc can be downloaded free here
http://thepiratebay.sx/

live sports, news etc can be seen free and streamed online here
http://www.tvonlinelive.net/
http://feed2all.eu/
http://www.streamhunter.eu/

the jew is trying to genocide your kind? your $50-200/month for 'entertainment' help him do that.

- for internet, dont rent your cable modem for 6-8 month, buy it on amazon or a non-jew-owned site, if you can find one.

phone - dont use a cell phone or a landline, use skype.

download skype for free here
http://www.skype.com/en/download-sky...-for-computer/

- computer-to-computer calls are free, and for a cent or two a minute, you can call any landline or cell phone using skype.

computer and peripherals - main thing here is to turn them off at night. dont keep stuff you don't need on your hard drive. make sure on start your computer only loads the programs you actually need, new stuff tends to creep in. this way you can turn your computer on and off quickly. it is a myth that turning your computer off and on like you would anything else is dangerous in the sense it causes it to break down sooner. if you keep your computer, computer modem, printer, etc., on the same power strip, you can unplug it when you go to bed, and then replug it when you get up, and it will be ready to go before your coffee is hot. you will save eight hours of not-insubstantial electricity use, to boot. i've read that cable modems alone use 50 watts. you can also investigate the standby and 'hibernate' modes in your settings, altho the amount this actually saves is less clear.

water

Use less - the ways to do that are too obvious to be tips. You can stop your sink and hand wash many things more easily than going to laundromat or using your washer and dryer. Wear fewer, better clothes. Get rid of stuff clothes you don't actually wear, freeing up closet and psychological space. Water bills are not easily lowered because much of their number is made up of city-set fixed fees and taxes.

rent/mortgage

You don't have to own. Look at the taxes you pay on that house you 'own.' Many, many times, just as with college, you are better off renting than owning. Remember the old attitude: if you don't have the money to buy it, you can't afford it. Easy credit these last few decades didn't change that, it just obscured it. As many people all too painfully know. There's nothing wrong, and much right, about living not merely within your means, or below your means, but well below your means. That's how you save the money that will eventually allow you to buy a place outright, or at least put down a much larger downpayment. This is old-style thinking, and it's better than new-age thinking. The places where the easy credit attitude are slowest to take hold (Germany), are the places that are the best off.

particular problems...
WINTER HEATING - this can be a real money burner. If you can, spot-heating rather than general heating is the way to go. You should be able to sleep easily with no heat running at all, in the average North American winter. To heat a work spot in the winter, you can use a space heater under your desk. That will use about 1500 watts. A lot. It will certainly run your bill an extra 40-50 a month if you run it 2/3 of the day, or 24 hours. Consider the solution in this video, which is basically you dress warmly and use a dog heating pad for your feet, a heated keyboard/mouse for your hands and fingers, and a breeder light with a low or high-watt bulb above your head.


See...you can leave fifteen electricity-using items running at all times, and pay your 200-300 bill each month, and then bitch about it like a working-class schlub, or you can use your brain and will and do something to keep your cost as low as possible.

Being White involves some work. It's not just a skin color and showing up. Right? If you use your head, and your will, to figure out, and carry through, soon you will have enough in savings for expensive coiffes and pearls like I have.

Last edited by Alex Linder; March 6th, 2014 at 09:34 AM.
 
Old October 19th, 2013 #2
Dave from New York
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A bit off topic, but I'll bet that 'ole Mavis was quite the looker in her younger days.

Good stuff, especially the cable TV advice. Can't believe what some people are paying, sometimes well over 100 bucks a month. Then they bitch about nothing being on that's worth watching.
 
Old October 19th, 2013 #3
Bev
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Don't have your washer/dryer near to your fridge/freezer. The heat from the former will make the latter have to work harder.

Try and have a gap in between your fridge/freezer and any walls/worktops/other appliances - same reason as above.

I once heard - but don't know how true this is - if you have a gap in your freezer, fill it up, even if it's only with budget bread which you can later turn into bread and butter pudding or feed the birds with. It's apparently cheaper on energy to freeze the loaf than it is to freeze the empty space.

Don't keep opening the door of the fridge and freezer to browse. You know what's in there and whether you fancy it or not and you're making it warm inside so it has to work to cool down again.

Printers/scanners etc don't need to be on standby. Only plug them in when you want to print/scan something.
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Old October 19th, 2013 #4
MikeTodd
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Quote:
I once heard - but don't know how true this is - if you have a gap in your freezer, fill it up, even if it's only with budget bread which you can later turn into bread and butter pudding or feed the birds with. It's apparently cheaper on energy to freeze the loaf than it is to freeze the empty space.
I keep mine filled out w/ bagged ice cubes. (you know how us yanks love our ice cubes, doncha, Bev?)
In the event of a power outage your frozen goods will still keep for a few days.
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Old October 19th, 2013 #5
Olesia Rhoswen
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We have a 'peak energy' chart which shows which hours of the day the electric companies charge more for. I believe the cheapest rate for us is on a weekday after 7pm, followed by Saturday and Sunday. We only turn on large appliances after-hours.

As for winter heat- get a little wood stove! The 'mess' may not suit everyone but we only heated with wood for years until the government forced us to install a furnace :/. Pay a local woodsman for wood if you don't have property to chop your own... keep money in the community.

Another small thing, but worthwhile- keep your fridge and freezer organized. So many people waste food and the food prices just keep going up. I actually have our freezer organized with large, labeled boxes for meat, veggies, baked goods, breads, etc so nothing is forgotten in there. If you have leftovers, consider freezing them to re-heat for a hasty meal.
 
Old October 20th, 2013 #6
Lars Redoubt
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave from New York View Post
A bit off topic, but I'll bet that 'ole Mavis was quite the looker in her younger days.
And she still is, although I suppose she must be somewhere between 70 and 80. She is 100 % Aryan. I was truly struck by her picture, I had to look at it for several minutes.

It is not often one see such a beautiful woman nowadays, not even if they are young girls in their 20:ies. Most "Whites" today seem to be the result of racemixing or downbreeding. They are disgustingly ugly.

The article is also very interesting. Practical advice is what we need, not more blabber.
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Old October 20th, 2013 #7
Bev
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeTodd View Post
I keep mine filled out w/ bagged ice cubes. (you know how us yanks love our ice cubes, doncha, Bev?)
In the event of a power outage your frozen goods will still keep for a few days.
That's a good idea. I suppose Brits - being able to handle their whisky without it needing to be watered down - could substitute your idea for those solid freezer block things that you put in picnic baskets and the like. They'd fill up space and still help to keep your food frozen in a power failure.
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Old October 20th, 2013 #8
Nate Richards
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Electric blanket over you and electric mattress pad (or another electric blanket) under you. Has kept me comfortable below zero and safe at -30. Use them in your home and you can stay plenty warm for pennies a night. Cost me about 45 dollars for a year but would cost most people less.
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Old October 20th, 2013 #9
M.N. Dalvez
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Quote:
computer-to-computer calls are free, and for a cent or two a minute, you can call any landline or cell phone using skype.
Good advice, but I want to add something about Skype. You can't call anything that's not a land-line or a mobile number with it. That means:

- no calling the water/gas/electric etc. company with it.
- no calling for a taxi

and most importantly ...

- NO CALLING EMERGENCY SERVICES.

It's a great, brilliant service. But it still pays to also have a mobile phone with a few bucks of credit in it - just exercise some fucking restraint (this is a general comment, not aimed at anyone) with it and stick to pre-paid credit, and your bill won't be beyond your means.

Quote:
it is a myth that turning your computer off and on like you would anything else is dangerous in the sense it causes it to break down sooner.
It's not a myth, as such - most physical memory storage mediums (HDDs are what I'm thinking about here) have a lifespan measured in how many start-cycles they go through.

But for most of them, that number is so high that turning the computer on and off all the time won't affect the hard disk's lifespan in any substantial sense.

Also: the lifespan of a computer often isn't measured in HD failure anyway, it's measured when other components (motherboard and power supply are the big two) break down. When one computer 'breaks', the HDD can usually be removed and simply placed into another one, with no loss or compromise of the data from the old one.

That's another good tip for saving money: DON'T BUY COMPUTERS READY-MADE FROM THE STORE (unless you ABSOLUTELY NEED a laptop). Get a computer-literate friend to make one for you - typically the savings you will make in this way will be in the region of 300-400% (not counting the recompense to your friend). And no - there's no difference in the quality - that has to do with the components used to make the computer, all of which can be ordered cheaply online.

Last edited by M.N. Dalvez; October 20th, 2013 at 10:10 PM.
 
Old October 21st, 2013 #10
Bev
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Don't spend a fortune on cleaning products. I don't care how much it says "kills 99% of germs including MRSA and flu" on the label - hot water and basic hygiene kills 99% of germs as well! There's not much can't be cleaned with white vinegar. Same with Febreze and other fabric fresheners - bicarbonate of soda does the same trick AND you can use it to remove stale fridge smells, lingering paint odours and so on.
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Old October 21st, 2013 #11
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And another thing - all common sense but you'd be surprised how many people don't bother.

Choose the time of day you shop carefully. Get to know when your local shop reduces close-to-date products. Know the difference between "use by" and "best before".

At the end of the day, you can get chickens, joints of meat etc. for almost a third of their price if you time it right. The date might have one day to run - don't worry about that. You can freeze it, and it will still have a day to run when you defrost it, or you can cook it up and freeze it and it will keep for months.

Slightly wilting veggies can be bought for pennies and make a perfectly serviceable soup or stew which will freeze. Bags of slightly bruised fruit can be prepared, stewed and frozen in bags - instant pie/crumble filling.

When you make a stew or a dinner or whatever, it's not hard to throw in a portion of extra vegetables and then freeze a portion for another day.

Don't throw away an inch of wine or beer in the bottom of a bottle. Freeze it in an ice cube tray. Next time you make gravy, soup, sauce, dessert etc, throw one in.
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Old October 21st, 2013 #12
Jae Manzel
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Old December 30th, 2013 #13
Breanna
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- Cover pots and pans with lid when cooking
- Only boil as much water as you need
- Cook several dishes in the oven at the same time
- Remove meat from fridge an hour before cooking and leave at room temperature
- Only wash full loads of laundry (and use the short cycle)
- Wash clothes with cold water
- Don't use laundry detergent (use borax mixed with grated Linda's soaphttp://www.auroraimporting.com/produ...ry-soap-270gr/)
- Frequently clean out dryer lint catcher
- Turn lights off when not in use
- Never put hot food straight into the fridge or freezer (let it cool first)
- Turn hot water down to 120
- Open curtains and blinds to let the sun light the room naturally
- Use the stovetop rather than the oven when you can
- Use crockpot and other appliances rather than oven
- Wear clothing multiple times before washing
- Use extra blankets and clothing in winter and turn the heat down
- Take less frequent, shorter, colder showers
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Old January 2nd, 2014 #14
Crowe
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A HUGE way to cut down on the power or gas bill during months of more extreme temperatures is set the thermostat to 63-65 F in the winter, and 75-77 F in the summer. Or sometimes in the summer I might turn the AC off and just run a dehumidifier so its not muggy indoors.
 
Old February 4th, 2014 #15
Alex Linder
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comparison of four main ways to heat houses

expensive to cheapest: heating oil - propane - electricity - natural gas

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment...ural-gas-1-024

Last edited by Alex Linder; February 4th, 2014 at 09:05 PM.
 
Old February 14th, 2014 #16
Alex Linder
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M.N. Dalvez View Post
Good advice, but I want to add something about Skype. You can't call anything that's not a land-line or a mobile number with it. That means:

- no calling the water/gas/electric etc. company with it.
- no calling for a taxi
Um...that's not true in the US. I've called all utilities with it, and recently. Taxi is just another local number.

Quote:
and most importantly ...

- NO CALLING EMERGENCY SERVICES.
This may be true, but...so what. Call the regular local police number. In a small town, there's no difference here.

Quote:
It's a great, brilliant service. But it still pays to also have a mobile phone with a few bucks of credit in it - just exercise some fucking restraint (this is a general comment, not aimed at anyone) with it and stick to pre-paid credit, and your bill won't be beyond your means.
The point is to avoid OVERHEAD. Skype is 99% free, and pay as you go for the calls to landlines and cell phones. I put in ten dollars' credit years ago...I still have a few bucks left. The other option was spending minimum 15/20 a month for landline. Why? No reason.

Quote:
But for most of them, that number is so high that turning the computer on and off all the time won't affect the hard disk's lifespan in any substantial sense.
Who said all the time? Turn it off when you sleep. Eight hours of 50 watts for cable modem plus whatever your monitor and tower are is not nothing. It's not much, but it's not nothing.
 
Old February 14th, 2014 #17
Alex Linder
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And you guys (Bev) are right: the fuller the freezer and refrig, the less the motor has to work to keep things cold. Same as with the coils.

Generally, things with motors (like refrigerators) use more electricity than other appliances.
 
Old February 14th, 2014 #18
keifer
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Packing a freezer to full capacity will block the vent and create problems that cause the freezer to not freeze.
 
Old February 15th, 2014 #19
Randal Goode
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Breanna View Post
Take less frequent, shorter, colder showers
Take a shower daily for fucks sake.
 
Old March 6th, 2014 #20
Alex Linder
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[good advice in here. i'm not posting these cuz i like these guys or agree with every word (standard disclaimer for every post) but because there is substantial value in at least some of what they're saying. They're showing you how competent people, life-winers, operate.]

NEED, WANT, LIKE
By Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus

Maybe you’re dying to do something different with your life. Maybe you want to discover your mission or change careers or take a mid-life sabbatical. But it doesn’t seem sensible to make a big change, to do something different, does it? After all, you’re tied to your soul-crushing job, fettered to an income you’ve become accustom to; it has a stranglehold on your life.

But you can break free of the shackles of unnecessary obligation and its laundry list of side effects: stress, debt, discontent, anxiety, depression. The two of us took back control of our lives with a simple, three-catagory list. You can do likewise…

First, write down all your expenses. Every last dollar you spend. Mortgage, car payment, rent, credit card statements, meals, gasoline, electricity, student loans, bottled water, trips to Starbucks, retirement, healthcare, savings, etc. Write it all down. All of it! Now separate those expenses into three categories.

Category One: Needs. What do you really, truly need to live? Everyone is different, but most of us have the same basic Needs. What do you need? Food? Shelter? Super Nintendo?

Category Two: Wants. This category is important. Many of the things you want can lead to happiness. The problem is that we indulge too many of our Wants—new vehicles, designer clothes, impulse buys—many of which end up being Likes instead of Wants. Another way to look at this category is to ask yourself, What adds value to my life?

Category Three: Likes. This category is for when you say things like, “Yeah, I like my satellite radio, but I don’t get a ton of value from it.” Or, “I like that dress, it’s soooo my style, but I don’t really need any new clothes.” Many of the things we just sort of like suck up a ton of our income, and it’s hard to notice during our consumer-driven frenzies. These Likes are often ephemeral, impulse purchases that feel great in the moment, but the post-purchase methamphetaminic high wears off by the time the credit card statement enters your mailbox. It’s an odd double-bind: it turns out that, when it’s all said and done, you don’t really like many of your Likes at all.

Alright, so you’ve made your list, you’ve got your three categories, and now it’s time to take action. We’ll start from the bottom and work our way up. (This is what we did before we were ready to make any big life changes.)

To start, get rid of 100% of your Likes within the first month. All of them, gone.

Month two, get rid of 100% of your Wants. Yes, all of them (at first). Once you’re headed down the right path, and you’ve made the necessary changes in your life, you can reintroduce your Wants one at a time, though you’ll likely realize that you want far fewer of your old Wants (your pacifiers) once you’re traversing a more meaningful path. Remember, your Wants are important—they add value to your life; they’re not more important than changing your life, though.

Month three, reduce your Needs by at least 50%. More if you can. You might be thinking, But I need a roof over my head! I need to eat! I need my MTV! OK, you needn’t get rid of everything; you needn’t live in a hut and eat only Ramen noodles. But you can radically reduce your cost of living. Can you sell your home like both of us did? Can you cut your rent by 50% (or by 75% like we did)? Can you sell your car and get a cheeper one like Ryan? Can you find ways to reduce your food costs by 50% like Joshua? Of course you can. While there isn’t a cookiecutter answer for anyone, you can reduce your expenses and live more deliberately. This is the high price of pursuing your dreams. Unfortunately, many people aren’t willing to pay the price, and so their dreams never become Musts for them; they remain Shoulds and eventually turn into Wishes, until one day they become Never Going to Happens. And that story always has a sad ending.

But once you remove yourself from the clutches of money, you’ll worry less. And once you get rid of your worries, you’ll have nothing to worry about. You’ll be able to make any change you want to make.

That doesn’t mean you should go out and quit your job today; it means you should plan accordingly, and when you’re ready, you can make the right decision. Knowing that you’re no longer trapped by the trappings of your previous income requirements, you can make a real decision, one that’s not based on fear.

There is no silver bullet. It takes time for a flower to bloom. Every beautiful change takes time and action. These changes are scary at first (they were terrifying for us). And although big changes are often simple, they’re rarely easy. But then again, nothing worth doing was ever easy.

http://www.theminimalists.com/want/
 
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