Use vinegar instead of fabric softener. It works really well on towels and nappies, and I use it for everything. Add a couple of drops of Eucalyptus oil or Lavendar oil to the wash for scent.
Wash bigger loads less often than washing every day. Put a bucket or the plug in the tub when you shower and use the water to put on the garden, or save it for the loo (but don't do what my ex did and have 8 buckets in the ensuite).
Open the curtains on the west side of the house to make use of the warm sun.
Iron as you need rather than doing it all at once, clothes can crease in the wardrobe.
Use a plug in heater only when its really cold, use blankets more often than a reverse cycle AC. Close up all the rooms you aren't in to keep one room warmest.
Make sure the vacuum is always empty when you use it, it uses less power than when full.
Buy when on special - especially loo paper, washing powder, tissues. Look out for good specials and buy several - never pay full price for these consumables.
Put change into a 'rainy day' money box. This adds up really quickly - and you can use it for special treats or unexpected smaller bills. I saved $60 in only a couple of months in coins.
I second the change jar! We used it to buy phone credit or get pizza. Its amazing how much it adds up, when its just silver coins, throw in gold coins too if you can spare it (I use the golds on bus fares.)
When boiling the kettle, only put in as much as you need at that time (many people over fill - which takes longer to boil and uses a lot more electricity). Kettles/jugs are very high power consumers. So are sewing machines!
If you buy coffee from a cafe, consider getting a coffee machine for your home insted. You can get an adequate one for under $200, and it pays for itself in little time if you are big coffee drinkers. You are also less likely to buy a sweet treat to go with the coffee, saving you some more $$. Well, this was something that worked for us anyway
Thanks everyone for all the great advice. Def some things I will be taking up.
We are pretty good. We don't have a dryer, so that is one fairly big running cost that I don't have. I am now unplugging everything at the wall, and have just done my first week of meal planning. I went to the shops and didn't impulse buy!! I have started turning off the TV or radio while on the comp instead of leaving it on as background noise. Nelle as great as home delivery sound, it is not an option as I live in a town that has a very small Coles and they do not offer the service.
Thought of another one - charge your phones/run your dishwasher/washing machine overnight when it will be charged as offpeak power (cheaper than daytime power). You need to have an offpeak meter for this to work.
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