Programmable Thermostats: Well Worth The Investment

One of the best money-saving items that we have invested in was a programmable thermostat. You can find one at stores like Home Depot and Lowe's for anywhere from $29.00 to $99.00. We have saved a lot of money because of our work schedules, the thermostat has the house temperature where we would like it to be. Ten years ago, we would set the temperature, if we remembered, to be (in the summer) a bit warmer in the house during the daytime and turn it down when we got home at night. Sometimes we forgot so the house would be cooled to 70 degrees during the day when there was nobody home to enjoy it. That was money out the window, so to speak.

The nice thing about the programmable thermostat is that it is accurate, easy to install, and quite the money saver. During the summer, we now keep the house at 85 degrees or warmer during the day. Why pay to cool the house when some of us sit in air conditioning at our day jobs? There is nobody here to enjoy it. If one of us happens to be off during the day, we can always override the temperature and make it more bearable. We have it programmed to cool the house to 78 degrees a half an hour before we get home.

Wait a minute! Did you say 78 degrees (in the summertime)?

Yes. There are ceiling fans to stir the air and make it more enjoyable, and, when the bill comes each month, the lower bill makes it all the more worthwhile! Also using newer appliances that are Energy Star rated will save money because they are more energy efficient and are better for the environment.

Every little bit adds up to more money for you: money to help pay down your credit card debt or have for living your dreams. Have a GREAT day!

Turn That Down (Off)!!

Have you ever been told (forcefully) by a parent to "TURN THAT DOWN!!" or "TURN THAT OFF!!"? You know, maybe our parents were on to something. As a young adult, there were times that I would leave a television on when I left a room, or, when it was "hot" or "cold" in the house would go and play with the thermostat to attempt to make the room more comfortable. That would drive my parents insane.

But, perhaps they were a bit wiser than I gave them credit for.

When saving money in order to eliminate your credit card debt, any way that you can save money is always a good thing. A few years ago we purchased a programmable thermostat. Previously, we would fiddle with the thermostat manually in the morning, change the temperature when we left for work (if we remembered), and then adjust it when we got home or went to bed. We were never quite consistent. For about $40 we purchased a programmable thermostat. For example, we can have the temperature (in the warm months) set to not turn the air conditioner on until the interior of the house reaches 80 degrees during the day. (WHAT?) About 30 minutes before my wife gets home, it is set to cool it down to around 74. Now you might think that is crazy, but why cool a house to 69 degrees when you aren't here during the day to enjoy it? It is money down the drain.

We know that it works because our electric company provided us with an analysis to take our annual costs for electricity and split it up into twelve equal payments. This is a popular way to even out the cost of utilities through the year. On thing that we noticed though is that our electricity usage (and cost) went down each year. It was because we weren't unnecessarily heating or cooling our home. We also don't keep it as cool in the summer or as warm in the winter, we dress appropriately.

Even a couple of degrees can make a big difference in the bottom line. After all, it is your money, why not keep more of it?

Have a great day!