Are Energy Saving Light Bulbs... Really Energy Saving?

This question came up at my work. The initial answer was,,, well obviously, they use less energy than standard light bulbs, that's the whole point of them. Then the following was said... standard light bulbs give off a LOT of heat into the room they are in, energy saving light bulbs do not give off heat. Using energy saving light bulbs may well mean that central heating is turned up (to keep the room warm). The increase in energy used (and increased cost) of turning central heating up may mean that in fact MORE energy is consumed (and money spent) by using energy saving light bulbs than by using standard light bulbs, that give out both light and heat.
What do you think?

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Basic Savings

OK... this may be obvious to many people, but I reckon in life it's best not to assume anything.

Here is a simple way to save money quickly...

Use supermarket carrier bags as rubbish bags (therefore you spend no cash on rubbish bags and the carrier bags have a double use, saving the earth's resources).

This may be a small saving, however small savings (like the ones you can read about on this website) soon add up to one big saving...and this means extra cash in your pocket, without extra working hours.

Maximise Your Income

If you live in one of the following countries (United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway), you may well be entitled to financial support from your government. There has been a trend over the last decade for state benefit entitlement becoming applicable to a wider and wider range of the population, including those who are employed. Benefits can take the form of support with housing costs, tax credits, family allowances, child care subsidy etc.

Check what you are entitled to by visiting your tax authority or social security website.

Make A Shopping List...And Stick To It

Shopping for food takes up a large part of most people's monthly expenditure. Stores spend a lot of time and money coming up with ways to encourage you to spend more. This is why essential goods such as bread and milk are often far away from the entrance to a store, meaning you have to walk past all the shelves, fridges and freezers to get these essentials...and then walk past all the shelves, fridges and freezers again to get to the checkout and exit.

To make sure you stick to your food shopping budget, make a list and stick to it. Easily done, but it is amazing how many people get hooked into buying more. Not sticking to a shoping list is why the bill at the checkout turns out to be higher than you thought it would be.

Save on Printer Ink Cartridges

Printer ink cartridges are horrendously expensive.

When you only want to print a section of a web page (and not the whole thing with links, menus, headers and footers etc). Follow these simple steps:

1. Click and then drag your mouse across the part of the webpage you want printing out. This will highlight what will be printed out.

2. At the top of your screen, click on File, then select Print.

3. A box will open with a Print Menu. Select 'Page Range' and then click 'Selection'. Then click 'Print'.

This little tip will give you the print outs you need, without wasting ink and make your printer cartridges last a whole lot longer!

Some Thoughts On Frugal Living

The reason I started this blog was because I want to raise some cash for longer term goals in my life and thought it might be interesting to share my experience and what I've learnt.

To achieve extra cash, my choices (like many other people) are to work more hours to get more cash or make my existing income go further, therefore leaving more cash at the end of the month.

There is plenty of work available that I could do in addition to my main job in my local area. However, I have chosen to use tried and tested frugal living methods (within my existing income) to live a comfortable life for less money, whilst maintaining the level of free time I currently have.

For me, being frugal is not about being mean or anything to do with self-denial (as I have said in previous posts), rather I see it as being a savvy consumer who tries as much as possible not to waste anything; food, money, electricity, gas etc.

In my life, the reason for frugality is extra cash for goals beyond day-to-day living. An additional benefit is doing my bit in not wasting the Earth's resources.

Save Cash Instantly by Ditching Brand Names

In my experience in 90% of cases, a stores own brand product is just as good as the top name brands of the same product. This applies to food, many drinks and household goods. Often the products are in fact identical, made in the same factory and simply packaged in different ways. Why pay more for packaging? This is an easy and instant way to save on your daily costs and have extra money in your pocket at the end of the day.

Quick, tasty and cheap packed lunch

Always take your own luch to work. Unless it's free it is never cheaper to buy your lunch at work.

Sandwiches for lunch can get a bit boring I reckon. One cheap, tasty and quick packed lunch is this.

Make your own coleslaw (it's easy but if you haven't the time buy large cheap tubs of coleslaw) and have with cold meats such as chicken.

If you buy tubs of coleslaw (500g are a good size), once empty, why not wash them out and use them as lunch boxes!

Really Frugal Alcohol

This tip may not go down to well with everyone, but what the heck (I do actually do this).

Add water to bottles of spirits to make them go further (such as vodka or whisky). After the first drink I forget and don't care anyway ;-)

Public Transport

To cut the cost of public transport ask the following of your local transport companies or transport authority:

1. Are you entitled to any discount travel scheme for reasons such as your age, being a student, having health difficulties, having a low income etc? You may be pleasantly surprised at what you can save in your local area.

2. Is there a cheaper way to travel regular journeys than buying single or return tickets, such as weekly, monthly or annual 'season tickets'?

3. Is it cheaper to purchase any tickets online via the internet?