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Be afraid. Be very afraid. The world is coming to an end. Well, we didn’t exactly receive a notice for a scheduled Armageddon, but if you’ve watched the movie “The Day After Tomorrow”, have seen the horrors of global warming. It’s easy to feel for the characters of this film because we’re constantly being told that gargantuan chunks of ice in the North Pole are going to melt and flood the world.
Don’t you feel compelled to save energy knowing the possibilities of global warming? If the end of humankind doesn’t motivate you, then think of the staggering energy bill you have to pay each month if continue to waste electricity.
Here’s our list of the top ten ways to save energy. We suggest you try each tip at a time, for your own convenience and sanity.
10. Encourage your whole family to sleep in one bedroom together.
When was the last time you and your family really bonded? Have you ever stayed in one room together for hours? Don’t you want to spend more time with them during weekdays?
Why don’t you set a day or two each week when you and your children all have to sleep in one bedroom? It will be like indoor camping (minus the bonfire we hope). It will allow you to spend more time with them, and lower your energy bill because you just have to use one heater or air conditioning unit the whole time.
9. Have a candle-lit dinner every night.
Add extra flair and romance to your family dinner. Light a few candles and forget about turning the lights on while dining. You can go the extra mile and use candles in your kitchen while cooking.
8. Have a no-refrigerator-for-three-days-challenge every week.
Why defrost your fridge every month when you can do it every week? Take out all the meat, veggies and dairy. Stuff yourself with food for three days because there is no better way to enjoy this than to consume everything at the end of each day.
What else is there left to do when you have only cupboards to keep your consumables? The key here is to eat every piece of perishable food so that they won’t end up getting spoiled. Now that’s adding a twist to your diet while slashing a few dollars from your energy bill.
7. Lash yourself each time you use your clothes iron.
Who cares if you come to work with crumpled shirt and pants? Are your colleagues paying for your energy bill? Forget about using your heating iron. Whip yourself each time you are tempted to fall into the saving grace of your handy-dandy iron. You can always use a fabric softener to avoid those unwanted creases and crumple on your clothes.
6. Don’t heat leftovers.
Tell your kids to bring out the meatloaf from the fridge a couple of hours before they plan to eat it so they don’t have to use the microwave to heat chilled leftovers. To keep yourself from the tempting sight of your microwave, give it to the homeless man on the subway.
5. Don’t repair a broken bulb until all the other bulbs get broken.
Don’t even think about changing that broken bulb. Implement a rule in your home that forbids repairing a bulb until all the other lighting fixtures run out of power. When that time comes, replace only one bulb or lighting fixture every day. You can start with the first broken bulb and end with the last one or draw lots on which bulb should be replaced first.
4. Turn the TV off every time the commercial is on.
Now you don’t have to endure the long agonizing string of commercials during prime time. Turn your television off each time the show you’re watching takes a commercial break. Make sure to unplug the television after switching it off each time.
You’ll even get the chance to practice your skills of clairvoyance by taking a guess if the commercials are over. Your job will be easy if you live in an apartment with walls so thin that you can hear your next-door neighbor watching TV.
If at the end of the month you find that you barely saved anything on your energy bill, you should consider getting rid of your television. Do your brain a favor. After all, there’s a reason why the television is called an idiot box. You can even get rid of your TV in the traditional rock star fashion by throwing it out your window. Now that’s saving money with an attitude.
3. Sign up for an immersion program with an Amish family.
Remember Amish people? Yes, they still exist and they’re one of the simplest people you could meet. They denounce using electricity. In fact, it’s against their beliefs to use machines to accomplish their daily tasks.
If you chance upon an immersion program in an Amish community, we suggest you grab the opportunity. You’ll save energy during your time away from home, and learn a lot about doing things without electricity from our Amish friends.
2. Have a one-week Survivor game with your family every month.
Camp out in your backyard, wear scraps of clothes, and cook over a meager fire. Never use your bathroom to pee or take a bath. Pee in the bushes and make it a strict rule to completely keep yourself out of your home. This is an outdoor challenge. The last one standing wins the game.
1. Live in the midst of a forest.
Think of how much electricity Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs saved just by staying in the middle of the woods. The simple and boring life she led with the dwarfs was probably the reason why she chose to run off with the first man who laid eyes on her.
Get a map and drive to the woods nearest your home. Tell your family that you’re simply staying for a few weeks vacation. Then, once they start asking when you’ll home, tell them that you just sold your home and you’re staying for good with the canaries and squirrels in the middle of nowhere.
Do your part in saving Mother Earth and you’ll be amazed at how good karma finds its way into your home by saving you some cash on your energy bill.
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