After my first posting regarding doing things 1% better, I started adding to the list of small tasks that could make my life 1% better, or possibly 1% cheaper. A couple of things bubbled to the surface: laundry and plastic!
Laundry
I was talking to a friend who mentioned that she always waited till the rates went down to wash and dry her laundry. I was a little surprised because I didn’t think she would have enough laundry to make a difference. Or I thought she would have someone doing her laundry.
Our electricity/hydro bill isn’t very big, and I like doing laundry during the day when I’m busy with other activities, but then I thought about the 1% better idea and how it could make a little difference which might just turn into something unexpected over time. I decided I would put a load in during the day but wouldn’t run it until the rates go down at night. Then, I get it in the dryer before I go to bed. (I get to go laundry-crazy on weekends because the rates are low!)
So, I don’t know how much I’m saving, but there was an unexpected benefit that didn’t involve money. Just like the first post regarding running the dishwasher at night, I find that I have more time during the day. And it turns out that the same principle is involved with washing clothes at night – I’m saving on the electric bill!
Plastic and Paper Towels
The next 1% idea came in the form of not using as much plastic (bags and wrap, mostly) and paper towels. I’ve long been known as a “bag lady” because I carry shopping bags in my purse to avoid using bags from the store, but it feels like I use a lot of storage bags and plastic wrap and was using a lot of paper towels to dry my hands when I washed them in the kitchen.
I knew I couldn’t stop using these products completely, so applying the 1% idea seemed a good place to start. Here’s what I’m doing: buying produce that isn’t wrapped or packaged as much as possible; covering bowls and vegetables with beeswax wraps to store in the refrigerator (Abeego is the brand I’m currently using); using small mesh bags when I buy produce and dried items like beans and lentils rather than using the plastic bags that are provided in the stores; and, keeping a hand towel in the kitchen along with the towel I use to dry the dishes. (On the last two ideas, wash them frequently during off-peak hours.)
PS – Our electricity bill for the month of August 2019 was down to $100. That’s down from $168 a year ago!