In-Home Savings

Great ideas on how to save money at home!

Turn Off Those Gaming Consoles!

Last modified on 2009-05-29 01:10:17 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

by Matthew Manorothkul

Enjoy playing video games? Not only do the games cost you money but leaving the gaming console on idle is adding to the cost of having fun too. Depending on the gaming console you own, the amount of energy use is different. Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsofts Xbox 360 use significantly more energy than the Nintendo Wii.

Let’s see how they compare.

The Nintendo Wii isn’t so bad. $3 a year if you turn it off after use and $10 if you dont.

Microsofts Xbox 360 off time will cost you more than Nintendo Wii’s idle time! $11 if off and about ten times that at $103 if you don’t.

The Sony PlayStation 3 takes the cake. $12 while its off and an astonishing $134 if left idle.

Good thing is that there is a noticeable trend of lowered energy cost as newer models of Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsofts Xbox 360. Hopefully the trend continues but while we wait for the next generation in gaming console, we can still make a difference with the ones we have currently.

Helpful tips:

1. Always turn off the system as use. If you are in the middle of a movie or game and know you won’t get back to it in a while, there is always scene selection for movies and save points in a game.

2. Don’t use the gaming console exclusively or at all for that matter to watch movies on it. Good chances are that stand alone players consume less energy.

3. Take a break once in a while. Give your eyes a rest. Not only is it better for your eyes in the long run, it’ll save you some money too.

A Bright Idea!

Last modified on 2009-06-06 20:38:43 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

by Edward Galstyan

One of the best ways to save money is to start at home. Now that’s a smart idea!

It is easy to forget everything we use in the house in our daily lives because of how busy our lives are. Between work, family and other responsibilities we forget & overlook many money saving ideas. So what is one way to save money at home?

Switch to CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lighting)

CFL light bulbshave a much greater lifespan compared with incandescent light bulbs. According to Energy Star, An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 9 times longer than an incandescent bulb. So there are two ways money is saved by switching. It’s not just about saving money, however. Switching to CFL light bulbsalso saves our planet. Consider these facts below from Energy Star.

In 2007, Americans saved 1.5 billion by switching to ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs. The energy saved could light all the households in the city the size of Washington, DC for 30 years. Put another way, changing these bulbs removes as much greenhouse gas pollution as planting 2.85 million acres of trees or taking 2 million cars off the road each year.

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases, equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Visit the official Energy Star website for more information on CFL:  Energy Star CFL

Their website also offers special offers and rebates with other companies who can save you even more money.

Go ahead and make the switch to CFL light bulbs by clicking here.

We’ve upgraded from old 56k modem technology to high speed broadband Internet, from VHS to DVD to Blu-Ray,why not upgrade our lighting at home as well? It would do our pocket book justice along with our planet.