Keeping down utility costs

soooo the HOT of summer has arrived, is your a/c humming 24/7?? Well ours isn't humming 24/7 we have window units and turn them off and on at different times. We have 3 units, two 110 units in our bedrooms and a 220 unit in the living room. We run the 110's at night, and keep our doors closed, then in the morning we turn them off and hang out in our rooms while it is still cool there..leaving the 220 off until about 1- 2 pm when it starts heating up, and then we turn it on low and mid setting for the thermostat and it keeps it cool, we have fans that circulate the air, we keep our blinds closed, to keep out the hot sun light, because most of our windows are on the east and west sides of our house. So far in the three years of living here our electric bill hasnt gone over 200.00 like it did at the place we lived before this..hopefully it wont this summer either...We also leave the air off, when we are gone all day. Our dogs go outside, our back yard is very shaded and they go out there, and we make sure they have plenty of water..and the air inside stays off, just saving some more money...
Another thing, is not heating up your house with the oven and stove, for cooking, try using your crockpots and microwave, it will keep your costs down there also.

Check out your local energy company's website, for tips to save and conserve electricity.

Saving Money at the Cemetary...

what an odd post you might be saying, but with having lost my son, I am realizing that flowers cost money, especially nice arrangements, so I made my own hanging basket to take to John's grave this weekend. John loved his boxer dog, so I bought a boxer to put in it, and this year most of the flowers we had left from his funeral (we didnt put them out due to the ice storm) are red and white, I have 6.00 in this basket..and I know that it probably would have cost at least 30.00 at a shop (from the prices we paid during his funeral) I attached red ribbons to hang it from a shepherds crook at the foot of his grave..

the More to Come post...

I mentioned last week that we were in for some big changes in our family and that there would be more to come on this...so here it is today..the more to come..

This week is my husband's last week of work, he will start Barber College next Tuesday June 9th. This means no income, except what he is paid for pastoring the church (200.00 a week) He does qualify for financial aid and student loans but they wont start until he has been in school for about 10 weeks, sooooooo I have to be super creative in June, July and August, with the moolah..
Please post any tips or ideas you have about working from home, about how to stretch a dollar (or penny) till it squeals. OHHH and please keep our family in your prayers, this will be hard..on all of us..
But HEY we will have pretty hair, he can practice on us..ROFL

Kitchen tip Tuesday

Kitchen tip Tuesday

Yes indeed it is Tuesday and time for Kitchen Tips....

Today's tip is a simple one, but here ya go...Save your clothes, use an apron, I have so many shirts and even capris that are ruined by not wearing my apron while I am cooking or cleaning, because I invariably will wipe my wet hands on them, or grease will splatter on me..Buy a cheap apron I found the one I have at Dollar Tree for a buck it is a grilling style apron, with a bib, and it works great, it might not be gorgeous but it is functioning just fine. This morning I scrubbed all my counters with bleach water, and I put on my apron so I wouldnt ruin my shirt and capris. So save your clothes buy or make you a apron to wear in the kitchen.

Follow me Friday

today is Friday and we are happy about that...today if you are visiting Cindy's Tips and Hints, please click on "follow me " and join my group of followers....

Also follow along as we start (my family) on a new journey...I will be talking about this more in the next week, but our lives are changing drastically and we will have to be more frugal than ever before..so please follow along with us..

~Cindy~

Kitchen tip Tuesday

today is Kitchen tip Tuesday...


My Kitchen tip for the day is kind of a deck tip, but it involves food, when firing up the grill make sure you maximize your charcoal, but grilling more than one thing, We have even put a frozen roast on the grill after everything else was taken up and left it to get the smoke taste and then finished it in the crockpot the next day, makes awesome bbq sandwiches...

TGIF..... today is.....

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day...WOOOHOOO an excuse to eat some cookies...ROFL...my hubby suggested I bake some (have dough in the freezer) soo how will you celebrate your National Chocolate
Chip day??
OHH and if you want to know where I found out this wonderful information check out this site National Days