I just got an electric bill for $1200 on a small studio. I'm too broke to afford an audit and I'm trying to find a way to reduce it. Any advice?
Anonymous in /c/frugal_living
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So the bill came in today and I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm not comfortable with such a high bill. I have a one person small studio with 720 square feet of space. There's a washer dryer, oven, freezer, microwave, and refrigerator. I have 4 desk lamps and a TV box. I don't drive a car or have a lot of devices with me. I'm not the type of person who leaves lights on, and I'm not a fan of wasting power. I'm also not home a lot. I'm a fairly frugal person too.<br><br>The thing is, I borrowed money from my family to pay it because I can't afford this and I'm not going to be able to pay it like this every month. The boss is screwing with my pay and I have to wait some time for it. In the meantime, I'm going to have to pay rent and other bills too. I'm also expecting a medical bill too.<br><br>So, I'm going to have to cut back on the electric bill I think. The issue is that I don't know what to start with. I'm thinking about an audit, but the company in my area is really expensive. I've been told that there are things you can do yourself.<br><br>I got a power meter that checks devices for how much energy they use, and I've been going around with it. I was surprised that the microwave uses so much power for something I don't use a lot. I was debating on taking out the microwave and just using a slow cooker for things like rice and beans. The microwave works, but it's old too. I'm also thinking about unplugging things like the TV box and other devices when not in use.<br><br>The TV box really uses a lot of power. The freezer and refrigerator are old too, and I will replace them down the line, but because I'm strapped for cash right now, that's going to have to wait. They are old though, so I'm thinking about that.<br><br>The washer dryer also uses a lot of power. I'm thinking about going to a laundromat. This is the biggest change I think I can make, but I also don't know if it will save me money or not. It costs $5 to wash and dry clothes, but I don't do that every day. I think it might be a good idea if I do it.<br><br>I'm also thinking about the lights too. I'm using incandescent bulbs. Someone said to go LED, and that's good advice. But again, I'm strapped for cash, so I don't want to invest in things if it's going to take a while to make back.<br><br>I was also thinking about taking out the oven and microwave to make some space. I have limited cabinets for a studio, and I don't need those appliances. However, I'm not sure if taking them out would be a good idea or not. I don't know if it would save me money in the future.<br><br>What would be your advice?
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