Give up electricity?

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delighted99
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Re: Give up electricity?

Post by delighted99 »

Anyone here good at keeping up with vacuuming the refrigerator coils? I must say this is something I always have in mind but never actually do....
2dogs+someCats
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Re: Give up electricity?

Post by 2dogs+someCats »

Dgflorida wrote: Sun Aug 25, 2019 6:26 am In a recent frugal discussion, someone said "I will conserve electricity, but I won't live like a pioneer." Over the decades, most people have become more and more dependent on electricity. And every year, there are more and more electronic devices to take over previous manual activities. While many of them promote convenience, they do use electricity which is not free. What electrical conveniences would you be willing to give up? What ones have you given up?
Oh DG, I am happy that you brought up this topic. I have strong and ambivalent feelings on this subject.

I think I may have said on this forum before that if I wasn't afraid (I have an intense and I know irrational fear of fire of any and every kind if it is in, near or around my home) of heating and cooking with a wood burning device of some sort (be it a wood stove, fire place or whatever), I would give up my electricity in a New York minute!

As it is, I don't have television or internet at my house. I do listen to morning news on the radio but a radio powered by rechargeable batteries would work for that. I suppose I would miss the occasional DVD that I rent - but I would willingly adjust.

This would be for the sake of being frugal, yes, but also because why use what I wouldn't need?
littlemiss63
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Re: Give up electricity?

Post by littlemiss63 »

delighted99 wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:54 pm Anyone here good at keeping up with vacuuming the refrigerator coils? I must say this is something I always have in mind but never actually do....
I do mine every 3 months. I had this on my to-do-list monthly when I clean the inside of my refrigerator, but found I didn't need to do it that often.

Reminds me of a story about one of our minister's wives. She prides herself on being an excellent house keeper and she got the bright idea of instead of vacuuming the coils that she would clean them with the leaf blower. She said that was the last time she'd do that, I guess when she hit it with the strong blast of air that she was chasing dirt bunnies for a month. I laughed until I cried when she told us this story.
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Jackielou
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Re: Give up electricity?

Post by Jackielou »

delighted99 wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:54 pm Anyone here good at keeping up with vacuuming the refrigerator coils? I must say this is something I always have in mind but never actually do....
I try to do this at least three times a year.
Jackie
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clemencia2us
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Re: Give up electricity?

Post by clemencia2us »

delighted99 wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:54 pm Anyone here good at keeping up with vacuuming the refrigerator coils? I must say this is something I always have in mind but never actually do....
nope

I have never done that. I have swept the crud out from under the fridge. I have a long bristle brush that is made for those types of things.

Lots of fur in this house, so i am surprised my refrigerators are still going. One is almost 20 years old.
clemencia2us
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Re: Give up electricity?

Post by clemencia2us »

delighted99 wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:52 pm Replying for a friend... haha :D

This friend of mine will not use her AC in the summer. Her justification for this is that her family has a backyard pool so this is how they conserve electricity.

We experience temps in the upper 90s in the summer and often higher!!

For myself...

I still read paper books. Not at all the time but I have to say it is nice not having to charge yet another device!

Other than that, I can't think of any electrical conveniences I've given up. I just do my best to turn off lights when I leave rooms and keep the thermostat at a reasonable setting.
Delighted - our AC was out until July. I refused to get it fixed. To me it was not that bad. But i got tired of hearing the COD complain. A person that wants it about 85 degrees during winter! I don't understand that. If you want it that hot during the winter, that temp should be okay in summer? Right - lol

Well i finally gave in and called the AC people. Had to get a new outside unit thing. It has been very efficient. Yesterday was 104. That should be our highest temp for the season.

Now i guess i am lucky that the heat doesn't get to me. Probably due to my thyroid issues. Normal body temp is 97. We had a meeting today at a place where the AC was suppossedly not working. I was fine. Everyone was sweating bullets. They normally keep it at 68 degrees! That is insane!! I carry a light jacket when i go in there. I hear other people that want their AC set at 65 or 68. I would freeze. WE have ours at 76. I would have it at 80, but have to compromise.
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