I live in Salem, Oregon. My electrical provider, PGE (Portland General Electric), sent me an email offering a way to save $100 annually, based on my usage pattern. I saved it for review. It might prove to be legit.

I use the following to help keep my house cool and use less air conditioning.

#1. The front of my home faces East and the rear of the house faces West. In the summer, I keep the curtains and windows in the front closed and open up the back of the house. When the sun comes around to the back I reverse everything, close off the back and open up the front.

#2. If you have double hung windows and full screens, open the top a few inches and the bottom a few inches throughout the house. The warmer air will exit the top. Poor man’s AC. At least that’s the theory.

#3. Augment the AC with fans. Ceiling fans or standing fans will help keep the AC from running constantly and while they do use electricity it’s a lot less than the AC.

I tried black-out curtains and all sorts of stuff on a big south-facing window to cut the heat coming into the room which didn’t work at all.

Discovered a few years back that tightly gathered sheer curtains cuts the heat coming into the room by probably 95% or so. When I put my hand up to the gathered sheer curtains, it feels cool and I don’t have the heat issues in the room I had before. I just gathered them and hung them with clips and rings on a rod.

I hear you but – – since I lost my better half, I keep the tv on sometimes just for the noise. It’s like having another person in the house. But I read a LOT, always have. I hate charcoaled food, ewwww. Wood might be ok but I do not like grilled foods and I don’t live near the shore where you can get fresh fish (besides I HATE fishy tasting food). So, some of these hints are great and some are not my thing at all. We do what we can, right? Pray and hope for Trump 2024 and we’re lucky he’s running again. VERY LUCKY because they’re going to be monitoring the voting system to the Nth degree this time around.

I have a timer on my water heater, and set it to run 4 hours in the early morning before I get up and ready for work, and 4 hours in the late afternoon. The rest of the time it is idle, and saves a lot of energy that way.

Something I’ve never seen anybody else do.

Fishing is one of my main fun things. I’m in trout country. I mostly catch and release, except what I need for meals, which is the preferred ethos here in the west. But there are some species that have high limits like brook trout, or no limits like whitefish(very abundant in our rivers).

Anyways, For a variety of reasons, I’ve always taught my dogs to eat fish. These days I take extra plastic bags and I never let a whitefish go. They run about a pound or 2. I never clean them, just toss the bag in the bottom of the freezer. I can catch a dozen or more in an afternoon. Both dogs (including Skepticollie) get a whole frozen fish every morning and they eat the entire thing, head, bones, tail and all. After filleting trout for myself I save everything else for them in baggies with a little water to make an ice cube fish meal which they sometimes get instead. Nothing goes to waste. Saves tons on their kibble dog food which they get a small amount of in the evening.

Note of caution: Don’t ever feed cooked fish with bones in them to your dogs. The bones harden when cooked and can be dangerous. Also, some species naturally have sharp fin bones (perch, catfish, sunfish) and should be filleted , left uncooked, before frozen for your dogs.

A couple of years ago my husband asked if we wanted to go in with Brother in Law and buy a part of a cow and a pig. I thought it was nuts because there is just the 2 of us. Hubby then got an older refrigerator sized freezer he got at the facility (essential food, etc) he supervises. It was a surplus and thought to be not working. Instead of trying to repair it, the vendor shipped in a new freezer. It turned out to be a bad power cord, hubby replaced it and now we have a 2nd freezer. I didnt think we needed it until he told me we were getting part of the cow/pig.
We filled it up and watched for other sales. It is only used as the “sales freezer”.
The cow/pig has been an amazing bargain considering how prices have risen/fluctuated and product been sparse due to the supply chain (and other things) issues.
If you can, contact a local farm and ask about doing the same, they might even have a customer who wants part of a cow/pig and is looking to split with someone.
Also, since summer clothing is lighter, hang up to dry anything and everything (even towels/sheets) you can right now. I only do washing before 8am or after 8pm. The dryer goes on when we go to bed.
-Our BIL also has a Sams/Costco membership and we let him know if we are looking for something in particular.
-It also is smart to join NextDoor and pick not only your neighborhood and surrounding ones but the higher $$$ zip codes too. We lived in one of those higher $$ zip codes until downsizing 3 yrs ago and the things they give out for free are frequently great quality/little wear/still working, etc. The ones who still have lots, still undervalue what they have in great parts of our area. The free things posted by one older woman when she decided to downsize was shocking. Her family had picked everything they wanted, she had decided what she was taking and a lifetime of collected books, antiques, furniture, household goods, clothing, etc she decided to see who might want it–FREE. She didnt want to do an Estate Sale, she wanted to give it away. She put a deadline for ppl to choose of 1 week then anything left went to Goodwill.
-Those are the best things I can think of right off the top of my head but I hope someone sees something useful to them
Thank you for this post, right now, we are all in this together

In the old days every doorway had draperies. That helped control the temperature in each room. Contained warmth from the day or the morning cool was captured.

There is a product that we have used not only as insulation for our mountain home which can have a -26 degrees on the thermometer in February, but on the chicken coop, dog house, whatever. It is two layers of trapped air in small bubbles kind of like bubble wrap packing. But the outside is a heavy foil so it not only repels the cold or heat but also contains the cool or warmth. Worksnlike an emergency reflective blanket. We laid it down in the attic and covered the cellar rafters. Comes in large rolls like fiberglass insulation. Brand names vary. Shouldn’t be difficult to find.

I buy farmstand veggies when they are in season, then freeze them for eats year round – they are delicious!!!

You think you got it bad?

Monthly rates from SoCal Edison, Southern Calimexistan:

Our first 400 KwH (baseline survival ) are $0.15 / kwH
From 400 to 1200 ( 3 times survival rate ) KwH are $.0.22 / KwH
Above 1200 KwH is $0.35 / KwH
Somewhere above that you get a door knock at 3AM and get sent to a re-education Kamp in the Sierras.

I figure it’s gonna go up again.

Forget the towel, forget the work arounds, let’s do a Deep Dive. The problem is with the politics of DC and is fully reversible.

Time for a Civil War.

PS: My new audio amplifiers are a pair of monophonic FET Class A huge boxes. They use up 400 watts, each, all the time. They sound fantastic. Time for the guillotines!

Lint buildup in the lint-exhaust piping of the clothes dryer uses more electricity (or gas) and is a fire hazard.

Getting it cleaned out and getting excess lint cleaned out from inside the dryer results in money savings (and is safer).

Here in Florida, there are various companies that do this.

I just hired a gentleman who is a fireman and does this as a side job.

He said that doing it every 2-3 years is a good practice, depending on how many loads one does.

Four years of buildup in my house tubing netted a full Publix size bag of lint!

And now the dryer dries so much faster😄

We don’t use the dryer, just hang clothes on a rack near the woodstove in the winter or outdoors on a clothesline in the spring thru fall. Don’t use the oven if the cook pot will suffice. Don’t use a dish washer. It may save water but it uses electricity. In the winter, we cook soups on the flat top of the woodstove. We cook from scratch. Meat is the most expensive food group, so we aim to spend no more than $3-4 per meal for 2 persons. Breakfast cereal and milk are too expensive, but cooked cereal or eggs and hash browns are cheaper. Hope that helps.

I do all the energy, lifestyle, frugal things already. In the humid south, AC is critical. We are under an excessive heat warning right now. People will die under these new policies. But, that’s what they want – to get the earth’s population under 500 million so they can implant people with computer chips (transhumanism) under the guise of “the greater good”, so #whatever.

Okay, I should be trying to be helpful. So many posters have already made good to great suggestions. I think it’s important to live in a state that has natural resources (hydroelectric) if possible and is run by level headed Constitutionalists. It’s terribly sad that energy rich TX was bamboozled by the Greenies. They should be sittin’ pretty right now. A family member in TX got her electric bill and it was $400 and they hardly use their AC because their home is naturally efficient. Mine was higher than expected here in TN, but not by a lot, so I thought I’d try to acclimate to a higher temp inside the house without fainting. I might figure out how to take cool showers several times a day if need be. This whole thing is ridiculous and makes me angry. Sorry.

While I recognize/realize that time-saving things are important to many ..
Convenience is costly. Hubs asked me few weeks ago why I brought home a whole watermelon since there’s only 2 of us. Well, a half melon was same price as whole and a quarter melon was half of whole, so …
*Learn to bake from scratch. I can make a delicious pizza with a cup of flour and a bit of this, that & the other. BTW – if there are LARGE cans of pizza sauce that you like, and you can get it for cheap – that stuff can be re-canned in waterbath – utube vids for such.
egg noodles are easy to make and SO much better than anything you can buy.
*”heat sink”; an item or items that hold heat. I have 2 pizza stones in oven (bought 2nd hand) and often use big cast iron pot. As another said, a pot (especially cast iron) will hold heat for some while – cap & cut off heat. It can even be wrapped in a “blanket” to hold heat longer.
I mostly sweep the floors; vacuum occasionally. A micro-towel/rag makes a decent “swifter”.
Instead of fabric softener, I use white vinegar.
Check your AC filter; vacuum dust & hair or replace.
Small bottle of “dawn” .. refill 1/3 w/”dawn” & rest with white vinegar – good in bathroom, etc.
The liquid dish washer stuff is cheaper than the “pucks” and I use vinegar as “rinse” in dishwasher.
If your freezer isn’t full, put water in plastic bottles/jugs & freeze (can be used in cooler later).
Start seeds instead of purchasing plants.
Start thinking like your G-grandma or someone that survived the depression.
We can do this! We’ll be fine.
PS – I did buy a rotisserie chicken yesterday – almost $7! By the time I get done with that chicken, the dog won’t even want the bone.

5 bucks off a 25 buck or more purchase.
Dollar General Markets down here.
You get the coupon on your register receipt during the week then the coupon has to be used on a Saturday.

Ba-zinga.

Pay cash whenever possible. Most folks don’t realize that using that convenient debit or credit card results in a fee that the merchant must pay to process the transaction. This fee has been worked into the cost of goods; some merchants offer a discount for cash, and this transaction charge is the reason why. Don’t be afraid to ask if a discount for paying cash is offered. Retailers are under so much price pressure now; not having to pay transaction charges keeps money in their pockets.

And sticks it to the banks. As does paying credit card balances in full each month. Banks divide customers into two types:
payers and deadbeats – in their world the deadbeats are the ones who don’t pay interest.

We use no ac, have lots of fans, keep house dark, have tv on power surge so just click it off at night, same with computer. I keep a cooler with ice cubes and fill with water and dip a dishtowel in it and wear it around my neck. Fastest ac you can have. LOL. We are back to hanging out our laundry therefore bypassing the dryer. No dishwasher to suck up anymore electric.

I’m not and never have been very crafty, so, though I read through and appreciate all the helpful hints, which I will bear in mind as I shop, do dishes or laundry, or clean, etc., I have nothing useful to add. A lot of these hints sound intimidating.

Just commenting to say a big THANK YOU to Sundance and his site and the other administrators.

The Lord gave us “let’s go Brandon” but I believe in calling out evil in all emphatic ways.

Become the family mooch … Since most houses are now primarily electric …. make an excuse to visit the grand kids and your own kids if they have their own places … so they do the cooking and use their electric stoves and ovens. //s

https://offgridworld.com/get-free-home-heating-with-an-attached-greenhouse/

The attached greenhouse is a good option for country dwellers with houses that have a long afternoon sun facing side.

You create an air flow using vents below and above the growing space. In the summer when you are growing food, you have to circulate air into the growing space and out. In the winter, you change the vents so that the sun-heated air is vented into the living space.

This won’t end until we end it.

I am not using my a/c this year (condo living -bottom unit). It gets swampy humid in here. Bought a dehumidifyer 2 months ago. Supposed to cover up to 1500 sq. ft. Ran the thing nonstop for about the first week. Shocked at the amount of moisture it pulled out. Things a beast. Temps hanging between 78-80 – depending on time of day – with this heatwave. But with a lot of the moisture sucked out – I can tell a huge difference.

Bought an energy star rated one – supposed to be kinder to the wallet. Just got an update from my electric company on my usage in this billing cycle so far – $26.00 – projected to go to $56 at end of cycle. However, the last two bills went past their ‘expected’ $$ amount – but not by much. Also have a floor fan which adds a nice breeze. I can live with the situation. It’s not ideal, but it beats a $200 electric bill. And it won’t be forever. Oh – and – the water I get from the unit – goes to the plants outside if they need it.

One more thing – if anyone is having a moisture issues in closets, bathrooms etc – also started using moisture absorbers. Trying out different brands – but they do work!

May already have been mentioned: use a clothesline to dry laundry.

Knowing this type of stuff makes a huge difference:

I retired on a pension that keeps me about $2,000 per year over the Federal definition of poverty for a family of one. I live in the state of Florida. I am 6’3″, 185 lbs., in perfect health at age 73. I walk 3 to 5 miles each day and work out with weights 3 days each week. So, I am highly active with a massive appetite.

Electricity: Keep the thermostat at 78 degrees while you occupy your place; raise it to 82 degrees when you are away. Do laundry once a week on Saturdays at 2 am to take advantage of lower electric rates. At 2 am on Sunday mornings, batch cook from scratch meals listed below in amounts to last in some cases two weeks; in other cases one week. See below.

FOOD:

Do not buy beef, chicken, pork, or lamb: too expensive!

Cook dried beans, rice, lentils, split peas, frozen vegetables, fresh cabbage and potatoes.

Do not buy prepared, processed foods with the exception of salt, ketchup and mustard.

Cook all meals in large batches from scratch. Make lots of soup from scratch! (There is a reason Al Capone funded “soup kitchens” during the Great Depression in Chicago: soup fills you up, feeds you well, and lasts. Plus, you can freeze large batches.)

In 12 quart pots, batch cook two weeks worth of vegetable soup one half of which you freeze and then thaw at the start of the second week. Use frozen vegetables from Walmart “Great Value” or from the “store brand” of your local grocery store. I use 5 bunches of fresh kale for the soup as well. Canned vegetables typically run cheaper but are loaded with too much salt. Use tap water as your base. As a base for the soup, create with three 12 oz cans of tomato paste a highly concentrated broth for the soup. Currently, two weeks ration of vegetable soup runs me about $30. (The most expensive item: six 8 oz cans of Walmart brand mushroom pieces.) With each vegetable soup serving, I add more tap water to thin the soup and a serving of beans which makes each serving fill me up well as a first course.

Every morning, I eat about 8 cups of this soup in a large bowl followed by a smaller serving of hot oatmeal consisting of oat groats with 1/2 cup of frozen Walmart “Great Value” blueberries on top. I buy oat groats in 50 pound bags from the Azure Standard company.

At 2 am, once a week, cook enough oat groats in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker to last a full week. Use tap water as your base. Add Ceylon cinnamon to taste.

At 2 am, once a week, batch cook in your electric pressure cooker enough dried beans (1/2 pinto beans, 1/2 small red beans) to last one week in the fridge and freeze more to last a second week. I buy 20 lb. bags of pinto beans from Walmart’s “Great Value” line. I buy small red beans in 25 lb. bags from Azure Standard. Once a week, I make enough cooked from scratch batches of split pea soup with hulled barley to last a week. I buy the dried peas, dried split peas and whole grain barley each in 25 lbs. bags from Azure Standard. On alternate weeks, I batch cook dried lentils as a soup to last a whole week.

Buy 10 lbs. bags of yellow onions and 10 lbs. bags of red skin and russet potatoes from Costco or Sam’s Club. For lunch, I boil onions, green cabbage, and red skinned potatoes with salt and pepper added to the pot. Ketchup, I add on the bowl.

I Bake a dozen to 15 russet potatoes at a time, keep them in the fridge and eat two each night for dinner with split pea soup poured on top. I also eat a salad of sliced raw green or red cabbage topped with a salad dressing I make from scratch with mustard and ketchup.

Since adopting this food protocol, my food bills average about $250 (+-) per month. This month the cost of my vegetable soup went from about $25 to this week’s $35 for two weeks ration.

I inquired about solar here in Tucson when my electric bill in summer was around $600 a month. I luckily got a honest solar guy who told me I needed to replace my old A/C before I even thought of solar. I bought a new A/C on a zero % loan and my electric bill dropped by half. I can’t imagine how the old timers lived here without A/C.

Did not sign up for any energy co-ops. The state has to approve rate increases. there was a slight increase Jul 1. not much difference on coming bill but hard to tell as less usage this year.

Indoor swamp cooler.
Runs for a fraction of your AC.
Not perfect but it works.

Hot water is about 25% of your utility bill. Think about washing clothes with just warm or even cold water. Definitely set the rinse cycle to use just cold. Use the dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes as much as possible and turn off the heated drying cycle.

Groceries are a big bill now too. Try to wait until something goes on sale and then buy 4-6 weeks worth to carry you until the next time it goes on sale. Set the refrigerator temp down to 35 degrees and your fresh food will keep a couple of days longer.

Summer home cooling is another big expense. If you plan on adjusting your thermostat higher, do it gradually – 1 degree and wait 2 days, then another degree and wait two days, etc. This gives your metabolism time to adjust to a warmer house without any real discomfort. If your thermostat has a dehumification setting, use it and you will be amazed at how 80 degrees still feels comfortable when the indoor humidity is kept at a max of 60%. If you have a basement, put a dehumidifier down there to help keep the whole house drier.

If your neighbor voted for Zhou Bi Dung, get a couple of extension cords to run your appliances off his outside outlets when he’s away on vacation. 😆

We live in N FL with no trees since Hurricane Michael to give reprieve from the heat. I learned eons ago that adding insulated drapes will drop the electric bill about $10 per room. That was long before this god awful administration but it is a good way to help stay cool cheaper.

We are putting in a whole house generator and have 500 gallons of propane (may need more) for when the lights start going off for the “green” thang.

Inexpensive wall outlet insulators keep your house tight from incoming outside temps.

Tinting your windows like you would a car helps reflect the heat and keep the summer heat from making your meter spin off the house.

I will ponder other things with hubby and post those.

Sundance,

Modern Survival Blog has a multitude of tips to lower bills, reduce reliance on mass produced produce, and many tips on surviving hard times, no matter what they might be.

Sincerely,
Big Daddy D………..err…..Eagle61

Couple things we do:

We buy gas in NY rather than Pa -believe it or not, it’s cheaper by 10-20c/gal. Adds up over a year.

We cook all of our meals from scratch. Pre-packaged foods are ridiculously expensive and contain lots of bad chemicals.

We cook soups, stews, chili and other stove top meals in large batches and then vacuum save the leftovers in smaller packages for home made heat and eat quick meals. We do the same with large hams, roasts and turkey.

We have a garden every summer then can about 15 qts of tomato sauce and 20 pts of pizza sauce. We buy XL pizza dough balls from the local pizza shop for $3 and grate mozzerella block cheese/slice pepperoni sticks to make are own pizzas. The pizzas shop charges about$22 for an XL pizza. We use better ingredients and save about $12-14/pizza

We buy the large packs of chicken breasts and cook them on the grill all at once – takes about the same of amount of propane either way. We then vacuum freeze most of them to be thawed and microwave heated later – saves a bunch of time.

We diversified our heat sources so we can use 4 different fuels during the winter. This year we will be leaning heavier on heat pump and wood, which is free from our property.

I do almost all my own auto repair – oil changes, tire rotations, brakes, shocks and struts, rust repairs and other. Most of these repairs are much easier then people imagine (especially with U-tube how-to videos)- and repair shops are a huge rip-off on a lot of things at $75-100/hr labor rate. I buy my parts from the local Autozone because most of them, except for parts that normally wear, have lifetime warranties and they keep track of your purchases so you don’t need receipts. I run/fix my cars until they die of cancer – at least 20 yrs and 200K miles. I’ve gotten a lot of free replacement parts from Autozone!

I do many 0f my own home repairs. I always save the leftover lengths of lumber, pipe, wire and other materials I buy – they always find a use eventually and save me from having to run to the store to buy stuff when a small repair job comes up.

I always walk when I golf. Saves ~$20/round and it is better for health and fitness.

As a side note, these things are the way we have always lived our lives – we’re frugal. I hate to waste stuff even though I can easily afford to. It’s a value instilled in me by my parents and one I have passed on to my kids.

Love you guys! Some great tips! Thank you.

I am fortunate to have a good neighbor who planted a garden this year that extended into my lot; he furnished the labor and I paid for seeds, soil amendments, water etc. I have dehydrated a lot of the results and frozen some as well; mostly because I cannot locate my pressure canner but that’s a whole ‘nother story!

One thing I focus on is making things last longer. Keep appliances clean and dust free, do regular maintenance (hvac filters, drain the water heater, etc).

And for textiles, rotate your clothing and linens to let the fabric rest after use. What?
Put recently laundered items at the back of the drawer or closet. Put the fresh towels under the ones on the shelf, not on top of the stack. Same with bedsheets and pillowcases. If you wear the same favorite shirt regularly, it’s going to get thread-bare much sooner.

And air out the dry-cleanables by hanging for a day or so near the shower or on a screened in back porch. Unless they are visibly soiled, you can wear things more than once before sending them out for cleaning again

I bought plastic window film (made to look like fancy frosted glass) for the double pane windows in the doors that lead into my garage. I put it up for privacy, but I was surprised how it made the garage cooler without blocking all light. So, I will be using some on my French doors that get afternoon sun.

I set up a clothesline in April. Using the clothes line instead of the dryer has made about $15-20 difference in my electric bill so far over last year. I use the dryer (only when I can’t wait until a dry day) on medium heat instead of the high heat setting. It dries the clothes in about the same amount of time, but someone would have to check if this really makes a difference in electric use.

I buy mark-downs and clearance groceries like banged cans, day-old bread, discontinued items, and meat. Someone once reminded me that beef is aged before it gets to the store; buying on the day before it is out of date just gets a little more aging. I don’t buy hamburger, but larger cuts of meat that look good. Cook, can, or freeze immediately. For me, pride doesn’t get in the way of eating well, cheaply.

Use pint canning jars and stack them. Seven quarts or 14 pints fit in my canner, but the pints take less time to pressure can. Less time using the burner.

Plan ahead when you are going to use the oven. Bake a cake and roast some veggies at the same time that you are baking a roast or ham.

I bought a mini-split for my bedroom. My house thermostat is set on 80 degrees in summer and 67 degrees in winter which is do-able during the day. At night, I can use the mini-split to warm up or cool down the bedroom if I need to or just de-humidify which also cools the room.

Unplug all those lithium batteries for tools. Most of the time they will hold a charge for quite a while without having that small drain on your electricity. Charge them up as you need them.

When my Grandma woke every morning at six all windows and doors were open and let the cool air in. Around ten all windows were closed and she would pull closed the old wool army blankets she made into curtains from Grandads forays in the big one WWII. Those army blankets worked so well at insulating it never was hot or cold in the old house! And that was in central Kansas. No ac didn’t need it!!! You can still get them at Army surplus stores…

Start by burning democrat yard signs for heating fuel.

I keep my AC at 80/81. During summer here it can get 100+ . The house doesn’t get hot until late afternoon, which of course is when my electrical provider jacks up the rates. peak time price is 5-8 pm, when you need it most. I’m in California where of course Newscum wants you driving electric cars. SMH. I also only do a load of laundry about every 10 days, and try to line dry as much as I can..electric dryer is the costliest thing to run they say..and I rarely turn on my TV

When I was getting ready to retire, I tried to figure out how to prepay as many of my bills as possible. There were some nice federal incentives at the time, so I purchased a solar system for my roof. What in this world other than death and taxes is as reliable as increases in utility costs?
My system, on average, produces more electricity than I use. I pay about ten dollars a month for my connection to the grid, and since the reimbursement on the overage is pathetic, I start around October/ November to plug in an electric radiator to use up most of my overage and reduce my gas heating costs.

Also, when I upgraded my central heat and air, they threw in a tankless water heater with the deal (my old water heater was shot, too!) Last month, my gas bill was zero. I used less than a therm for all my dishwashing and showering needs.
If you need to replace your water heater, consider tankless. No sense heating and reheating the same 30 gallons of water 24/7, winter and spring, until you need it!

I use a broom instead of a vacuum cleaner. I wash all dishes by hand. Be conscious of the amount of water you use. I do not own a dryer, I hang my clothes out. I use my grey water from my washer to put out into my yard. Only wash large loads. In the winter I dry inside by the wood stove.

Sincerely, learn to cook with crock-pots and microwaves. Install “on demand” water heaters. If you have space for a small kerosene stove and Aladdin Lamp or three…. There are times other than natural disasters for these things.

Remember: if you’re going on vacation, make sure you turn your hot water heater down. No sense heating water you’re not using!

A wet towel over a fan is as good as A/C. Even without a fan if there is a breeze. have had to do that a time or two when camping. I want to say that in Australia more than fifty years ago there was a summer so hot that my relatives in NSW had to sleep in the garage and change out wet bedsheets through the night just to get some sleep. Just one more example of what the Climate Liars are full of it.

I would advise canning or drying as much as you can and avoid depending on the freezer. If for some reason you have no electricity but do have a generator run it intermittently , not constantly. If nights are cool don’t run it until the day starts heating up. I would not put all my eggs in one basket by depending entirely on a freezer.

Just an aside…According to King Arthur, flour can last for many years if frozen. White rice has better longevity than the brown. Pasta too will last indefinitely. As will dried beans and legumes. A piece of pork and some onions, garlic and tomatoes in a pot of white beans is a meal fit for a king. There is no reason for anybody to do without. Just do differently.

And don’t let the bastards get you down.

First, get right with God.

Then get right with the World, which means getting off the credit slave ship.

And then, for, at a minimum 1 month, preferably 3 months, track EVERY expence, in categories of Food, Shelter, transportation, energy, entertainment.

And then LOOK at each category, and see where a One time investment, will lower your monthly outgo for that item or category, going forward.

THIS is the road my wife and I started on, many years ago.

The surprise for me is that, invariably the “new” way was not only saving me $, but was gi ing me BETTER quality.

Store bought bread, $2.50/ loaf, 6-8 loaves/ month.
Home baked bread, about $0.50/loaf, 8-10 loaves/ month (cause it is SO deliscious, its not just for sandwiches, its a desert!

Far more enjoyable to eat, and more nutriscious.

In particular, as we implemented this, we have rejected CONVENIENCE.
Most don’t realise just how EXPENSIVE convenience is, not just in $, but in terms of quality of life, and even liberty.

Have specific ‘tips’ me and mine have benefitted from, and will post them after reading what others have posted, just wanted to start with an overview.

Build a 4th Gen thorium salt reactor, size of a fridge and install in your garage. It will give you and your block enough energy, off grid, for a lifetime.

My biggest tip is what is become my passion (no grand kids so I need something!): I make my own herbal remedies.

I use the older books, not the pretty picture books or recent Internet stupidity.

https://www.henriettes-herb.com/ is excellent source. She links into other people who are legitimate experts. Also find info in those archive sites like Gutenberg. I download PDFs onto thumb drive then transfer to my desk top that’s not connected to the internet.

No more ebooks for important references.

I make my own rose glycerin by putting petals from my rose bush into a jar of glycerine. It’s that simple. I shake it every day for a month then strain. Coffee filters are great.

I make simple topical remedies like chopped day lilies for poison ivy (the mucus-y bottom and inside of flower) or that weed plantain chopped up for bee stings. Little vodka helps keep things from spoiling

I use essential oils, herbs that I grow and coconut oil. I use Valerie Worwood is my favorite.

Carrier oils can be found in grocery store (sunflower. Flax, avocado).

Those Italian herbs are fantastically healthy. Almost every herb or flower that has been around for centuries has value medicinally. Add them to your diet

Dr. Youngken was one of the leaders of botanical pharmacology. Until 1970s, pharmacists were required to take botany courses. He fought to keep them in the curriculum but lost.

I have also collected books by LH Bailey, one of the founders of American Horticultural Society. His books teach instead of telling how to garden. I use open pollinated or heirloom seeds for everything that I plant bc they might kill me but I’m not going to starve to death!

If old potatoes have sprouted eyes, put them in large a pot on your patio. Divide by the eyes (so each chunk has a set) and you’ll have a plant for each.

We bought a grow light and can grow our own leaf lettuce. But I didn’t really use it this year for seedlings and our plants are doing pretty good (no rain lately).

Please don’t be intimidated! If you’re not, be an example to others. Hold the line, be humble and curious and afraid to stumble and we can do this with success!

Best wishes

Replace air filters in your HVAC system when dirty.,
Beware of the cheaper pleated filters some will reduce airflow ,causing longer run times.
Clean A/C condenser coils,even if it is not visibly dirty.I use a pump up sprayer to soak coils with cleaner.let sit a few minutes and rinse well with hose.Seal any leaks in ductwork with mastic or aluminum tape.

Ammoseek.com lists online retailers for good deals. Most of them offer free shipping with 250, 500, or 1000 round purchases.

The enemy absolutely will NOT break us. We will prevail. Them? Not so much.

So many inspiring and practical tips! My appreciation to all who contributed. Since I can’t surpass the specificity of these methods, I’ll add in something philosophically. Cost of living is a total. When considering where to live, if you get too focused on a single part (such as electricity cost), you might miss the goal of controlling the total. If your state has cheaper electricity, but a higher median home price, higher sales/property taxes etc. then you aren’t actually saving a cent. You have to consider ALL your costs as part of a whole, a personal, familial and community ecosystem if you will.

This requires prioritizing your expenses based on what you value. For example, I may not like the politics in my area, but all my extended family moved here over the decades. Now that I’m retired, I want to be near them. Or the fact that all my favorite forms of exercise and recreation are water-based. I pay more to be nearer to accessible waters partly because it keeps me healthier (so my medical maintenance is lower). I offset the greater costs by choosing to live in a much smaller house, driving less, owning less of everything material and repurposing more. Each of you can adapt according to your philosophical priorities. To each their own.