Guilt? Hmmm... for me, not so much. More like CHALLENGE!
I don't crave a large space. "Enough" suits me. It always has. "More more more" strikes me as waste. Sure, I succumbed to the temptation and did the bigger car and roomy condo for a while in Dallas. Did it make my any happier? Nah, not really. So I resolved to get back to the real me when I moved back to Vicksburg.
"It's kinda small, Sam... and it stinks!" was the first comment one of my co-workers made about my place when I bought it. It was a small rag-tag little hovel on about .5 acre right across the street from where I knew I would be working in about 2 years (our office was in the process of de-consolidating at the time and those of us due to make the move were just waiting on our new space to be built out). It had good bones but just needed a little love and a little work. Make that a lotta work.
"Yeah, but I can fix it up. You'll see. And I'll be able to walk to work."
Boy howdy, did THAT impress her! Homegirl lives in a builder development McMansion with 3K+ sq ft of interior space, expansive 6 ft wide side yards and backyard big enough for a grill and about 3 chairs, if you push it. And she spends all day Saturday cleaning it. Never schedule a movie with her on a Saturday. She WILL cancel. I really need to teach her the concept of "clean as you go". But I shouldn't be so hard on her. She's had a rough couple of years what with that 25 mile commute she has every day in her Suburban.
But we were talking about eco-guilt and smaller footprint on the planet and all that jazz, yeah?
Lashie... I'm with you on the 6 bulb KW burner bath fixtures. I lost those the first week.
CFLs... All the way, baby! Slapped those suckers in the second year I was here. Immediate 20% drop in the electric bill, if i recall. I'll have to find that old worksheet. Yes, I track my KW hour usage. Eliza, I hear you. I've heard the same complaint (quality of light) from many. I guess I'm lucky. They dont' bother me. Yay me!
Scrooge loves him some puttering around in the kitchen and can jolly well crust up a pan or two. "Clean as you go" though has left my dishwasher with no love. I think I've used it twice in 6 years now.
I have an erotic relationship with my tankless water heater. He bathes my naked bod in continuous warmth for pennies compared to "Tank". Tank was fat and slow and spent too much of my money. And now that I've kicked Tank to the curb, me and my new "hottie" are planning a separate shower and whirlpool tub for the bath. We're very excited.
High efficiency furnace and chiller... Mo money saved! We have actual seasons here so I need my AC and heat. A programmable thermostat keeps the costs down though.
Monster washer and dryer? Yeah, I'm talking to you. You're next! It's not that I haven't enjoyed giving up a chunk of my dining nook to have you here, but I'm tired of moving that wood screen every time we do a load together. I'm sure you'll agree that screen will look better in the living room behind the big lamp. Me and "hottie' have decided to get one of those all-in-one Not Afraid style machines when we re-do the bathroom. Besides, you two use WAY too much water and electricity.
I'm back in a smaller car now, loving that 38mgp on the highway.
Last year, I bought one of those "Kill-A Watt" devices so I could tag all the power suckers (devices that consume electricity even when they're powered off) I have left. I dug out my old Radio Shack "Plug N Power" remote set and mounted the remote right by the front door. When I walk out, I can kill power to the TVs, game console, laptop brick, printer brick, microwave, DVD player, amp, etc. The only devices that stays on are the cable modem, router, cable box and Tivo. It'll be another 6 months or so before I can get a read on how much that saved.
Scrooge... it's not just a username, it's a way of life
I hate hate hate those plastic shopping bags. But I have it good. The kitchen is about 10 steps away from the garage, so it's no problem to pop out and drop my cloth bags in the trunk after the groceries are put away. I still get funny looks though when I pop into the store for 1 or 2 items and tell the cashier "no bag, please".
Could I do more? Oh hell yeah... if i could put some solar panels up. My neighbors huge live oaks prevent me from doing that though. And I could plan a little better so I don't have to make that occasional extra run to the store. And I'd love to do a garden, but NOBODY can kill a plant like I can.
