proud to report...

that we have officially cut our gas bill over $100 from where it was last year at this time. how you may ask? it's simple, 3 easy steps and there has been minimal complaining. 1.) we don't let our thermostat get anywhere near 68 like it used to be programmed to. in fact, unless we're home and awake it stays at 60. while we are home it stays around 63 which may seem cold but if you have a few throw blankets around and wear pants instead of shorts it's not too bad and the dog & cat haven't begun to burrow so we know they're fine. 2.) we turned our water heater down a notch and yes, it still feels hot for showers but the washer & dishwasher heat the water anyway so why have it heating the bath water over and over all day long? 3.) we replaced our blinds in the living room with curtains that stay closed most of the time and block a lot of cold air from coming in the big picture windows, keep our bedroom & bathroom doors shut and shut vents in room we rarely use (baby room & second bathroom). mission accomplished and, just what do you think we're going to do with that extra few hundred dollars? we're going to pay off our last credit card... woot, one of my new year's resolutions much further along than i expected 25 days into the year and for now, that's what makes me happy :)