Reducing the cost of living

How to save money the old fashioned way -- Save up to purchase a big ticket item, don't take a consumer loan.

For darn sure don't take a loan form the vendor..... Some of these outfits will nick you for (IMO) insane levels of interest.

Then, when you make a purchase - ask if they offer a cash discount. Oddly, a lot of place will do that. Most CC processing outfits change the store a 4 to 7% (of the amount) charge to handle the credit transactions. Federal law will not allow the merchant to charge you that on top of the original purchase price, but offering a cash discount (so far) isn';t an issue.

BTW, this shows just how much power the Banks Financial-industrial complex really have in the world today.

 

Everything I'm doing is to be paid for in cash.
For example the well company gave me a several hundred dollar break for doing the job on the weekend and paying cash. I'm thinking my well prep job might have been an off the books job. Not that I care.

The coop told me to let them know when the solar system is ready and they will install a co-generation meter.
I asked the coop about permits, inspections, approved inverters and they said that they don't do any of that.
The next city over you have to have a permit and a design approved by the power company and use an approved inverter off their preapproved list which are all ABB inverters. Almost like they don't want people installing solar panels.
They do things a little different out in the country.

I was planning on putting in a 24v DC backup pump.

 

@Ganado
Thank you for the links. Very much worth the time to read the article about Dolly - I had a couple of flashbacks myself

The money quote from the article

We live this way for a very simple reason:
It’s easier to learn to do without some of the things that money can buy
than to earn the money to buy them.

 

Another unexpected money saver is that home water cooler.
It has all but completely stopped my wife from buying bottled water.
The local RO water dispenser only charges $1.25 for a 5 gallon jug. Which lasts about a week.
I'm sure some of you are thinking "just drink tap water".
I bid you:
Mobile Water is Poisonous

The municipal water supply here is crumbling. How they are not issuing boil water orders is beyond me.
Maybe they just put a "drink at your own risk" some where in fine print.

 

Me thinks I am on the right track.
The Number Of Americans Living In Their Vehicles “Explodes” As The Middle Class Continues To Disappear

"The cost of living middle class is 30% higher than what it was 20 years ago"

On second thought I think this is worthy of its own post.

 

I aquired a new cost of living reducing piece of hard ware.
An add on heat pump for a regular hot water heater.
This unit was made around 1999 to 2000 and was just stuck in a warehouse some where.
It's supposed to use less than half the power of a traditional resistance hot water heater needs to heat the water.
At $300 I don't know if it will ever pay for its self.
What it does is take heat from its surroundings and concentrate that heat inside the hot water heater. Then shuts off via the existing hot water heater thermostat.

Normally if you want a heat pump hot water heater you have to buy a real big, heavy, expensive hybrid hot water heater.

This little rig just plums into your existing one. Why aren't these the norm?
By my estimate it only would take about a 6th grade education to plumb and wire one in so it's not rocket surgery.

 

Eh, the government will probably dream up more shit that we are forced to pay for but can never own. Like health insurance.

 

Does it plumb to the inlet?

 

The hot water heater heat requires it be plumb into the inlets. You kind of need a water heater with top and side inlets and outlets.
It's circulates the water and gradually warms it, my tests show it warms the water about 0.3F per pass.