Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
I love to save money, and I have a newsletter to prove it. But it’s easy to overdo it. I’ve mailed in more mail-in-rebate forms for small amounts of money than I care to admit ($4 for a package of feta cheese? $3 for a Netipot? Sure!).
And sometimes my money-saving can drive loved ones a bit crazy. Most recently, I came across the advice that shutting off your refrigerator’s ice maker could save as much as 14-20% off its annual electricity usage. Our refrigerator uses about 700 kWh of electricity each year, or about $126 at our local rates, so the prospect of saving $18-25/yr was not something I was going to scoff at. I gave myself a little pat on the back as I turned off the ice maker for good.
Unfortunately, the lack of ice drove my cold drink-loving family members crazy, and confused my two year old son who enjoys dispensing ice all over the floor. But I’m willing to tolerate some friction for the possibility of a $20 savings. And if we must have ice, there is always the humble ice cube tray.
Readers: what are some of the more extreme things you’ve done to save a relatively small amount of money? I’d love to hear from you.
And now…Andrew’s pick of the week:
Unfortunately, the next wave of COVID appears to be upon us. If you have not yet been vaccinated, I urge you to do it (see my vaccination story here). Also, if you are regularly masking but still using cloth masks, please consider upping your mask game.
Recently, The Wirecutter published their updated COVID mask guide and while I can’t bring myself to buy the ridiculous-looking (and in some cases poorly-reviewed) N95 mask they mentioned, I’ve been using the earloop and headband-style Powecom KN95’s from Bona Fide Masks for months and have found them to be the best combination of protection features and comfort of several brands I’ve tried. Stay safe out there!
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.
Out of all the websites and blogs that claim to offer easy tips to save money, you are the only one I've come across that delivers every single time. And it's always info that I won't get anywhere else...like to turn my ice tray off...