Home economics 101

Find yourself cringing as you open your utility bill? Groaning as you consider the cost of making your yard beautiful? Moaning as you stare at the old furniture and fixtures you can't afford to replace?

By the time you pay the rising cost of gas and groceries, it's hard to afford the basic costs of maintaining a home, much less beautifying your surroundings.

But there is hope.

Here are some ideas for living on the cheap around the house.

Cutting utility bills

Environmental causes are great and all, but the green we're worried about is the kind that fits nicely in your wallet. Fixed costs aside, you have a lot of control over how much gas, electricity and water you consume every month. How can you lower that bill? Conservation.

"I mean, you can pay us if you want. But wouldn't you rather save the money and use it for dinner and a movie?" said Stephen Leinweber, conservation specialist for Colorado Springs Utilities. The self-described "enginerd" gave us some tips on the best ways to cut costs on your utility bill. You can learn more at CSU's Conservation and Environmental Center at 2855 Mesa Road.

Cutting energy use

How do we spend our money? (Numbers for local electricity and gas usage, according to CSU.)
- 60% - appliances
- 15% - cooling
- 10% - heating
- 9% - lighting
- 6% - water heating

Best ways to save money

1. Escape phantom usage. Unplug appliances or turn them off on a multi-outlet switch or power strip when they aren't in use, so they don't draw power.

Appliance energy costs are rising with big-screen plasma TVs, surround-sound systems, game systems and computers, Leinweber said, but the most expensive appliances to run are refrigerators and freezers, so getting rid of that garage freezer will instantly save you cash.

Also, run only full loads in your dryer and dishwasher. (Gas appliances are cheaper to run than electric, Leinweber says, and look for energy-efficient appliances when buying new items.)

2. Turn the thermostat up (or down). Leinweber encourages people to turn up the thermostat a few ticks higher in the summer and a few degrees lower in the winter; every degree you give up will save you 5 percent of your heating/cooling bill.

Also take the time to adjust your thermostat (or program it) to run less while you're gone. The rule of thumb (from a study by the University of Texas Center for Energy Economics) is to adjust it if you'll be gone for more than four hours, and allow it to get only six degrees in either direction from your target temperature.

3. Become a caulk-gun cowboy and seal leaks. "If you want to save money, tighten up your leaks, your duct work. That's where the money is," Leinweber said. "There are leaks in every house." Add insulation (try blown-in for inaccessible areas inside walls). Look for leaks around plumbing penetrations, doors, windows, can lights and electrical outlets, and be prepared to seal those leaks with caulk, expanding foam or weather stripping. Leinweber says you save $2 for every $1 you spend weatherizing your home, or up to 15 percent off your heating/cooling bills.

4. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs can cut lighting costs by up to 75 percent, and they can last 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs. Also remember to make a habit of switching off lights as you leave the room. Leinweber said it's a myth that it takes more energy to turn lights off and on (although it could shorten the life of the bulb). The following stores offer a $1 discount to CSU customers on every approved CFL: Austin Bluffs Lighting, 4617 Austin Bluffs Parkway; Bulbs Plus, 2217 E. Platte Ave., Unit B; Home Lighting, 4626 Northpark Drive; LuminEscence, 4620 Edison Ave., Suite G.

5. Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees. Leinweber says this will provide plenty of hot water while reducing energy use.

Cutting water use

How do we spend our money? (Numbers for local water use, according to CSU.)

- 54% - landscaping
- 13% - toilets
- 10% - laundry
- 10% - showers and baths
- 7% - faucets
- 5% - leaks
- 1% - dishwashers

Best ways to save money

1. Xeriscape your yard. Leinweber calls turf "landscaping on life support," a lawn style poorly suited for this semiarid climate. Xeriscaped lawns still require water, but much less than turf. Learn the basics of xeriscaping at a free CSU class, 9 a.m. June 7 at the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, 2855 Mesa Road. Call 568-4555 for more information.

2. Buy a low-flow toilet. Leinweber swears a well-designed 1.5 gallon-per-flush toilet will do the trick. "It should be the rare occasion when you have to flush twice," he said, "although it depends on how large the contribution is." But if you don't want to buy a low-flow toilet, just flush it less often: If it's yellow let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down.

3. Make sure you adjust the load size on your washer to the appropriate setting each time.

4. Buy a low-flow shower head,
which cuts water use significantly without a major loss of comfort - to the tune of 29,200 gallons per year. And limit time in the shower.

Cutting yard costs

Landscaping usually means one thing: big money. But it doesn't have to be that way. Needless to say, you can't rip out your entire yard and start over without dropping some cash. You can, however, fix up the landscape while spending very little. Don Frazier, owner of Greenside Nursery, 5055 List Drive, said the most frugal trend he's seeing is that homeowners have finally bought into xeriscape principles after the latest drought, and they're moving away from turf lawns and high water bills.

1. Replace dead grass with planting beds. The cheapest and easiest way is to put a border around it, dig holes straight into the dead sod, add organic material into each hole, plant, and put organic mulch over the top. Not only will the plants look better than dead grass and use 25 percent of the water the turf would, Frazier said, but that dead spot of turf would probably keep dying because of an ongoing soil or dryness problem. If you want the new bed to look pretty right away, tear up the sod and mix organic material into the soil with a shovel, and then plant.

2. Black Forest Slash-Mulch Program. Want free mulch for that new planting bed? This is great because you can drop off tree and bush debris and then - once the chipper gets done with it - pick up the mulch. They do request donations of nonperishable food items.

The site is at 11993 Herring Road in Black Forest. Hours are 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 5-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sept. 14 for drop-offs, Saturday through Sept. 27 for pickups. For more information, call El Paso County Environmental Services Department Solid Waste Management Division at 520-7878, or Ruth Ann Steele at 495-3107.

3. Get cheap plants. Go to plant swaps or garden club sales - keep an eye out for local garden clubs that often host these events. If you're very ambitious and very social, you could start a plant swap in your neighborhood, so you could get rid of those hens and chicks that are taking over and get a bit of your neighbor's mint that is getting out of control. If you can be patient, wait till late in summer or early fall, when plants go on sale. And think about dividing plants you really like so you can have more of them. For more information, contact Colorado State University Extension master gardeners at 636-8921.

4. Plant a vegetable garden. Keep it simple - find a sunny spot, spend a few bucks on organic material to help the soil, buy a few packs of seeds or seedlings for veggies you like, and add water. Even if you're not much of a gardener, a little veggie garden might pay for itself with fresh produce. Plus, it's pretty fun. If it seems like a drag to you, go with shrubs and flowers instead. For more help, contact the master gardeners or stop by the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden at 2855 Mesa Road.

Inside info

Instead of dropping thousands of dollars on new furniture and granite countertops, spend a few hundred bucks (and some elbow grease) to spiff up the inside of your house.

Kathy Alter, of Kathy Alter Design Associates, said this is the third recession she's witnessed in her 30 years owning a design business in Colorado Springs, and for homeowners who need to fix up on a budget, her advice remains the same: Never skimp on the carpet, countertops, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures and big furniture pieces; buy the highest quality you can, in neutral colors. Put off those purchases if need be and concentrate on transforming your space with the little things.

1. Paint. When it comes to transforming your living space, fresh paint gives you the most bang for the buck. For a few hundred dollars in quality primer, paint and brushes, you can change the look of several rooms in your house. (Or spend less and paint a dramatic accent wall.)

Take the time to get test cans of several shades and put them on the walls - you don't want to discover you hate a color after you've covered an entire wall.

"Color is really coming back in paint and it's really fun," Alter said. "People usually are happiest living in colors they're comfortable wearing. That's what you should have in your environment, and you won't tire of it as quickly."

2. Accessorize. Think about throw pillows, silk floral arrangements, plants, knickknacks, rugs and wall hangings such as inexpensive artwork. "You can change a whole room with those things and some color," Alter said.

3. Get used. Used furniture can save you a bundle over new. Alter said Colorado Springs is particularly good for used furniture because of the transient military population. Hunt around places such as The Gazette classifieds and Craigslist.org, or spots such as the American Classics Marketplace, 1815 N. Academy Blvd.

Alter recommends Ross Auction and the Broadmoor Consignment Store, 1515 S. Eighth St. "You can find some fairly nice things fairly inexpensively." The key is to buy items you truly need and would have bought new. Don't get sucked into the trap of buying bargains just to buy them.

4. Cover up your problems. If you own high-quality furniture but the look is dated, think about slipcovers, a neutral throw, or a chenille throw to gussy things up, Alter said.

5. Learn to love junk. Books including "Junk Beautiful" take the used-furniture idea one step further. The authors scour places such as garage sales, auctions, flea markets, thrift stores and salvage yards for diamonds in the rough, and then put in the time to restore these items.

For the creative soul, you can transform your home into a beautiful and unique space that can't be bought at Pottery Barn. But it requires an addiction to junking, and an affinity for spending time in the workshop with your treasures.

Check out www.american junkclub.com for guidance. These local spots are prime places to start the search: ReStore donated home supplies, 411 S. Wahsatch Ave., 667-0840; Use Again Building Materials, 506 W. Cucharras St., 473-2150; Hillside Architectural Salvage for garden items, 1006 S. Institute St., 520-9463; Allied Restaurant & Bar Supply for kitchen goodies, 120 W. Cucharras St., 578-8668.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0226 or bill.reed@gazette.com