Continuing a frugal habit. . . .

Last year I began my frugal journey, beginning with decreasing the amount of energy I use around the house. I unplugged appliances, turned down the heat (way down!), stopped using fans on hot days, and made sure I turned off lights when I was leaving the room.

It paid off! Here are the differences in my gas bill over last year:

November 2008 bill: $9.18
November 2007 bill: $26.56

As for my electricity bill, that's been a bit more difficult, but I'm still seeing some savings there as well:

November 2008 bill: $44.94
November 2007 bill: $53.13

I think last winter I shivered more than I've ever done in my life. This year, I feel as if I'm a bit more 'immune' to the cold. Having my thermostat at 62 degrees on cold days seems almost too warm, if you can believe that! I'm hoping my immunity will last through the cold, dark winter.

As I pay off my credit card (a little less than a week from now!) and begin to think about increasing my savings and starting to chip away at my student loan debt, I'll want to remember these small victories; saving $9 dollars here and $11 dollars there may not seem like much, but over time these small savings have allowed me to meet a big goal--of doing away with my consumer debt.

Next week, I'll be away at a conference---I'm traveling frugally there, too. Although my employer will pay for the majority of my trip, I'm also buying my own snacks to bring along so I'm not tempted to pay $5 for a granola bar or bar of chocolate (I'll be in a very expensive location) . . . . Anyway, just a reminder that I may not be able to post for awhile, but I'll be back!

Have a great week, everyone!