Daylight Savings, And How It Can Save You Money
I love daylight savings like some people love chocolate, candy or tickets to the Opera. It’s an annual highlight of my year. Put simply, I’m a big fan.
It’s the time of year that just asks for sleepy beers out on the back porch, or drawn out dinner parties that span hours.
But how can I put this love to use? How can I save money as well as daylight? Here’s a couple of suggestions.
Electricity
I had no idea this was a big deal in cyberspace. The question of whether daylight saving does or doesn’t save you money on your electricity bills is one bitterly debated by bloggers. One of them, with considerably more abilities at maths than me, has discovered that daylight savings will save you exactly $12 a year on lighting, but that saving is negated by increased air conditioning use. So he remained skeptical as to the savings that could be made. The way to make daylight savings work for you?
Don’t use AC. In the extra few hours of precious sunlight gifted to us by daylight savings, the world is cooling down anyway. So enjoy the temperate weather, and raise your glass to $12 bucks a year, because every little bit counts.
Stuff
One of the things I love most about daylight savings is you get stuff done. I hate the winter months and the lethargy that comes with them. You leave for work in the dark and you come home in the dark, and never get to see your backyard or house in sunlight. Daylight savings gives you an extra hour after work to potter around and fix things (if you aren’t like me, and enjoying the fading light in an armchair).
Have a quick look at your car’s oil and water, or change the smoke detector batteries. Put up your Christmas lights. Get all the little things you’ve been meaning to get done over with, so your weekends become free. It’s not just good for your sanity, it’ll mean your house, garden and appliances are well-maintained and are less likely to require costly repairs.
Get Out There
Feel like you never have a chance to get some exercise done? No one wants to go running in the pitch dark after a long day at work. But why not harness the great extra hour, and go for a walk with your partner every night? You can sit down to the telly once you get back, but you’ll feel happier, sleep better and it’s a nice way to unwind after a long day. It’ll save you money in unused gym memberships and improve your long-term health.
Sun, Sun, Sun
The sun does great things for our souls and our bank balances. It makes me less likely to eat huge meals, and makes me more contented to eat at home watching the sun go down. I don’t go to the movies, or shopping, and am more likely to have long evenings out the back room than closed in watching movies. And the sun makes us happy, making us less likely to spend money on retail therapy. It’s a great time of year, so enjoy it y’all!
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