About 1 year, 8 months ago we published an article about installing a dimmer switch. Based on the math behind this article, we have now passed the break even point, and are now saving money on the enhancement.
Saving Money Plan
Often, I sit down and think of places I can save money. Sometimes I think of excellent ideas, sometimes I come up with ideas that wouldn’t work, and other times I come up with ideas that won’t make a huge difference, but will help in the long run.
The dimmer switch was one of the little ideas I came up with. In case you’re curious about my process, I like to make a list and break it into 3 sections:
- Maximum Efficiency
- Area of Improvement
- Big Money Savers
Maximum efficiency are places that I know I can do no better on. Television expenses would go on that list as all we use is Netflix. I could get rid of Netflix, but that wouldn’t go over well with my wife.
Area of improvement is where ideas like this fall into. They won’t save a ton of money, but if I can implement these ideas, then they will eventually save, or make money. Another idea I often put on this list is taking tin cans to the metal scrap store nearby to sell it, but the effort that takes might out-weigh the benefit.
Big money savers are those costs that you just haven’t gotten around to. This part of my list doesn’t get a lot of attention because we’ve cut a lot of the extra fat, but certain things can tentatively make this list, such as car insurance (especially if I haven’t shopped around for quotes in a while)!
Why The Dimmer Switch
Of all of the things I could have done to save money, why did I choose the dimmer switch? I noticed that it had been quite warm in the dining area because the chandelier was running 5 bulbs full blast. In addition to having an unnecessary amount of light, it was also creating unnecessary heat which resulted in the AC being used more often.
The other reason I chose the dimmer switch was the low maintenance aspect. All I had to do was install it, then it did all of the hard work from there. There are plenty of ways to save money, but some require a lot more action than others. This was an easy set-it-and-forget-it fix that will pay dividends in the future.
We plan to stay in this house for a good number of years to come, and we will continue to reap the benefits of the energy saved. For those who haven’t heard, the price of electricity doesn’t often go down.
Was It Worth It?
Yes! It required very little effort, and it will continue to save us money. If only we could put dimmer switches on all of the costs in our lives! It wasn’t hard to install, and I barely remember doing it, so I would definitely say that this was worth it.
What about you? What home improvements have you made to save money? Did they work well? How long did you have to wait to see a return? Would you do it again? Let us know in the comments!
