#& instead you're dishwasher that needs wifi

[emdotcom]

I got a policy on all new tech that I don't know -- I hate it from the get-go, & it needs to prove it's useful before I'm willing to accept it.

If a piece of tech isn't improving anything, you don't need that tech*. You need what that tech is trying to replace.

*I'll specify that this is a case-by-case basis for each individual. I.E. I wouldn't buy a smart soap dispenser -- I can buy an analog one, & I have no difficulty using it or need to slap a sensor onto it, meanwhile somebody with fine motor movement issues might find it easier than trying to press down a hand pump.

[naamah-beherit]

couple more mundane "universe hates me" ideas from the same anon as before:

having wired earbuds snag on a drawer handle or an element of a dishwasher when you're taking the clean dishes out of it

having a water bottle fall out of the side pocket on a backpack or dropping the bottle when trying to put it back there without taking the backpack off

unexpected rain on your way back from the store and you don't have a raincoat but you do have an umbrella in your bag but you don't have a way to comfortably hold both the umbrella and the groceries at the same time (or both groceries, umbrella and a walking cane, as happened to me a couple weeks ago)

speaking of a cane: buying new shoes or switching to ones for warmer/colder weather and having to fiddle with the height settings of the cane but all of them feel either too high or too low and you now have to choose the least uncomfortable one and get used to it again

finding a rotting vegetable or fruit hidden at the back of wherever you keep the vegetables or fruit

realizing you forgot to buy trash bags earlier because you just threw out the trash and wanted to put in a new bag into the bin but there's none

realizing you've been using phone data instead of wifi

needing to call some service (doctor, tech support, car repair, etc) and getting stuck for multiple minutes with that annoying music only interrupted by an automat repeating "you're first in the queue" every so often

finding a hole in your socks so you now need to either fix or throw them away, depending on how bad it is

waking up just enough before the alarm that it's both too early to start the day but late enough that going back to sleep is not going to work

Thank youuuuuuu <3

And damn, I feel this one in my bones:

needing to call some service (doctor, tech support, car repair, etc) and getting stuck for multiple minutes with that annoying music only interrupted by an automat repeating "you're first in the queue" every so often

[saintlevrant]

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞-𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐩?

𝑞'𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 — Use of first person. Crack! My wifi is down, and I can't do my school work. So, let's dilly dally! ♡

tw: mature language

𝐎𝐣𝐢𝐫𝐨 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐧

♤ personal manager

♤ 10/10 employer

♤ gives random raises and bonuses like it's nothing

♤ also buys a gratuity gift for being his personal manager

♤ "I know it's not much, but it's a little something."

♤ and he just eagerly stands there while I open it

♤ if it's something stupid, on everything, Imma act like that shit is the coolest thing ever given to me just to make him happy

♤ "Gahlee, my guy! This shit cleaner than a bitch! Where'd you get it from?"

♤ his grin is so goofy afterwards

♤ such a sweet man, but ong he stinks after a game

♤ please, y'all know how those jocks in the hallway smell on a daily basis? it's that + make it ✨ sweaty ✨

♤ I'd have to wash his uniform and force him to shower 3 times to get that stench off

♤ hahaha he had me in the first half

𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐞

♤ rice processor

♤ 17/10 employer!!!

♤ he'd probably want some help harvesting the rice, but me and outdoors don't get along

♤ mans does not ask questions after I tell him that

♤ the king of approving whack ass vacation days

♤ he'd let me stay home for a month because I asked and still pay me while I'm gone

♤ he also buys his workers breakfast and lunch without taking it out of our paychecks

♤ the best employer on the block

♤ worse part of the job is when he calls meetings

♤ only calls them when sales go down

♤ he has 5 people that work for him (the two harvesters, me, the dude that picks up the rice to deliver it, and homegirl that takes record of the amount of rice harvested)

♤ we sit at a round table and he, deadass, stares into everyone's soul

♤ "Sales... are down."

♤ scariest statement I'd ever hear ✋🏾

𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐀𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐮

♤ idk, man. his receptionist?

♤ 6/10 employer

♤ don't get me wrong, probably the coolest employer out of all of them

♤ would probably try to drag me everywhere with the team

♤ bitch, I'm supposed to be at home managing your business calls, not out here babysitting a whole volleyball team

♤ swear, this dude forgets to pay me every other month

♤ that means I get paid once every 2-3 months

♤ how am I supposed to LIVE???

♤ really gotta learn how to ration that shit, ig. wealthy girlies could never.

♤ the pay day might be sporadic but he pays a shit ton when he remembers to

♤ I don't get to take vacation days with him, not because he won't let me, but because, I'm scared to leave him to fend for himself

♤ worst part is that he makes me clean up his house

♤ "Got anything goin after the game?"

♤ "Swear. I gotta go do some chores."

♤ "Does that mean yer cleanin my house today?"

♤ no, Atsumu. I'm not ya fookin nanny

𝐌𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮

♤ dish washer

♤ 13/10 employer!

♤ tried to make me a waitress at first

♤ told him that I'm not a people person, but he kept asking so politely

♤ I mean, homie is super hard to say no to

♤ so, I did it anyway. I'd pay attention to the orders, but I wouldn't talk to them

♤ other than me LOOMING over the customers silently when they needed a refill, I'd be a pretty decent waitress

♤ yeah, he automatically knew that I was right about wanting to be a dish washer

♤ I become the dishwasher (yessssir!)

♤ I literally scrub the dishes so clean that they started squeaking

♤ all the workers are thinking that the utensils and plates are going to break

♤ girl, no. them thangs have to be sterilized. there's a mf pandemic out there

♤ probably the most laid back employer

♤ he's the second most organized after Kita

♤ he pays good money too, and he does not forget to pay on time

♤ vacation days are up to a week per pay period, but he's nice about it

♤ paid leave is only when I get sick + bonuses are only for holidays and birthdays

♤ FREE LUNCH!!!

♤ pick anything off the menu and that's lunch

♤ Imma be milking the shit out of that opportunity cause I want that free lunch to keep coming

♤ "Mr. Osamu, put it on god you made this."

♤ "Ha ha, yeah, I made it."

♤ "On my mama, this hoe bussin! Keep doing what you doing."

♤ the worst thing is having to touch other people's messes. ong that's gross.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨̄

♤ personal assistant

♤ 4.5/10 employer

♤ the absolute worst one to work for

♤ does not care about anything except what he wants done

♤ you think that he can't be that bad, but I'm telling the truth

♤ calls in the middle of the night for stupid ass errand runs with no reason at all

♤ he has shawties

♤ and he has a bunch of them, like he's trying to be gen z's flavor flav

♤ he orders me to go pick one of them up and take them back to his house OUTSIDE OF WORKING HOURS

♤ uh, I don't know if he forgot, but I ain't his fucking chauffeuse. I'm the assistant

♤ but I let it slide because his shawties are really nice and deserve to be driven instead of walking alone at night

♤ he just ruins it though cause he proceeds to tell me to go pick up some condoms and lube

♤ chile, I knew that they were gonna have a lil seggs, but I ain't wanna hear it from homie himself

♤ deadass, I just bought some of that shit about a couple of weeks ago

♤ I'd go anyway though, ya know? for the coin

♤ cause he pays decently, not as much as Atsumu, but then again, he pays weekly (that's where 2.5 of his rating comes from)

♤ don't expect any vacation days, raises, or bonuses. you're setting yourself up for failure if you do

♤ all I get is a day off each week and a 10 minute lunch break during working hours

♤ the shawty fiasco isn't even the worse part

♤ when he has his old team over his place or just any company, he shits on everything I'd do

♤ most of Inarizaki are foodies, so if he tells me to go pick up some din dins for them and HE doesn't like it, he's gonna throw it all away and tell me to go get something else

♤ "Try again. This time you better not fuck up."

♤ and he be saying that shit in front of everyone

♤ whatever, g. I should've gone to Shiratorizawa.

© gyecm 2021. do not repost or modify.

[geek-and-nerd-are-not-the-same]

“How can I lower my electric bill in an apartment? The tools + tricks + behavioral changes + you need for how to save money on electric bill in apartments.

How to save money on electric bill in apartment when you can't make the kinds of changes you could in a home? I keep hearing about unplugging electronics…but does unplugging save electricity?white desk with calculator and tape with text overlay "how can I lower my electric bill in an apartment?"

Owning a home yields many opportunities to increase overall energy efficiency. This is because even if technically a large corporate bank owns your mortgage, you are the master of your own domain and can change things and renovate on your Sims-like whims.

But what if you are one of the 39 million households in the United States that rent instead of own? You may feel like you don’t have a lot of control over making the changes necessary to lower your energy bill.

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However, there are many short-term and impermanent changes you can make to an apartment to save you money on electricity, water use, and gas use.

Psst: While you're here? You might want to learn my strategies for how to get a discount on apartment rent, even after signing the lease.

Table of Contents - Click and Stay Awhile!

How Much is a Normal Electric Bill for an Apartment?

Before we dive into how to save money on electric bill in apartment, you should probably know what to shoot for.

How much is a normal electric bill for an apartment about your size, and in your area of the country?

According to the Energy Information Administration, here's what apartment dwellers are paying in electricity costs:

Rented, Single Family: $1,918/year (or $159.83/month).

Per Family Member in an Apartment: $631/year (or $52.58/month).

Square footage also plays a major part in figuring out your monthly electric bill. Here's their estimates on what people are paying, based on amount of square feet:

Less than 500 Square Feet: $993/year (or $82.75/month).

500 to 999 Square Feet: $1,291/year (or $107.58/month).

1,000 to 1,499 Square Feet: $1,689/year (or $140.75/month).

1,500 to 1,999 Square Feet: $2,089/year (or or $174/month).

Etc.

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So, how does your own bill stack up to these?

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Note: your apartment might lump your water bill in with your electric bill, or something like that. If so, try calling the water company or the electric provider, and ask how much their particular bill was for your apartment unit (you could also try asking your landlord to see if they have a breakdown).

How Can I Reduce the Cost of Electricity in My Apartment?

Every tip and trick you'll find to reduce the cost of electricity in your apartment will fall into these three categories:

Electricity Plan Tips

Behavioral Changes

Tool Upgrades

I'll discuss all three with you so that you can pick and choose which meshes best with your lifestyle.

My overall tip for you? You'll want to choose suggestions from each of these categories in order to decrease your electric bill the most.

Electricity Plan Tips

If you live in an apartment, then chances are, you have to go with the electricity plan/provider that your landlord already chose.

Don't fret.

Psst: Find out how do you shop for electricity right here. You'll be surprised with the free tools available to make finding the cheapest plan a cinch.

What you'll want to do is make sure you are using that plan in a way that gets you any perks available.

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Call your electricity provider (you'll find the number on any electric bill you can find), and ask them the following questions:

Cheapest Times of Day/Night: Is there a cheaper time of day/night when I can use electricity? You want to use the most electricity (such as doing your laundry/running your dryer/running your dishwasher) during non-peak energy times, which might save you extra money.

Are There Free Times to Use Electricity?: Some electric plans now have promotions where something like nights and weekends are free. This is good info to know, as well as what hour this free time starts. You'll want to schedule any electric-using tasks during those hours, like running the dishwasher, using the water heater (showering), etc.

Are There any Extra Plan Perks?: Find out if there are any plan perks you might not be aware of. For example, do you get reward points to use towards gift cards for paying your bill on time, or for setting up automatic payments?

Do they offer a Free Energy Audit?: Ask if they conduct free apartment audits to reduce energy consumption.

Pssst: are you able to choose your own electricity plan? Awesome. You'll find more tips for how to save money on electricity by choosing the best one here.

Behavioral Electricity Use Changes – How Do I Keep My Electric Bill Down

No matter if you live in a dorm room, apartment, or a house, you can always make changes to the way that you use electricity in order to lower your costs.

Unplug When Not in Use (the Smart Way): Unplug your appliances when they are not being used because they still draw electricity from your outlets. The most convenient way to accomplish this is by plugging as much as possible into one or two smart power strips, and then unplugging the power strip before heading to work or going to bed (or hooking it up to your smartphone to do it from your phone).Not into unplugging? You can now do this digitally, by installing Smart WiFi Plug that you can control by your phone! Again, you can take this with you when you leave.

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Institute a digital-free evening or day: If you cannot go completely without television, cell phones, or anything electric (save for the refrigerator), then try television-free days or evenings. Pulling the plug on electronic communication and the digital information age every so often seems like it could have a wonderful impact besides saving money on electric bills. After half an hour or so of staring at family and friends perhaps we would be more inclined to engage in delicious conversation without the use of a cell phone. We could cultivate focus and presence, living in uncomfortable silence until it becomes comforting to us. Time to reflect, contemplate on, and absorb the world around us could lead to new ideas, thoughts, or explanations of things that have seemed off to us before. Perhaps we could make sense of our lives, more clearly see our next step, grieve for the things we have pushed aside, revel in being, and celebrate our love for those around us. It would also slow down the seemingly accelerated pace of time (just spend one afternoon in a rocking chair on your porch people or nature-watching and you will see what I mean).

Wash Clothes in Cold Water Only: This uses your water heater less.

Keep the Sun at Bay: Close blinds/shades before leaving for work during the summer months to decrease the internal temperature in your apartment. During the winter, shut the blinds/shades at night in order to keep heat from escaping. Another great idea? You can put up some thermal-insulated, black out curtains — pull them closed when you leave for work in the morning).

Maintain Your Appliances: Periodically vacuum your refrigerator coils clean, as well as move your refrigerator a few inches away from the wall to increase efficiency.

Pay Attention to How You Cook: Crockpots and microwaves use much less energy than does an oven. No matter which kitchen appliance you use, cook once and eat several times. I used to use the oven on average about three times per week and then heat up leftovers in the microwave, toaster oven or stovetop the rest of the time.

Use Refrigerator Thawing: Stop using the microwave to thaw your foods, and instead plan meals a day ahead so that you can defrost items over time in the refrigerator.

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There are many short-term and impermanent changes you can make to an apartment to save you money on electricity, water use, and gas use. CLICK TO TWEET

Tools to Purchase that You Can Move With You to Your Next Home

There are inexpensive products you can purchase to decrease your energy use within your apartment.

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The great thing is that these products are all transportable, so you can take them with you to your next home.

Note: Just make sure to keep all of the old parts you are replacing — you can stash them in a closet — so that you can switch everything back when you leave.

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Energy Efficient Light Bulbs: Change out your light bulbs to energy efficient ones.

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Buy a Water Heater Cover: Insulate your water heater (be careful when doing this, as your water heater may be hot to the touch if it has recently been in use).

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Buy a Low-Flow Shower Head: Install a low-flow showerhead.

Install Thermal-Insulated Curtains: Purchase thermal-insulated, black out curtains (or make your own), and pull them closed when you leave for work in the morning).

Use Dryer Racks: Purchase dryer racks and use them to dry your clothes. Note that you can also dry clothes on a balcony, but only if your apartment complex does not forbid this in your contract (all of mine forbade this).

Use a Draft Guard: Purchase a draft guard (or make your own) to place at the bottom of your door leading to the outside where temperature-controlled air can escape from your apartment.

Install a Low-Flow Aerator on Your Faucets: Check to see if there are threads on the inside tip of your faucet. If so, then you can install a low-flow aerator to decrease the amount of water flow. If there is already an aerator installed, check to make sure it is 2.75 gallons per minute (gpm) or less (the gpm should be imprinted on the aerator). If not, replace with a newer model.

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Adjust Appliances to Make them More Energy Efficient

You may not have a choice in the type of appliances at your disposal.

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Even if your appliances are from the pre-energy efficiency heyday of Friends, you can make adjustments in order to increase their efficiency and decrease the money leaking out of your bank account.

Increase the Temperature of Your Freezer + Refrigerator: Turn your freezer/refrigerator up a few degrees (just be sure that your refrigerator temperature is still optimal for slowing bacteria growth).

Turn Your Water Heater Down: Play with the temperature setting on your water heater by turning it down a few degrees until you find the point at which it is no longer hot enough for you.

Get Your A/C Filter Checked: Ask your landlord to check the filter on your heating/cooling system to make sure that it is being properly maintained. If you have a window A/C unit, you can typically find and clean the filter yourself.

Turn Your Ice Machine Off: If you have more than enough ice in your ice box, make sure to turn the ice machine off. Periodically you will run out of ice, in which case you can turn it back on until it fills up again.

Convert Your Toilet to Low-Flush: Okay…this one saves on your water bill, and not electricity bill. But every little bit helps! If you have an older toilet that uses a bowl full of water, try converting it to a low-flush toilet for free.

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I rented a total of four apartments after graduating college and before moving into our first home.

While I was very good with monitoring my electricity use, I wish I had put in the research to figure out other ways to turn my apartment into an energy efficient home while I was still living in them.

Think about how far ahead you'll be in energy savings using the tips above!

One last piece of advice: if there is anything on this list that you are unsure of, make sure you receive written permission from your landlord before making the changes. Better safe than sorry!”