My efforts at frugal living

[cprise]

53. Dishes, and other points

Thanks for telling us about your frugal pursuits... its an interesting read.

I don't think you've gone into detail about cleaning dishes yet, but I'd just like to relay that the automatic dishwasher is probably one of the few modern domestic conveniences that's more efficient than manual labor... by a long shot for both water and energy use. If you're already using a dishwasher, definitely continue using it (preferably with phosphate-free dishwashing detergent, and making sure the washer is full before you start the cycle).

On food, you can have just about *any* grain paired with *any* legume so a combination like lentils and quinoa, or chickpeas with pasta or bread will give you good protein. Also watch your vitamin B intake (you can get it from yeast-leavened bread or supplements, for instance).

We were keeping our thermostat at 60F in the winter, quite uncomfortably. After doing some weather stripping and insulation, we upped the thermostat to 64F which is much more comfortable. The general eco/green recommendation for turning the thermostat down in winter is 67F.