Works for Me Wednesday #6

Do you hate changing burnt-out light bulbs?

About 2 years ago, I started replacing light bulbs throughout our home with compact fluorescent bulbs. They're more expensive initially but you save about $30 off your electric bill over the lifetime of each bulb. They use about 75% less energy, produce 75% less heat (so you save on cooling costs), and last 10 times longer!

And the light they produce is very similar to the incandescents we're all used to. In fact, I like the CFL light better in some settings; it seems brighter for less--or comparable?--wattage...I'm not sure. I just know you buy the equivalent to a 60-watt, but it looks brighter to me than the standard 60-watt.

I think I pay around $3.44 per bulb, and if you buy one each time you're in the light bulb section (because of course you'll still need your special shaped bulbs for that chandelier or bathroom fixture), it's not hard at all on the budget. If you're lucky enough to have an Aldi, you can pick one up while you're standing in the checkout line, which is where I was when the light bulb came on for me. ( So to speak.)

But you will find yourself needing fewer and fewer lightbulbs, because these things last forever! I've only replaced one so far, and that's because we--okay, I--smacked it with some blunt object when we were moving furniture around preparing to paint. It didn't break, but it began to smoke and melt and smell--it was quite the exciting moment, actually.

They say you'll save the most money if you use them in frequently-used lamps, but the first place I tried them was in the bedroom closets, because I was tired of draggin' out the stepstool.

Saving energy, saving money, and spending less time buying and replacing light bulbs...works for me!

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