They say what goes up, must come down. But they never said when.

In these days of high energy prices, StarBucks addiction and global inflation, hustling is at an all-time high. Countless numbers of people all over the world are working 2 to 3 jobs just to make ends meet — or get close enough to at least wave at each other! It seems as if it can be a never-ending cycle, one that can make you grow old before you know it, wondering what happened to the past 40 years of your life.

Sometimes, however, the best way to make more money is to just save more money! In addition to the easy standard cost-cutting measures, such as not going out as much (duh), watching DVD’s instead of going to the movies (hey, you always get a good seat), and buying store brand items over the national brand (except for Honey Nut Cheerios…I can’t skimp on that one), there is another way to save a bit more money while also doing your part for the environment:

Pull the plug on the electronics and appliances you are not using.

Yes, unplug! Now if you are thinking to yourself, “I already turn off the lights when I leave a room, why do I have to now unplug every item as well?” then you are not alone. I used to thing the same thing: my computer goes into sleep mode when I’m not using it, I switch off my electrical components when they are idle, and I use natural light whenever possible. Well, it seems as if these efforts aren’t good enough anymore, and by unplugging we can actually step-up this money-saving hustle. This article tells a story about a man’s energy usage, and how much he saved by unplugging equipment versus just turning it off. If it’s a way to hustle the electric company (legally), then I’m all for it!

After you read the article, you might be tempted to start implementing the procedures, then watch your monthly power bill. Well it occurred to me that you don’t have to unplug everything! If you really want to start saving money in this manner, try flipping a few switches at your fuse box instead of putting yourself into contortions trying to get to an outlet. It not only saves you time, but it’s a smarter way to conserve the energy not being used in your home. Flip the switches before you go to bed and before you leave your home for work, then look for corresponding savings on your bill. It may not be much, but it adds up over time, and if we all did it, it would help to ensure a brighter future for our children and maybe one that is less dependent on foreign energy sources.