Curtains

I have black out curtains in the children's rooms.  They block out any street lights, cars going by, random neighbor's oversensitive motion sensor flood lights... They also keep the the heat in better thus saving energy.  The best part is, I only bought one panel for two windows.  I cut it half and hemmed it.  One half panel covers the whole window when closed.  Plus, for little ones there isn't a long draping curtain to tug on because it is out of reach!

Air Dry

We all have laundry that piles up (didn't I just wash this?) and it takes time, money, and energy to do it.  Here's a tip, air dry as much of your laundry as you can. In fact, I sort my laundry this way (because I also wash everything in cold water it doesn't matter if whites are with darks). Some goes in the dryer (because I only have so much room on my clothes lines) and some gets hung up to dry.  I air dry as much as I can because it saves on electric cost, extra wear on the clothes and thus not having to buy clothes as often, and it gives me satisfaction watching my kids run through the sheets on a summery day (which I'm missing now that it is winter).

Keep it Full

Keeping your appliances such as refrigerator, freezer, and loads of laundry will help with your utilities bill.  They will operate at optimum efficiency when they are more full.  You can "artificially" do that for your fridge and freezer by putting gallons of water in them if you are for some reason unable to keep them full.

I know, we've all been there, your husband needs a shirt for work, your only clean pair of pants just got sticky little hands all over them, etc.  So you want to wash that one item.  If you can at all avoid it, don't wash just that item.  Chances are you'll find enough laundry around the house to make a full load.  Or at least a load bigger than just one item.

Conserving Water

Save water.  That's what your mom always told you right?  Well now you may be a little older, wiser, and the one paying the water bill.  We had a situation where the faucet in the tub was dripping.  First of all, all drips should be fixed, that adds up.  But until that plummer gets there, what to do with all that water?  Only so many times you can water you plants right?

Put a bucket under that drip and collect the water to flush your toilet.  You may be surprised how quickly that bucket fills up!  (And how much your water bill goes back down.)

Dish Water

I like to wash my dishes in warm/hot water.  But when the tap is first turned on it is cold!  What's a frugal omma to do?  Well you can either fill up your watering can while you wait or you can do what my Grammy A would do and boil the water.  That's right, get out your tea kettle folks and fill 'er up!  Boil and add to your cold water.  Voila!  Perfect dish water!