[Gailete]

After our stackable washer/dryer died, thus losing two appliances in one fell swoop, my hubby went out and got a combo washer/dryer. Weird, it washes the clothes then drys them. It was an expensice machine, but hoping it will last. It uses far less water when washing clothes and less energy when drying. That being said as long as the weather is good and I feel okay, I hang the laundry on our traditional 4-line clothesline. I can get about 3-4 loads on at a time. I also hang more fragile tops/skirts on hangers over the washer and if needed in the winter hang stuff on the shower pole, on the backs of chairs, etc. I would like to get a dryer rack too, but all I ever see is the real cheap ones. I had one once and it feel apart in no time.

We had a $85 electric bill this summer and I about choked, not sure I would survive a $200 one! That big bill was after scorching record heat where we had the 3 window air conditioners going full blast for days just to keep it tolerable. I hate to admit that I am in that class of people that can't tolerate high heat due to medical problems. We did manage to get the next bill down to $60 so that is something. Things have cooled off enough that we haven't used the air conditioners at all for days and I have been hanging clothes most of the summer so that is really helping the electric bill.