But for everyday life, the small savings aren’t enough to make the repeated plugging and unplugging feel worthwhile to me.
The experiment did, however, give me something more valuable than a tiny reduction in electricity consumption.
It reminded me that the easiest way to save money isn’t always to attack every little expense equally.
Sometimes the smartest approach is to figure out where the biggest costs are and focus your effort there.
Unplugging a microwave may save something.
But understanding your home’s actual energy consumption can save you from wasting time chasing savings that are too small to notice.
And that’s probably the biggest lesson I took away from those two weeks.
Before you spend every evening walking around your home pulling plugs from the wall, find out what’s actually using the electricity.
You might be surprised.
As for my microwave?
It’s back on the counter, plugged in, and displaying the correct time.
And I have to admit, it’s nice not having to reset that clock every time I want to heat up leftovers.
