Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
ETA: Also, I pay a fixed amount for water each month (through HOA) so if I use more or less water, my bill doesn't change (it's only $23 a month).
Good point about the water bill. Water prices are relative by region too. Some areas have super expensive water. And people who use well water have very limited costs.
However, the water bill isn't the only savings. The cost to heat the water is cheaper using a dishwasher too.
Regardless of savings, dishwashers are better for the environment.
Well, I think you're a genius. I have never had a dishwasher except those of us who live here.
So just wait and see if it makes a change in your water bill before you fix the machine. None of us live in Australia so we wouldn't know if it will or not.
I like the idea of something going wrong with the TV as well. Especially since it's almost summer. Oh, but it's going into winter there. Do your kids get summers off, or winters? Anyway, it's a great way to get the kids to be imaginative and find things to do together. Great family bonding opportunity.
Hay guys.
Nothing to do with financial cost nor water usage.
All about getting kids to work together, not to fight etc.
To 'NoExcuses'
We live in Brisbane which is pretty warm. It is about as far south of the Equator as Florida is North. So we do have winter. Usually on August 15th (smile).
The main holidays kids have is Summer. From mid December to end of January. A great time for swimming, camping etc.
Our dishwasher died the other day. I tried a little experiment. Washing by hand. It has worked wonders. Previously we had a roster that was linked to pocket money. Each day there was a kid responsible to load and unload the dishwasher. They would do this begrudgningly at the end of the day. During the day dirty dishes would gather and consume all available bench space.
Now the rule is after you use anything, you have to wash your own dishes, cutlery etc plus some of the utensils and pans and stuff that were used to make the meal.
Now we end up with piles of plates that are clean that someone has to put away after they have dried but it is definately an improvement and less grumbling too.
I don't think the dishwasher will get fixed for quite a while.
Shhh....Hark...... I can hear the TV developing a fault
That's a good story. Around here in Louisiana when a hurricane blows through and knocks out power we go through a similair thing. The TV being out bring us closer as a family. We have to find other forms of entertainment. I'm not going to say, "AH! the TV is the devil!" but it sure is nice to all sit and talk about family stuff with out the phone ringing or TV, TV games etc...
Once the power comes back on its business as usual!
We played a game last night where you have a head band and a card with a picture on it of something like a duck or a light bulb.
It was fun and the two older ones 13 & 10 were required to play but a compromise was reached where they played and chatted / played another game on the net simultaneously.
A slight modification to the dishwashing is on the cards and that is we may have to make it that you was, dry and put away because the pile of clean dishes is mounting up and of course if you put wet dishes on top then everything is wet again.
If you run your water while you wash, and use warm or hot water, you probably are using more water and possibly more energy than your dishwasher uses. Especially if you have a newer dishwasher with an energy-saving setting. But if you use cold water, and set up a soaking/soapy sink to initially wash the dishes in, and then put them in the other side of the sink with plain cold water, then when you're done drain the sink and give them another quick rinse in cold water and then dry them you might actually save a bit of water. It's the letting the water run and the temperature of the water that seems to make the difference.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.