Resources for the Washington DC area

How to Save
$200 for an Hour's Work
 

step 1: Get in your car.

step 2: Drive to the nearest Home Depot.

step 3: Buy a 6 pack of compact fluorescent light bulbs. The ones tested were the Ultra mini Spiral Lamp" and are the Home Depot "Commercial Electric" brand. They come in a package of 6 for $10. They have a nice warm glow, very pleasant and have a 7 year warranty. They are amazingly compact compared to some you might have tried in the past, so they should fit in most fixtures. If you don't see them with the other fluorescent bulbs, they may be featured in the front of the store. They really are a tremendous bargain. These are the equivalent of 60W incandescent bulbs, but only use 14 watts each. They have other wattage bulbs at Home Depot, including 40w equivalents, 100W equivalents, 150W equivalents, even outdoor flood lamps that are compact fluorescent. But this package of six 60W equivalents are the outstanding bargain of the lot.

step 4: After you get home, replace the 6 regular bulbs that are on the most with the new ones.

step 5: Enjoy your savings, about $275 bucks over the life of the bulbs.

Like them? Go buy some more and save even more!

Another great value are a package of 3 100 watt equivalent CFL's from CVS drugstores. They are the RTH (Round The House) brand and are about $12 for 3 bulbs.