Here's a bit of a breakdown on our appliances:
2 chest freezers - one is 9 years old, the other is about 15 years old. We buy a side of beef and 50 chickens a year. Also, I buy 3 or 4 turkeys when they go on sale seasonally. Two years ago, I bought 200 lb of blueberries and last year we picked and froze 100 lb of strawberries. When I am not able to get bread made, I buy 15 loaves at a time at Winco for $1.29/loaf. I did 40 jars of raspberry freezer jam last year. Plus other random stuff that most people keep in freezers -- soup stock from bones, leftovers, etc. We have eaten down the freezers enough now, this year, to amalgamate into one, so I was hoping to move everything this weekend, and get one turned off till the fall.
1 32 cubic foot fridge, bought new a year ago - 1 10 year old fridge in the basement for milk, etc (we go through 5 gallons a week)
1 dishwasher, bought new 3 years ago - runs 2-3 times a day, and I hand wash A LOT too
Glass cooktop - came with house, so its 21 years old - hate it but waiting for it to break before we replace
Wall oven - came with house, again, 21 years old - also waiting for it to break
Washer/Dryer - bought new in 2006 - Whirlpool Duets - hang about 1/2 our laundry in the winter, and probably 2/3 in the summer outside
Heat - gas furnace, electric fan
A/C - electric, probably used a total of 25 days last summer
Multiple computers and kids charging phones
Summertime only - pool that we heat (we keep it low)
Water heated by gas
TV hardly ever on - no cable
As I mentioned in my original post, we are a large family and so this is one of the life choices we've made - no face punches for this please :-) Some people choose to travel, to remain child free, etc. We chose to have 8 children and I wouldn't have it any other way. And no, I'm not sending any of them back (wink)
OMG!
You use in a month what our 2 person household uses in a year - and that includes a 24/7 running computer.
You really need to see where that usage comes from. .
LennStar, yes, this is exactly what I'm trying to figure out by posting here :-)
Homehandymum, thanks for the encouragement! Much appreciated!