How You Could Save Money by Changing When You Do Housework

A woman has shared with Newsweek how she saves money by doing housework at different hours, and an expert reveals how best to cash in on her plan.

Maisha, who posts to TikTok under the username @maisha_thealchemist, lives in Florida, and recently went viral after she shared a video with a money-saving hack.

“This tip was actually given to me by my mother when we lived in Nevada,” she told Newsweek. “Upon moving in to one of our apartments in 2004, she received a pamphlet from the utility company, advising her that the rates would be cut in half or reduced to zero after a certain time at night.

“So during my adolescent years I would wash dishes [and] wash clothes at night. I currently still practice this to this day!”

Posted on January 16 and aptly titled “Wash your clothes at night,” she said there was “dynamic pricing on our utilities,” and by using water and electricity during the day, you’re spending more—because other people are also using utilities at that time.

She recommended that any “night owls,” should “wash dishes, wash your clothes, clean your house” at night, as the “majority of Americans” will be doing this in the daytime and early evening.

“So if you wash your clothes on opposite times than what the majority do, it’s going to cost you less over time. I know, I’m a night owl—I’ve been doing this for years.”

Maisha’s video struck a chord with TikTok users, racking up over 61,000 likes, as one commenter wrote: “As a morning person this is devastating.”

“I always wash clothes at night because I always procrastinate,” another admitted, as another agreed “I’ve been doing this by accident!”

And one felt vindicated, writing: “I KNEW IT!”

Maisha, who gave her first name only, told Newsweek “it’s hard to say how much I’ve saved over the years … but I will say, in Florida before I had solar installed, the average bill for households during the summer for Electric was about $300. I was cruising in at max $150 monthly!

“So it really makes a difference if you can stick with it!”

Newsweek spoke to Melanie Musson, a personal finance expert with InsuranceProviders.com, who confirmed it “is possible to save money by using electricity at night, but it’s not automatic.”

Customers may be enrolled automatically, or may have to opt in to a Time Of Use (TOU) plan with their provider, otherwise will be paying for electricity at a standard rate, she explained.

“With TOU plans, electricity is cheaper—usually far cheaper—during off-peak hours. However, energy is more expensive during peak hours.”

There are pros and cons to this, she said, such as some appliances, such as refrigerators, being on constantly, so you’re guaranteed to be paying for electricity during peak hours. You may also have to change your lifestyle to take advantage of cheaper electricity at off-peak hours.

“If you usually do laundry, keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer, cook meals, and watch TV during the daytime, changing your routine and adjusting your thermostat may help you save as much as 40 percent on your energy bill. It’s worth it to some people, but many people would rather live their lives as usual than make changes they view as inconvenient.”

However, for anyone with an electric vehicle that requires charging, “dynamic pricing is the obvious choice,” she said.

“If they charge their EV at night, they can take advantage of the lower energy prices in a way that almost universally makes sense financially. Switching to dynamic pricing and charging a vehicle at night will almost always be cheaper than staying with flat rate pricing.”

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