12 Frugal Boomer Habits Younger Floridians Laugh At Until They Try Them

Younger relatives may roll their eyes at Grandpa’s thermostat rules.

But with Florida power bills and prices where they are, some of those old habits are starting to look pretty smart.

Here are the boomer habits worth trying before you laugh them off.

Note: This is general information, not financial or medical advice. Savings figures and rates are subject to change.

1. Hanging Laundry Outside

Hanging laundry outside is a frugal habit many boomers have kept.

Florida Power & Light (FPL) says a dryer makes up about 5% of an electric bill.

Every load you hang is a load the dryer doesn’t run.

Florida Statute 163.04 bars local ordinances from prohibiting clotheslines.

The same statute says a deed restriction can’t prohibit clotheslines from being installed on buildings erected on the lots it covers.

Call it a solar dryer if your neighbors ask.

2. Running Ceiling Fans

A lot of boomers swear by a running ceiling fan.

The U.S. Department of Energy says a ceiling fan lets you raise your thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort.

ENERGY STAR, the federal efficiency program, says raising the thermostat two degrees and adding a fan can lower your air conditioning costs by up to 14%.

If you have a ceiling fan, turn it on and raise your thermostat setting two degrees.

Try it in August.

3. Washing in Cold Water

Cold-water washing is a boomer habit that some younger households find fussy.

ENERGY STAR says water heating consumes about 90% of the energy a clothes washer uses.

Switching your setting from hot to warm can cut energy use in half, and the cold cycle reduces it even more.

If your washer has a cold setting, tonight’s load of towels is a fine place to try it.

4. Asking for Generic Prescriptions

Many boomers ask about a generic version before they fill a prescription.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says to contact your doctor or pharmacist to discuss generic medicines.

A single generic competitor can lead to price reductions of 30%, while five competing generics are associated with price drops of nearly 85%.

Say a drug sold for $100 before any generics arrived.

By those figures, that works out to about $70 with one competitor and about $15 with five.

That’s quite a gap.

5. Eating Leftovers

Eating leftovers is a frugal habit that many boomers see no reason to apologize for.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the average American family of four loses $1,500 a year to uneaten food.

If you pack tonight’s extra chicken for tomorrow’s lunch, that’s one meal you won’t buy on the way to work.

Lunch is covered.

6. Paying Your Credit Card in Full

Lots of boomers treat paying a credit card in full as a rule.

The Federal Reserve tracks the average rate on commercial bank credit card accounts that were charged interest.

In the second quarter of 2026, that average was 22.15%.

If you carry a balance on your credit card, interest is the price of the privilege.

7. Fixing Dripping Faucets

Some boomers fix a dripping faucet the day it starts.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says a faucet that drips once a second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year.

Across an average household, leaks can account for more than 9,300 gallons of water wasted every year.

Fixing the leaks that are easy to fix can save you about 10% on your water bill.

8. Swapping Air Conditioner Filters

Swapping the air conditioner filter on a schedule is a habit many boomers keep.

The U.S. Department of Energy says to clean or replace your air conditioner’s filter every month or two during the cooling season.

Replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner’s energy use by 5% to 15%.

Set a repeating reminder on your phone, and the swap doesn’t depend on your memory.

9. Switching Power Strips Off

Some boomers flip off the power strip before bed.

If your television, game console and cable box all plug into one strip with an on/off switch, one flip cuts power to the whole group.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says standby power, the electricity devices use when switched off or idle, amounts to 5-10% of residential electricity use.

10. Going Easy on the Gas

Easing off the gas pedal is a habit some younger passengers tease boomers about.

Speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking can lower your gas mileage by roughly 15% to 30% at highway speeds, according to the federal website fueleconomy.gov.

In busy commutes, the loss can run roughly 10% to 40%.

11. Checking Tire Pressure

Checking tire pressure is a habit a lot of boomers keep up.

Keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure can improve your gas mileage by 0.6% on average.

The gain reaches up to 3% in some cases.

Under-inflated tires can cut mileage about 0.2% for every 1 pound per square inch (psi) drop in the average pressure of all four tires.

At that rate, tires that are 5 psi low can cost you about 1% of your mileage.

12. Turning Down Your Water Heater

Some boomers turn down the water heater once and forget about it.

FPL says turning your water heater down to 120 degrees can save 3-5% on water heating costs.