(updated 1/8/26)
How can it be possible to save money on Shabbos when you aren’t allowed to spend any? There are actually many things we do that are related to Shabbos that end up saving us money (and are good for the environment).
∞ Use timers. We use a timer on our crock pot, our living room lights, and fans and humidifiers in the boys’ bedrooms (when they were little). This way these items are only on when we need them and save us on our electric bills. We would use timers on other lights in the house, but I was told by one of the bulb manufacturers that you cannot use certain timers on compact fluorescent bulbs, which we have on many of our other lights. The timers will constantly leach energy and the bulbs will then burn out faster. Timers usually go on sale around Christmas and you can often find them for a percentage off after the holiday (especially at Target).
∞ Install a smart thermostat. Our electric company offered a deal not to long ago where you could order a free smart thermostat. We only had to pay for the cover! This is a great way to set the temperature you want the house to be set on at certain times of the day. It also lets you have the air conditioner or heat come on depending on the temperature you set. This has saved us many times on Yom Tovs when it is hard to set the temperature for several days. There have been so many times we guessed wrong and were too hot or too cold! If you have Ameren check out this link for the current available offers.
∞ Take the time to tear toilet paper rather than use tissues. Your pipes will thank you and so will your wallet.
∞ Eat your leftovers, even leftover cholent. We love to make a meal of leftovers on Sunday night or even enjoy them sometimes for lunch on a weekday. My husband will sometimes make a stir fry when there is only a little chicken left. Don’t let those leftovers go to waste!
∞ Make your own soda or seltzer. If you like having soda for Shabbos, why not make your own? We invested in a soda maker several years ago and it works great! The cost is minimal to get refill tanks several times a year. There is the initial output to buy the machine, but it definitely equals a savings versus buying seltzer or soda every week. See my post on SodaStream soda makers!
∞ Make as much from scratch as you can (and have time for). Look at my blog postings on Making your own challah and (More) Make your own… for ideas of things you can make on your own and thus save money. My husband has been experimenting lately with making his own dips and they have turned out so delicious!
∞ Buy in bulk. See if your community offers a kosher co-op for purchasing meats, cheeses, and other products. This is especially helpful for people who live outside of a major kosher community where kosher food is so plentiful. The prices are often much cheaper than a store and you can split with friends and/or family if the upfront cost is too much or you don’t need that much of an item.
∞ Use real dishes. At least for dinner on Shabbos we use our real dishes. We often use disposables for Shabbos lunch and Shalosh Suedos because we don’t have enough of our nice dishes and I can’t bear to add more dishes to the huge pile in the kitchen at that point. This one definitely requires someone who is willing to wash dishes after Shabbos (thank you, sweet hubby). Of course, for Pesach we use all disposables for the table. If you do use disposables, and want to buy them as cheaply as possible, see my post The advantage of buying paper goods online.
∞ Use tea lights for candlelighting. Regular Shabbos candles can get expensive, so we switched years ago to tea lights. We set them on top of a foil candleholder on my candelabra and they work great. I have priced them out and the best place to get them is Ikea.
Enjoy your Shabbos and maybe you can try some of these ideas next week!
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Surviving on a tight budget 
I heartily agree with you on all points. I use timers for most of my lights including the ones that use the compact bulbs. I also used timers for my crockpot and for the electric plata/blech. The idea of letting it run especially on a warm summer day is unconscionable. I do have friends that turn off their hotwater heater at night so that it does not run but I just won’t do that. I like hot water in the morning. After I changed all my light bulbs to compact I noted my electric usage for a few months following the change. Since my lights are on timers it was easy to compare and my bill was much lower.
Glad to hear others are doing these things, too! I should check my past bills and see if it really made a difference! Thanks for reading!