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Families Cutting Costs Challenges > Adirondack North Country

Can AI help estimate costs and suggest good ways to reduce costs?  

For a wide variety of family profiles?

Test AI.

  1. Copy and paste the descriptions of a Family Profile.
  2. Instruct AI: "Estimate costs for Food, Home /energy, and Transportation for this family.  Then suggest ways that the family could reduce their costs.
  3. Repeat but add or change one of elements of the family profile.  Better result?
  4. Describe your own family.  Click a START button below for each of the cost categories.

Test AI using these Examples of NNY Family Profiles

Farm Family Madrid

College Student Potsdam

  • Family of four, two teens
  • Middle income, large garden
  • Eat at home, 25% from farm, 10% eat out - takeout from Pizza Hut, snacks on the run from Stewarts
  • No commute, shop at Price Chopper Ogdensburg
  • Heat with fuel oil
  • Pickup and SUV - 15000 miles a year each
  • Try again with these changes: Lower income family


College Student Potsdam

College Student Potsdam

  • Shared apartment in /village with 3 other students, pay for electric and natural gas
  • Eat out 50% - on campus and Taco Bell and Cantina
  • 2020 Subaru Impreza, 10,000 miles a year, to campus and back
  • Interest in climate action
  • Try again with these changes: living in dorm and eating in college dining services and vending machines - 100%

Single Parent Tupper Lake

  • Parent and two young children in day
  • Works at School in food service, lower income
  • Rents and pays utilities
  • 1998 Ford sedan, 15000 miles a year
  • Rarely eats out but serves mostly prepared food from Sav-a-Lot, relies on SNAP
  • Try again with these changes: living in 2000 mobile home but owns and pays all utilities

Senior Citizens Plattsburgh

Senior Citizens Plattsburgh

  • Small bungalow in City, heats with natural gas, older appliances
  • 2022 Chevy sedan with 70,000 miles, 5000 miles a year
  • Lives on Social Security
  • Shops at Farmers Market in season, Walmart for balance, eats out at Senior Citizen and church dinners
  • Try again with these changes living in rural mobile home with kerosene fuel for furnace

Summers in Saranac Lake

Senior Citizens Plattsburgh

Summers in Saranac Lake

  • High Income, 2500 square foot camp, heat pumps for heating and cooling
  • Shops at Nori's, 50% prepared food, 50% prepares at home
  • 2025 Tesla Model X, 2024 Ford Expedition, tows motorboat
  • Parents work remotely, two teens, one  interested in climate action
  • Try again with these changes: year-round professionals and two grown St. Bernard dogs

Trucker St. Regis Falls

Senior Citizens Plattsburgh

Summers in Saranac Lake

  • Family of 5, middle income but being squeezed by higher costs of truck maintenance and insurance
  • 50% of food from gardens, beef cow, and orchards, hunting and fishing by teens
  • Older farmhouse heated with fuel oil by aging boiler,  never insulated, back up wood stove
  • Teens drive older gas powered ATV, snowmobile, and motorcycle.
  • Try again with these changes: seasonal income as logging business slows

Examples of Possible FCCC Challenges that AI might suggest f

Food Costs

Transportation Costs

Home Energy Costs

  • How much do you spend on food?

Breakfasts- Costs & Options

Lunches - Costs & Options

Dinners - Costs & Options

Snacks & Drinks - Costs & Options

  • Using Apps to Know Your Food and See Costs per Nutritional Value
  • Compare Costs: Price Chopper, Walmart, Aldi's, Local Food
  • Local Food as Way to Reduce Costs

Start > Food Cost > NNY

Home Energy Costs

Transportation Costs

Home Energy Costs

  • Family Home Energy Tally Sheet -> Scorecard
  • Reduce Your Electricity Costs > National Grid
  • Reduce Your Natural Gas Costs > St. Lawrence Gas
  • Reduce Heating and Cooling Equipment Costs
  • Reduce Appliances Total Cost of Ownership
  • Air Sealing to Reduce Costs
  • Weatherization to Reduce Coss
  • Sensors and Controllers to Reduce Costs

Start > Home Energy Costs > NNY

Transportation Costs

Transportation Costs

Transportation Costs

  • Family Transportation Tally Sheet -> Scorecard
  • Reducing Gasoline Costs and Total Cost of Ownership of Vehicles
  • Reduce Costs by Sharing Rides
  • Reduce Costs by Sharing Equipment
  • EV's, EV Charing, other E-mobility, and  Solar vs. Gasoline Costs > NNY

Start > Transp'n Costs > NNY

Families Cutting Costs by Better Choices Here

Colton, NY & Ottawa, CA

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