Looking for LOW PRICES on toys, trinkets & more, without elbowing your way through out a store? Or are you spending hours visiting different sites comparing prices? Well, search no more, for I can help you cut shopping time in half (or more) and save you money! "How is this possible" you may ask? By using online shopping comparison sites or cyber shopping assistants like Shopzilla, or my personal favorite SHOPPING.COM

What kind of bargains can I find? Well, how about my cyber-assistant helping me find a really good 1Gb MP3 player for $68.

And if you also want to save gasoline, you just might be lucky enough to get free shipping and no tax! With great prices like these you just might have to buy something for yourself.

Information on more deals on this CyberSale Monday can be found here.

Happy Shopping!

Posted by: Michele at 12:36 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I recently opened my home utility bills and was shocked to find they had increased dramatically over last year's rates. With such a great incentive I set out to increase my efforts to reduce my utility bills even further than I did last year.

I'm sharing these with you so that you can benefit from my research, as well. I used a few of these tips last year and reduced my heating bill by 8%. This year I'm determined to use as many as possible as my goal is to reduce my bill by an additional 12%. That's been the focus of my efforts this weekend, an additional incentive has been the single digit wind chill factors we had in the last few days. I'll let you know how things go with my efforts and if I get to achieve my goal.

One of the the things I learned last year was that 80% of homes built before 1980 are not insulated. The biggest energy wasters are air leaks/drafts that come from windows, patio and regular doors, air conditioner vents, electrical boxes, plumbing, fixtures, and all utility outlets. Last year when I insulated all of these, I immediately saw a 8% decrease in my utility bills.

Below is a picture & graph showing all the potential areas you can find air leaks in a home and the percentage of heating or energy lost as a result.

The second and most immediate and the easiest way to reduce your electric bill is to disconnect appliances when not in use, especially when they have a standby feature. It is estimated that by doing this an average household can reduce their usage by 50 watts per day.

How do you reduce or eliminate air leaks or drafts?
1. Do an assessment of your entire home for energy wasters. You can do a number of things to identify leaks. Use a: flashlight (at night - requires 2 people), candle, wet hand or bare feet to test for and locate leaks through out your house. Personally I like to use a stick of incense, it's better than a candle, as it doesn't blow out, and it's less than a fire hazard.

2. Once you identify them make a list and take notes. Take a picture with a digital camera if possible (see tip 4) For example: Identify not only which window or door, but also the dimensions and where the leak is located and how big the area where the leak is. You'll need this info, not only to plan the materials you'll need to buy but also how much of them. After all, the point is to save money not add to your waste.

3. Clean the area where you will be adding weather stripping, caulking, etc. It will adhere better and create a tighter seal. Please make sure the area is dry before you begin the sealing/insulating project.

4. One thing I learned from volunteering with Habitat "always use the right tool and product for each job because duct tape only goes so far". Which means consult your local hardware store guy. They have been invaluable to helping me identify products that will eliminate air leaks and drafts. In this case pictures can be helpful if you're like me and call everything "thingamajig". I learned a long time ago that if you can't identify the parts of something and you don't know the name of what your looking to fix, hardware store employees can only help you if they know what you're talking about. So if you're like me - terminology deficient - pictures will be the only way help them identify what you need.

5. Most products have basic rudimentary instructions and safety precautions. They're there for a reason, please follow them. If you're like me, I need a lot of information to feel comfortable before using chemical caulks, etc. indoors (because of my environmental allergies) so you might need to do a bit of research for additional info.

6. Buy easy-to-use materials to seal those leaks. Weather stripping may be purchased by the foot or in kits complete with the seal and fasteners for a single door or window. Caulk is usually sold in disposable cartridges that fit in half-barrel caulking guns but is also available in aerosol cans, squeeze tubes, and ropes for small jobs or special applications.

In the extended entry I have additional tips that will help you find ways to increase your utility/energy savings. To download a comprehensive (36 page) guide of great ideas and tips, provided by The Department Energy, click on this link.
more...

Posted by: Michele at 12:15 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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