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Six Ways to Have a Greener Home

The little things that you do around your home can make a big impact in how much energy you can save. if you want a greener home, concentrate on the following six areas. 1. Conserve hot water. You can conserve hot water by taking shorter showers, washing your laundry in cold water and lowering the thermostat on your furnace or water heater. 2. Replace your blinds. If you have traditional metal blinds on your windows, you’ll save money when you replace them with wood or fabric. This is because blinds will suck up the heat and the cold from outside … Continue reading →

Home Month in Review: November 2008

Is your home ready for the holidays and winter? Now that November is over, it is time to gear up for the December ahead. Take a look at last months articles and see if there is anything you missed! November 1st Home Blog Month in Review: October As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind. November 2nd Fall and Holiday Decorating with Nature 2 Isn’t it … Continue reading →

7 Frugal Reasons I Won’t Be Going Shopping on Black Friday (3)

Whether you are home today avoiding the stores as I am, or just returned from you Black Friday shopping trip, I hope that you are having a nice and very frugal day. Personally, I am avoiding it all, the Black Friday shopping and even the Black Friday ads. I don’t want to be tempted to run out for that one special thing that I didn’t know I needed. I have been sharing some of the seven reasons why I won’t be going shopping on Black Friday. If you missed either of those two posts, you can click for them here: … Continue reading →

Hidden Energy Hogs

The following items in your home are costing you more energy and money than you realize. No, we aren’t talking about traditional energy hogs, such as refrigerators, home lighting, hot water, heating and cooling. These areas of the home are getting more efficient, thanks to new energy-saving appliances and more awareness of going green. The hidden energy hogs that I am talking about seem innocuous, and almost every household has one or two of them. They are a new category of energy users, what the Energy Power Research Institute (EPRI) calls the “plug-in loads.” After reading this article, you may … Continue reading →

Free Hot Water

Sometimes you can get really creative when the situation requires it. Here is a great tip I learned from someone who had temporarily run out of heating oil. Fortunately it was in the summer, so there was no fear of freezing to death. Unfortunately, because it was during the summer, there was no rush for the oil company to rectify the situation immediately, leaving the family without hot water for two days. While they could heat hot water on the stove as necessary, this method was cumbersome and no doubt cost them some money to run their stove so often. … Continue reading →

Which Saves More? Answers to Tough Questions (1)

Sometimes it is hard to tell which way an activity will save you more money. For example, does leaving the lights on when you are going to re-enter a room save more money than shutting them off and then on again? Does taking a bath save more water than a shower? And what about the idea of shutting off your refrigerator for most of the day as opposed to just leaving it on all of the time. With the price of heating water these days, are disposable diapers a better bet than cloth? Does a slow cooker save money over … Continue reading →

Winter Weather Terms (1)

Do you know the difference between a Winter Storm Watch and a Winter Storm Warning? And what exactly is a Nor’ Easter and how will it affect you? This time of year, it is important to understand all of the standard severe weather terms so you can be prepared and protect your family. Winter Storm Outlook This is the condition that is issued when weather forecasters believe that storm conditions are very probable although they might not yet be able to tell the severity. The report is usually issued 48 to 60 hours before an actual storm. Winter Storm Watch … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review: November 19th Through November 25th

Did you have a good Thanksgiving holiday? I hope you were able to have a warm, joyful day without spending too much on the celebration. For us, we are enjoying the bounty of leftovers, including a couple of homemade turkey pot pies that I made from the dark meat of the turkey. I love getting creative and stretching out our resources. If you need some new ideas, why not review the Frugal Living blog articles for last week? Here they are. November 19th Gifts in a Can You have all heard of gifts in a jar, right? Well, what about … Continue reading →

Seven Ways to Save Energy in Your Home

You can make a real difference in your energy bill by making at least one of these seven different smart changes in your home. Do all seven, and your energy bill will be reduced to record lows. The great part about the following changes is that they are all inexpensive, they can be readily purchased at any home improvement store, such as Home Depot or Lowes, and they can be applied or installed very easily. Most of these changes will also improve the value of your home as well. 1. Weather stripping Add weather stripping to doors and windows to … Continue reading →

How to Save Money on Your Commute to Work

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As I just covered in The Question of the Week, gas prices are high and the forecast calls for nothing but rising rates. For the average family who is trying to make ends meet, and doesn’t have a compensatory raise in income to make up for the raise in outgo, this situation can be extremely tough. So if you, or your spouse, has been commuting to work five days a week, has any moves been made by you to save money on the gas bill? Some ideas that I’ve seen bandied about include: ~Work four 10 hour days instead of … Continue reading →