If you are reading this article, it’s a safe assumption that you own a computer. So until the MoneyLounge book comes out, if you want a hard copy of these unbelievably insightful articles you are going to have to rely on your trusty ink printer.

Only problem is in order to get those articles on paper you are going to need some ink, and that black gold costs anywhere from 30-60 bucks a cartridge. So if you’re looking for some ways to stretch the life of that precious liquid, you’ve come to the right place!

Set it up: Before you print, go into the settings and change the print quality from “normal” to “draft”. The color will not be as strong but this little trick can double the life of your cartridge.

Leave it out: When there is only a certain area of text on a web page you need printed, copy the text, then paste it into your word processor. This way you can still get the information you need but without using up ink on graphics and banner ads that are on the web page.

Shrink ray: The bigger the text, the more ink you need to print it. Shrink that text down to a size that doesn’t take up the whole page.

Out of style: That’s right, black is out of style! Change the font color to a medium gray tone. You will still be able to read the text and it saves on ink.

Ignore it: Many printers have a warning light that comes on when your ink is out. Don’t throw it away when this happens, just relax and keep on printing. Most of the time, you will be able to print for another few weeks on that “empty” cartridge.

Don’t do it:If you are really crunching on ink, why print at all? If you need something small like directions or a short recipe, take the time to write it down the old fashioned way, with a pencil.

If you are sick of paying more money for ink than you did for the printer itself, keep these tips in mind next time you decide to tap “Ctrl + P” on your keyboard

What are you favorite ways on saving that black gold?

Photo by:Angelune // CC 2.0

What are some of your favorite things to spend money on? Going to concerts? Eating out? Going to the Movies? Paying your utility bills?!? Of course you don’t want to pay bills, but you have to unless you don’t mind having the water, heat, or electricity shut off. How about the next best thing to not paying them at all? Not paying as much! Using these quick and easy tips you could save enough a month to have an extra night out, pay off some credit cards, or just sock it away for later.

Turn it off: Saving money is easy as flipping a switch! A light switch that is. When you leave a room, turn off all the lights and other electronics. Remember to turn off the computer when you are done with it, sleep mode still consumes power. There is no need to pay for electricity if you’re not there to use it.

Lighten up: Start buying compact florescent light bulbs (CFL). A 25 watt CFL bulb produces the same amount of light as a 100 watt incandescent bulb. Let’s say you have ten, 100 watt incandescent bulbs running for eleven hours day, using the national average of ten cents a kilowatt hour, you’re paying thirty three bucks a month. Switch over to CFLs, that price plummets down to eight dollars a month!

Get the garlic: That’s right, your house is full of vampires! When you turn off your electronics, but still leave them plugged into the socket, they use what is called vampire power. Vampire power cost consumers in the US over three billion dollars a year and makes up for 25% of the energy consumption in the average home. Put down your wooden stakes and holy water because all you have to do to kill this vampire is unplug your unused electronics and chargers or put them on a power strip that cuts the power off completely with an on/off switch.

Check the stats: Thermostat that is. The more you turn the thermostat down in the winter the more you save. Grab a blanket or pick up a space heater to only heat the room you are in. Don’t forget that most ceiling fans have a reverse switch to blow that hot air down from the ceiling. In the summer, open a window or turn on a fan before you reach for the A/C.

Free power: Look for different products you can buy that use alternative energy. Get some solar power lights for outside instead of ones that eat up the electric bill. You can even buy alarm clocks that are powered by water! These work from an electrochemical reaction between the electrodes in the clock and water to power the clock.

Paying the electric bill might never be one of your favorite things to spend money on, but hopefully using these tips, it will become a little more bearable.

Photo By:Arianne McCarthy // CC BY 2.0
Sources:Energy Information Administration // michaelbluejay.com

It’s getting colder and colder as December approaches. For most it’s the season to crank up their heater, but winter heating costs can take a big chunk out of your budget if you’re not careful. With home heating rates going up, you can do a couple things to save big on your heating bills.

Fix those leaks – The biggest loss of heat can be due to leaks in your home. Fixing these leaks in your air ducts and your windows can keep that heat inside. These fixes are inexpensive, and they will save you a lot. You can fix these leaks with weather stripping, plastic window insulation, duct tape, or caulk.

Don’t heat unused rooms – Places like guest rooms aren’t used often. Shut the vents and doors to these rooms. By doing so, your heat will be used more efficiently, and in the rooms that are being occupied.

Maintenance – Have someone check out your heating system to make sure something like your furnace won’t break down in the middle of winter.

Extra Insulation – An extra layer of insulation around your water heater can keep the water hot for longer periods of time.

Have it pre-set or pre-programmed – Having your thermostat set at a certain temperature will keep your heating system usage consistent. The optimal temperature is 68-70 degrees when you are home. When you are out of the home or asleep, you can turn it down 5-10 degrees lower to get some additional savings. Make sure you don’t turn it down too low when you are asleep or away, otherwise the money you save will be spent re-heating your home.

Natural heat – Take advantage of the sun when it’s out. The sun will help you get some additional heat into your home during the day so your heating system won’t have to.

Time in the shower – A lot of water can be taken up when you take a shower. Cutting down on that time can help you lower your water heating costs.

It’s supposed to be a cold winter. Remember that also keeping on a sweater and socks can help you keep warm during these next couple months.

How will you keep your heating costs down?

‘Easy come, easy go’, this can be especially true when it comes to your cash and cash drains. Extra costs can really eat away at your budget when dealing with them. Eliminating these cash drains can end up saving you some serious cash!

Computers: Just turning a computer off won’t necessarily mean that it’s off. Computers will continue to use electricity even though you have it shut down or on standby—this is especially true if you have other devices (printers or external drives) plugged into it, as they will also draw additional electricity

Vampire Devices: Along with your computer, other devices can also draw electricity when they are ‘off’. These include devices like T.V.s, DVD players, and electric toothbrushes. A recent study says by dealing with these devices can save you 10% on your electricity bill.

Cable and Satellite: Cable or satellite T.V. can be a cash drain, as well as a time drain. On average, many people only watch 10 channels. Do you need the premium cable or will basic cable suffice? How about the movie lovers or sports packages? Paying for extra packages that you may not be using can end up taking money away every month.

Subscription Services: Companies love using subscription services, especially when you use automatic bill paying to pay for the service. Anything from a magazine subscription to an online service, when you start paying for them, it can be easily forgotten. Do you actually read the magazines you subscribed to? Are you watching the DVDs you get from NetFlix? The companies are more than willing to keep you aboard so you keep paying, but only you can stop them from taking your money away.

Vehicles: An unused car or boat can take away quite a bit of money. Even if you only take them out a couple times a year, it might not be worth it to hold onto them. You might be renting out a parking or dock space, maintenance, insurance fees, registration fees, etc. These can really add up to a lot.

Cash drains can really cut into your budget quite a bit, especially if you have a combination of them. Taking care of them will keep that money in your pocket.

What are other cash drains you can think of?

As winter approaches, you’ll be using your lights more. How much electricity do you use to light your house? Are there any additional cost cutting measures you could take the next time you flip the switch? Here are some budgeting tips to help you save on your lighting bill for your house:

Here comes the sun – There are big advantages to using sunlight, it warms your house and it’s FREE! So open up the curtains and let the sun light up your house.

Prepare your house – Having brighter coats of paint will help reflect the light through the room. The layout of your room is also important, as you don’t want anything obstructing the lights.

Switches – Having a switch to dim your lights can help lower your costs. You will only use as much light as you need.

Don’t overdo it – There’s a point when extra fixtures or lamps do not help light the room and it is just wasted lighting.

When just one is enough – If you’re just using a part of the room, will one lamp be enough? Using a nearby lamp can give you enough light to read a book or do some work without wasting lighting the entire area.

Embrace new technology – Old incandescent light bulbs are inefficient and wasteful compared to other bulbs, such as CFLs or LEDs. The lifetime of an incandescent bulb is only about 1,000 hours, whereas the alternatives last for much longer. The costs per bulb may be higher for CFLs or LEDs, but the energy savings will more than make up for it over the bulb’s lifetime.

CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) – You have most likely seen these bulbs around. CFLs use only about 25% of the energy of incandescent bulbs, and have a lifetime of approximately 6,000 to 15,000 hours. Be aware that these bulbs contain mercury and will need to be disposed of properly.

LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) – LEDs are being used more and more. Many traffic lights have even been changed over to LED blubs. LED bulbs can cost anywhere from $20 to $100 for each bulb. Despite the cost, these bulbs will offer brighter lighting and longer life (between 50,000 to 60,000 hours!), with no hazards to worry about like the CFLs.

Seasonal lights – From strings of pumpkin and ghost lights in October to lines of Christmas lights in December, depending on how much you decorate, you could be using up a lot of electricity by plugging these in. Buying new strings of lights with LED bulbs can result in energy savings within two years.

Light a fire – If you need some heat in your house and a little bit of mood lighting, light a fire in the fireplace. It will provide you with a nice warm place to relax.

Are there any other tips you have for saving money on your lighting bill?

Is your home ready for the winter? With a cold front pushing through this past week, fall is here, and winter is on its way! For those of you not ready for the cold weather, it’s time to start thinking about winterizing your home.

You’ll need to get a head start on some projects, these are big jobs that will take time to do, and may require a professional:

Driveway – Water expands when it freezes, which is very bad news for your driveway. You’ll need to seal up any cracks. You can save a lot of money by sealing your driveway yourself.

Winterize It! Remove of all the weeds growing in the cracks of your driveway, and keep it up for a week or two to make sure they are gone.Then seal the cracks with a filler compound. Once the compound has time to dry, apply the sealer to your driveway (the amount will vary depending on the size of your driveway). Be sure that the weather is clear for the next couple of days to so that the sealer has time to dry.

Chimney – Soot will build up inside your chimney over time. This eventually becomes a hazard when there is too much buildup.

Winterize It! It is suggested that you hire a company to do this for you, as cleaning out a chimney is the most tedious tasks on this list.
Preparation: There are also many hazards and precautions that need to be taken when cleaning out a chimney. It can get very messy, so make sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting soot on. You will also need to wear safety goggles that cover your eyes and a face mask to make sure you’re not breathing it in. Also prepare the room by laying down plastic sheets to protect your stuff from getting dirty.
Cleaning: Attach a chimney brush and weight to a rope. Feed the brush down the chimney, raising and lowering the brush to scrub the internal walls of the chimney. A more detailed explanation and other methods can be found on HowStuffWorks.com.

Roof – Make sure your roof is in good condition before the winter hits. Roof repairs during the winter can be expensive, and a good roof can keep excess ice from forming on top of your house, which can lead to structural damage. It will also reduce the risk of ice dams forming.

Winterize It! Use a ladder see if any shingles are missing or need to be fixed. If you’re uneasy about heights, you can call a company to check it out and do any repairs for you.

Here are a couple things that are pretty easy to take care of you can do yourself:

Gutters – Clear your gutters of any leaves or debris that have accumulated over the year. Also make sure that your downspout is not clogged. Leaves and debris can add a lot of extra weight during the winter season, and can lead to damage to your house.

Winterize It!: You can take the larger stuff take it out with your hands. For the remaining debris, use a hose to flush it towards the downspout. If your downspout is clogged, you can try using the hose to clear it away, otherwise reach down and clear the clog yourself with your hand or a wire coat hanger.

Windows and Doors – Any air leaks will cause your home’s heating to be inefficient. Fixing these can keep your house warm throughout the cold winter months.

Winterize It!: Find any leaks by using a candle or incense near a suspicious leak. Fix it by applying caulk to the leak.

Deck cracks – If your deck has any cracks in it, they are bound to get worse over the winter. Be sure to seal it before the snow comes.

Winterize It!: If you’ve been meaning to repaint your deck, you can find paints with a sealer mixed in, so you can do two jobs at the same time. Otherwise buy the sealer separately and apply it

Since the grass won’t grow, prepare your lawn equipment and tools for the winter:

Lawnmower – It’s best if you can store your mower someplace indoors. Winterizing your lawnmower will help extend its life.

Winterize It!: Finish up the gas in your mower and drain the oil. Sharpen the blades if you need to and it will be ready for you in the spring.

Sprinklers – Winterizing your sprinklers is a must. If water is left inside your sprinkler system, it will end up cracking the pipes and the sprinklers themselves.

Winterize It!: Winterizing your sprinklers is a relatively easy task. You will need a compressor which you can borrow from a friend or rent from a hardware store. Turn off the water to your sprinklers, then hook up the compressor to your sprinkler lines and blow out the remaining water in the system.

Hoses: You want to winterize your hoses and exterior faucets for the same reason as your sprinklers. Store your hoses indoors to increase the lifetime of the hose itself.

Winterize It!: Turn off the water supply to all your exterior faucets. Open up the faucets to let the remaining water in the pipes out. Take your hoses and make sure you drain any of the water in them before you take them inside for the winter.

Here are some additional things you’ll want to check indoors. Since your windows will be shut for most of the winter, make sure you are comfortable indoors and that you have good air quality:

Heating – Don’t let winter start out with you freezing. Check your heater to make sure it is running properly. Also check to see if the air filter needs to be replaced.

Air Conditioning Unit – If your air conditioning unit is outside your house, be sure to clear off any debris on it, then cover it with a tarp until it warms up again.

Air Ducts – Make sure nothing is blocking the air flow, and that there is no dust buildup inside the vents.

Carbon Monoxide – Make sure that you don’t have carbon monoxide building up in your home. A carbon monoxide detector can help you discover a leak that you may have overlooked, and when it does happen to go off, you’ll be glad you have one.

Once your house is winterized, you’ll be ready to take on the cold!

Is there anything else that you winterize for the snowy season?

Living in the city, but still want to have a yard like you would in the suburbs? Your dreams may just be a stone’s throw away. Skyburbs, a concept of Australian architects Mark Gazy and Neil Haybittel, mashes city living and suburbia into one. They use an intricate design to let enough sunlight through for grass, trees, and other plants.

The idea of building towards the sky is nothing new. People have proposed concepts of vertical farms to help provide cities with resources like energy, food, also water, and it would help reduce carbon dioxide levels within the city as well.

With the Skyburbs, they plan to stack housing, parks, gardens, and community centers are stacked right on top of each other. They also plan to incorporate eco-friendly features also. The structure itself is designed for passive solar heating in the winter, and provides shading for central areas during the summer. Solar and wind energy will be collected to help power the Skyburb. They harness another element, as rain water will be collected to supply irrigation.

This is still a concept, so it might be some time before you see these pop up. How would you feel if your white picket fence home 20 stories high?

Didn’t get a chance to take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program for your car? Well, there’s another program that you might want to look into. In an effort to help out the environment, the government is offering incentives for people to recycle their older appliances and get more energy efficient models.

Coming this fall, the government will be setting aside $300 million for this program. If you purchase new Energy Star appliances to replace your clunkers, you could receive rebates ranging from $50 to $200.

By replacing your older appliances, you will gain extra utility savings also. Some older appliances consume nearly three times more electricity than current models. So you would be getting extra savings there as well. This could be another saving of $50 to $150!

In most states you can receive an additional rebate as well. By recycling your old appliance, many energy companies will give you $20 to $50.

All of your savings up could total anywhere from $120 to $400, just within the first year! And you will continue to save, month after month, on your energy bills. You might not have a clunker in your garage anymore, but do you have one in your kitchen?

Photo By: Bettyalive / CC BY-ND 2.0
Source: USA Today

]]> http://www.moneylounge.net/2009/08/31/cash-for-clunky-appliances/feed/ 1 http://www.moneylounge.net/2009/08/07/go-planet-your-energy-efficient-home/ http://www.moneylounge.net/2009/08/07/go-planet-your-energy-efficient-home/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:12:35 +0000 ecreal http://www.moneylounge.net/?p=871

Do you remember “Captain Planet” from the 1990’s? It was the show about five…

Do you remember “Captain Planet” from the 1990’s? It was the show about five teenagers with special powers relating to each of the elements, called Planeteers, that would combine to produce the all-mighty Captain Planet. Together, the Planeteers and Captain Planet would save the earth, defeating one evil polluter at a time.

Let’s take a minute to consider this approach when applied to home energy efficiency. You see, they didn’t just use just one of those elements to make a difference; they combined them all for a larger impact (ahem—the Captain).

I put together a list of simple and inexpensive things that you can do around your home to make it more energy efficient, based on the powers of the Planeteers—Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart (you can be one too!).

Earth Planeteer Specialty: Sustainability, especially in the use of land.

You can apply this power to the landscaping around your home. By employing shading techniques, you can make a huge impact on the energy efficiency of your home, and even lower your heating and cooling costs by up to 40%!

Planting trees on the south and west sides of your house will maximize cooling benefits. Taller trees should be on the south side, while shorter trees should be on the west side. Deciduous trees will provide shade during the summer and shed their leaves come winter to allow sunlight through. Shrubbery can be planted on the north and northwest sides to help create a windbreak for those colder months, and can also be planted around an air conditioning unit to prevent it from overheating.

Fire Planeteer Specialty: Producing small and effective flames.

Think of this power in terms of your home lighting. If you are currently using incandescent light bulbs, you may want to consider switching to compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs. CFLs are like miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents, though they give off a warmer light and can be used in household lighting. By replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL, you can cut down CO2 emissions by a half-ton during the lifetime of the bulb. Also, CFLs last up to ten times as long as incandescent bulbs, meaning less replacing for you. When it comes time to dispose of old CFLs, you can take them to Home Depot or Ikea, where they will be sent to facilities that recover and recycle the bulbs.

Wind Planeteer Specialty: Control over the behavior of the air.

This power relates to the air conditioning of your home. The U.S. Department of Energy reported that heating and cooling systems emit over half a billion tons of CO2 gases each year. You can help reduce this with a few simple measures.

Start by purchasing a programmable thermostat, and setting it to turn off or adjust at night and when you are away. This will drastically reduce the energy wasted to heat and cool your home. Also, make sure to check and replace your furnace filters once a month during the winter; a clogged filter will reduce air flow and causes your furnace to consume more energy. For just 50 cents per filter, you can make a huge improvement.

Another way to harness the power of the wind is by draft-proofing your home. First, check areas like windows, entryways, attic doors, and fireplaces for drafts on a windy day by holding a stick of incense near the seal. If the smoke drifts horizontally, then you have a leak. Most of these leaks can be fixed with caulk, or door sweeps and weather stripping for doors. You may also want to consider plastic window kits. They are a lot like a thick plastic food wrap, and can be attached using double-sided tape and a hairdryer to make an air-tight seal.

Something that you can do to the outside of your home to change the air on this inside is to paint your house. Darker colored exteriors will absorb more heat than lighter colors, making your home get hotter during the summer months. Just a couple coats of paint can help your home to reflect more heat, keeping it cooler inside.

Water Planeteer Specialty: Command over any water source.

The control over your home’s water use is encompassed by this power. You can make an effort to reduce the amount of water wasted in your home by checking for leaky faucets. A single small drip from a faucet can waste 20 gallons of water per day!

You can conserve even more water by installing water-saving shower heads. These shower heads are designed to use less water without producing less pressure. They cost around $10, and can drastically reduce the amount of water used in your home. Similarly, if you have an older toilet you can decrease its flow-rate by attaching a flow booster to the inside of the tank. This will displace a certain amount of water, reducing the size of each flush. It is simple to install and costs around $5.

In addition to conserving water, you can also reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool your water by insulating your pipes. This can be done using pre-slit foam pipe insulation sold at most hardware stores. By insulating your pipes, you will get hot water faster, and your water heater will not have to consume as much energy in the process.

Heart Planeteer Specialty: A special connection with animals and nature.

This power relates to the care of your pets to make your home more energy efficient. If you use a pet door for your dog or cat, you may want to consider switching to an energy efficient model. These pet doors are designed with multiple flaps or panels to reduce drafts when your pet enters or exits the house. This will waste less energy in heating and cooling your home.

Think about making some of these changes to your home in light of the Planeteers. You can make a huge impact on the environment and save some money in the process.

THE POWER IS YOURS!

“Captain Planet and the Planeteers” and all characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of TBS Productions, Inc.
Earth Easy. www.eartheasy.com. Energy Savers. www.energysavers.gov.

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