By brwood(view all posts by brwood)
at 9:56AM Tuesday August 30, 2011
under
Shop Smarter
Hurricane Irene struck a few days ago and some people in the Northeast are still without power and other basic services. This got me thinking about some basic emergency preparedness and how sometime the old solutions are still the best. You may get all your news on your
iPhone via The HuffPo, or eat only microwave organic food normally--but most likely that's not gonna cut it after an earthquake, hurricane or other natural disaster.
Here are ten items you are going to want stashed away somewhere in case of emergency.
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By AngelaColley(view all posts by AngelaColley)
at 9:30AM Friday May 4, 2012
under
Money Saving Tips
Photo courtesy of AndyRobertsPhotos at
Flickr.
The only new piece of furniture I own in my house is my mattress.
Everything else is a hand-me-down. Not only have I furnished my
entire house for less than $1,000, I'm saving the environment by
reclaiming furniture that would have otherwise ended up in the
trash. To make everything match and look nice, I have repurposed
many of the pieces. I'm no handyman, but there are several ways you
can repurpose furniture with little experience and
without spending a ton of money.
1. Paint
A fresh coat of paint gives life to an old piece of wood furniture.
You can paint the furniture to match the original wood or in any
color you like, (I have a blue desk.) The major hardware chains
sell samples of low-VOC paint for about $3.50 and its enough paint
to finish most jobs.
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By AngelaColley(view all posts by AngelaColley)
at 11:24AM Monday April 2, 2012
under
Money Saving Tips
Photo courtesy of Gregory Han at Flickr
Whether you work
from home full time or find yourself bringing your work home with you on
the weekends, having a dedicated office space with all the gadgets and
tools you need makes life easier. Unfortunately, it also adds to your
electricity bill and household waste. Follow these four tips to cut down
on your energy consumption and waste levels.
1. Upgrade to CFLsIf
you're still using traditional light bulbs in your home office, its
time to upgrade to compact fluorescent light bulbs. CLFs cost a bit more
than standard light bulbs - about $3.00 to $6.00 a piece - but they'll
reduce your electricity usage as well as the heat output from the light.
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that a CFL uses 75 percent less energy on average.
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