|
Ideas, insights and inspiration for busy people on the go Friday, August 26, 2005 |
|||
|
Top Sponsor
$29.99 = 1,700,000+ OPT-IN EZINE ADS. 1 CLICK AD BLASTER. Advertise any site or business to opt-in subscribers who have already said YES to receiving offers just like yours. Reach a LARGE, LIVE, RESPONSIVE audience on a tiny budget. http://snipurl.com/hbadswork
Editor’s Scribbles
With the price of gas going up the way it is, I’m thinking these penny-pinching editions are proving more useful each time I run them.
I’m kicking back just a little this week. The weather is kinder this week with rain in the evenings. In fact, I cut my line dancing class to sleep in this morning. Naughty me! But that’s the best thing about working from home. No one tells me what to do. I get to call the shots! LOL
The articles today are filled with brilliant ideas on how to be frugal. Don’t forget to swing by the i-Box for new ideas on getting your house all spick and span.
Thanks for sticking around. Love having you on my list. Have fun this weekend. See you soon
Kit Editor/Publisher Website: http://MinuteChaser.Go-GetGlobal.com Email: chaser@go-getglobal.com
P.S. If you’re looking to promote your business effectively and economically this fall, check out what I’ve got for you.
Dollars ‘n Sense Save Money off Your Home Utility Bills by Gregory Thomas Many don't realize that our basic utility bills provide the perfect money saving opportunity for practically every household! Especially with today's energy crisis so prevalent throughout many of the states, you've probably heard this term - conservation. Guess what, conservation really means "using less". Using less energy, means you are spending less money. Inevitably, conservation goes hand in hand with saving money. We sometimes lose sight of the fact that the water, gas and electricity we use in our homes, always comes back to us in the form of a lovely bill. Use the tips below and you may be surprised to find yourself saving $1000 or more every year. ELECTRIC * Fans can really cool a house in warmer months if set up properly. Ideally, you want to set up fans to draw in cool air (shady side of house) and circulate into the warmer areas. * Get in the habit of turning off ALL lights and appliances that are not being used. You'll be surprised at how quickly the energy savings will add up. * TURN THE TV OFF! Did you know that leaving the television on is the number one electricity waster in the world? When everyone is finished watching television, especially before going to sleep, turn it off. * Replace all "non-reading" lights with lower wattage light bulbs or possibly the new "energy plus" bulbs for even more savings over time. * Get in the habit of hanging your clothes to dry, possibly on a clothesline in a bathroom. * Insulate! Insulate! Insulate! our number one money saving tip! Check the weather stripping around doors and windows. Caulk or foam insulate any place where outside air has a chance to get in. Don't forget to insulate your attic floor with either "roll" or "loose-fill" insulation. * Long Term - Install ceiling fans throughout the house. You can then start decrease A/C usage and during winter months, the fans will help circulate warm air throughout the house. * Long Term - Plant tall shrubs and brushes. Not only will this beautify your property, but also shade your home causing less need for the A/C in summer months and help block out harsh winds in colder months. WATER * Check to make sure none of the faucets & spigots in your household are leaking/dripping. A slow dripping faucet can accumulate over two gallons per hour. * When watering the garden, set a schedule and try to water in the early morning hours to help minimize evaporation (between 6am-8am) * Avoid taking baths and long showers. * Leave the faucet OFF when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. Only turn it on when needed. * If you must wash your car at home, only turn on the hose when you're rinsing. GAS * During winter months, light a fire for warmth instead of using the central heating unit. Wood is still cheaper than gas. * check and make sure fireplace is working properly * Wear seasonal appropriate clothing around the house. Get used to wearing sweaters and pants during winter months. You'll find that you won't need to turn the heat up as high. * Lower the temperature on your gas water heater. You really don't need water heated up to 180 degrees. Lower it a bit and save. * Turn off stove and oven a few minutes before time is up. Residual heat will finish the job perfectly. PHONE * Compare the prices of various long distance providers and ask the representative which plan provides you the greatest savings based on your calling history. With all the long distance companies on the market, don't be afraid to change to one that's more appropriate for you. * Get used to email and the Internet! It costs little to nothing to use, and now with instant chatting services like Yahoo Messenger, here's the perfect money saving opportunity. * Find a good reason to have people call you. You can even come up with a good excuse for them to "call you back". HAVE A FAMILY? MAKE A GAME If you have a family, turn this utility saving exercise into a GAME! Make some type of 'agreement' with all the family members where the savings accumulated each month will be put into a 'savings jar'. Then after six months or a years time, a nice vacation can be arranged. Sit down with everyone when the bills come and compare the savings from month to month. Not only can this be an educational experience for your children, but it's the perfect opportunity to get the whole family involved working towards a goal. ----- About the author: Gregory Thomas, editor of http://www.SavingSecrets.com - has written hundreds of effective money-saving tips, strategies, and articles over the past 6 years. Visit their website and you'll find FREE money-saving articles, a monthly newsletter, and even a FREE Ebook download just for stopping by!
Ad Board
Is your ad out yet?
Co-op and classified ads are now listed on our Ad Board. The board will be refreshed every issue with a new batch of ads.
Roll Up Your Sleeves Re-using Old Picture Frames by Rachel Paxton It's fun taking something apart and putting it back together again in a new creative way. I work in an office where we had a lot of old promotional type posters that were very expensively matted and framed. Now that we're moving to a new office we wanted something new, but didn't want to spend a lot of money decorating. We decided to disassemble the old frames and re-use the mats to frame new prints. We made a visit to a local craft store and found an abundance of inexpensive artwork in all sizes, ranging in price from $1.49 to $40.00. Definitely within our budget. We picked out several beautiful floral prints and framed them with the old mats and frames. Disassembling the old prints included tearing off most of the prints that had previously been glued to the mats, but I just tore it all off and used scotch tape to tack down the new prints. The new prints don't have to completely fit your frames or mats, either. It was hard finding prints that were just the right size. Don't be afraid to move the print around in a mat that's a little too small. Often you can cover some edges of the print and not take away from the overall effect of the picture at all. Just trim edges where necessary to make the print fit (after you've double checked your positioning within the mat). You can also buy bigger mats to make a smaller print fit in a larger frame. If you don't care if all of your frames match, it's very inexpensive to shop thrift stores and yard sales for cheap prints and re-use the mats and frames for new prints. Or go through some of your own old prints and redecorate! Also, when looking for inexpensive prints, don't limit yourself to poster prints. Postcards and greeting cards also look great framed. Add a mat and you'll never be able to tell the difference. You don't need a lot of special tools to get started. All you really need is possibly a screwdriver for disassembling frames, a ruler to make sure your print is straight, some tape for attaching the print to the mat, and a pencil and scissors for marking and trimming prints that don't quite fit. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have great wall art. It just takes a little planning ahead to match print sizes to frames and match colors. Have fun, and use your imagination! A beautiful picture really brightens up a room, and you can create your own easily and inexpensively. ----- About the author: Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For easy do-it-yourself home decorating ideas for busy moms, visit http://www.frugal-home-decor.com
Water Cooler
Want a free classified ad? Just send in your favorite, your wildest, most creative money-saving tip. You have to be a Minute Chaser to earn yourself that FREE 3 line-by-60 character ad. It doesn’t get any easier than this. Come on, do it now, send ‘em in. |
IN THIS PENNY PINCHER EDITION Editor’s Scribbles Dollars ‘n Sense Save Money off Your Home Utility Bills Ad Board Roll Up Your Sleeves Re-using Old Picture Frames Water Cooler Earn a FREE classified - easy!
You are receiving this publication because you gave express direct consent when you subscribed to Minute Chaser Ezine either through a website, an ezine, a co-op, or by placing your ad with us. By subscribing, you agree to accept in-house and third-party advertising in our publication.
This issue may be FREELY distributed to friends, colleagues and discussion lists as long as the *entire issue* is included.
Reading a friend's copy of this ezine? Sign up for your own copy - it’s free!
Are you a mom? Take a break from your busy day and meet other moms.
 Click to join g3moms QUICK LINKS
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Like this ezine design?
I’d love to hear from you Send me your questions, suggestions, feedback.
Got something to share? A tip? An idea? An experience? Send it in with your web link if you have one.
Where in the world are you? Share with us something special about who you are or what you do. Send it in with your web link if you have one.
Enjoy this ezine? Vote for us at the Cumuli Ezine Finder.
Manage Your Subscription
To update your email address, or to unsubscribe, please use the link in the email that brought you to this page. Please do not email changes to me. |
||
|
Thanks for making Minute Chaser a part of your busy day ! |
|||
|
Advertising Disclaimer: Minute Chaser Ezine neither represents or endorses the accuracy or reliability of any of the advertisements above or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad. While all articles have been selected for their content, the publishing of such articles within this ezine does NOT constitute a recommendation or endorsement of the products/services mentioned within those articles. We strongly encourage you to do your own due diligence before responding to any offer. |
|||
|
Issue 0508-26. Copyright 2004-2005 Minute Chaser Ezine. All rights reserved in all countries. |
|||
Hello fellow Chasers and a warm welcome to our Penny Pincher Edition.
.
