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HOUSEHOLD BUDGETING
Top 10 Tips to Reduce Electricity
Bills during Summer
Are your electricity
bills shocking you? Take a look at our 10 best tips to deal with
this issue and you will move a step closer to lower bills this
summer.
1. Check your ducts
for leakage. Leakage from ducts causes 20 to 40 percent energy loss
as they let out conditioned air into unconditioned spaces that
result in improper air distribution. An effective way to check all
ducts is to get your ducts pressure tested using a duct
blaster test. Leaking ducts can then be repaired using special
metallic backing tape available for the purpose.
2. Reduce cooling
costs by buying a programmable thermostat and lower it three degrees
at night. Set it to 80 degrees when you are at home and 90 degrees
when you are away to cut down your energy bills.
3. Provide natural
shade to all windows, especially the west facing ones using blinds,
awnings shade cloth or by designing your garden so that windows are
blocked by trees, large bushes or trellises.
4. During summer
time, hang your clothes out to dry. You will save a lot of energy
that your dryer consumes and will find the fresh, sun-dried feel of
your clothes. If you have to use the dryer, set it on auto-dry
rather than setting a timed cycle.
5. Use CFL's as much
as possible all around your home. Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs are
the best way to reduce electric bills. Replace incandescent and
other bulbs with these, wherever practical. Install dimmers and
timers wherever possible.
6. Use cold or warm
water to wash clothes with the exception of soiled and very dirty
clothes that need hot water. Always, use cold water for rinsing
clothes.
7. An empty
refrigerator increases electricity bills. Keep it full as the mass
of all the cooled contents in it help keep the temperature cool.
Take care that the refrigerator has a lot of breathing space and
clean it's coils regularly.
8. Use fans in your
house. Fans help circulate air and keep your house cool. Your air
conditioner has to work much less if it is accompanied by a ceiling
fan.
9. Paint the exterior
of your house in white or light colors. If you have a flat roof,
paint the terrace white as well. It will help in reflecting back
most of the sun rays and will avoid making your walls too hot. If
you have sloping roofs, install light-colored shingles the next time
you make changes to it.
10. Insulate to stop
heat transfer. Install insulations in walls, crawl spaces like
attics, basements etc. Insulating the ceiling is very cost-effective
and stops heat flow from attic into the living and other rooms. If
you already have insulation, get it upgraded to an R-38 level which
is recommended.
For more
money saving tips, money management and budgeting, printable
bill paying and budgeting checklists and many other
creative homemaking ideas, visit
http://www.MyKindaLiving.com
RECIPES
Crock Pot Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake
Ingredients:
2 c. chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. chopped nuts
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bowl mixing well. Beat about 2
minutes. Pour batter into greased and floured 2 pound coffee can.
Place can in crockpot. Cover top of can with 8 paper towels. Cover
crockpot and bake on high 2 to 3 hours.
Recipe Courtesy:
Chocolate Cookbook.
Visit us for more chocolate recipes.
PETS
10 Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe & Healthy During Summer
Summertime is great fun both for you and your pet. But it can
also bring along some dangers for your four-legged friend that you
might not be aware of. Here are ten tips that take no more than
simple care, to keep your pets healthy and safe during summer:
1. Take your pet for walks in cooler hours in the morning or late
evening. The hot afternoon sun makes pavements hot which can burn
your pet's feet.
2. While you might enjoy swimming and wish to take your pet along
with you, beware that deep pools can cause problems for your pet. It
might not be able to get out of water or swallow poisonous chemicals
while inside.
3. Take strict measures to prevent fleas. Use a bed of cedar
shavings or get a powder from the vet that will help get rid off
fleas.
4. If taking your pet along for a road trip, feed it with cool
water several times a day and keep it in a cool part of the car
which is away from direct sun.
5. Use car harnesses when traveling with your pet in a car. This
will help protect your pet from sudden halts.
6. When taking your pet to the beach, keep it off the hot sand
which might burn it's feet. An umbrella will provide good shade and
regular drinking of cool water will help it stay cool throughout the
visit.
7. If your pet spends most of the time outdoors, make sure it has
a lot of shade to play and rest under and ensure ample supply of
drinking water.
8. Never leave your pet in a parked car during summer. Cars get
hot quickly and pets can die of heat stroke.
9. Keep your pet from playing on the lawn. Lawn grass with weed
killers and pesticides can provide harmful for pets. Pets can even
get poisoned by licking themselves after walking on pesticide
treated grass. If you notice vomiting or diarrhea, visit the vet
immediately.
10. Regular health checks at home and trips to the vet when
necessary, like before planning a summer vacation, will ensure that
your pet stays healthy throughout summer. At home, check for lumps
under the fur and for any strange changes in eating or drinking
habits. Call the vet if something seems suspicious and abide by the
vet's advice.
Looking for more articles on your pet's health, safety and
care? For more tips and advice for your pets, visit
http://www.PetstoGet.com
WORKING WOMEN
Survival Tips for the Working Mom
It is easy to get frustrated with life when you feel like you are
managing more than you can really manage and doing a thankless job
at that because things never seem to be perfect. But what is
difficult is to fight back like most of the working mothers out
there have to do in order to continue with their own careers.
'Everything Done To Perfection' is never going to happen and even
stay at home moms can't boast of that, so once and for all, get out
of that frustration. But that said, there are some surefire ways
that can help you manage your time and your entire life in a better
way.
We share with you some of the ways that successful working moms
have shared with us in their interviews on Dot Com Women and who
want all the working moms of the world to read and benefit from
their experiences.
1. Organize Your Time
Wake up before kids do. Grab a peaceful fifteen minutes for
yourself and do whatever you like. It could be reading the morning
newspaper with a cup of coffee or doing stretching exercises or
meditating or just sitting in your porch or garden with a cup of tea
or coffee. Have a shower, make the kids' lunches and your own if
possible. Before you leave for work, put your laundry into the
washer and use slow cookers to start cooking the dinner.
After you come back from work, spend time with kids. Talk to them
about what happened at school and check their school work. Use the
evening to get prepared for the next morning. Lay out children's
clothes and chop/freeze for the next day's meals.
2. Get Help from Your Family
Enlist your husband and kids' help in doing household chores.
While you still need to do the most of the work yourself, divide a
considerable amount of work between other members of the family so
that the work gets done quickly and none of the other members feel
bogged down by too much work. Tasks such as cleaning the house which
otherwise never get done, can be performed daily if you assign it to
the kids. This will also teach your kids to be responsible.
You can also ask your husband to take the kids out to the nearby
park so that you can get an extra couple of hours. This is
especially handy when you have overdue housework or an important
work assignment from your office.
3. Make Your Life Easy
Make your lifestyle easy by buying gadgets and using services
that can really make things easier for you. Look for small
appliances that can help you in the kitchen in your busy mornings.
Keep some easy-to-make or ready-to-eat food at hand for emergency
situations when you do not have the time to prepare full meals. Hire
household help if you can. Utilize community services that charge
you a small sum for bringing home your groceries, washing your car
or paying your bills for you. Use the internet to shop from home and
save valuable time which you can spend with your kids instead.
4. Prioritize
It is for you to decide and prioritize your day. Is it a spotless
home that you really want or do you think you should do something
special for your husband or your kids. Is there a way to do both?
Similar questions arise when you get stuck between an important
meeting with a client and attending your child's ballet recital.
Learn to set your priorities right. While you obviously want to be
at the recital, you cannot always set it to be your top priority.
Ask your husband for support and make sure that at least one parent
is there for your kids. Be aware that your husband could also need
such support and you should make it possible for him to miss your
son's baseball match for his meeting while you take his place at the
match.
And when you do miss out on anything that is of special
importance to your kids or your husband, take the time to make up
for it by asking about it with interest and getting all the details
no matter how tired you yourself are. Chances are, that your husband
and children will really understand your situation and support you.
The key to being a good mother is staying happy and sane, whether
you work or not. Minimizing your guilt feeling about not doing
enough for your family and feeling at peace deep inside your mind is
what will help you manage your personal and professional lives in a
more efficient way and enjoy your life with your dear ones.
Working Mothers all over the
world can relate to this article and we hope, find some support in
it. For more tips, advice and resources for
Working Mothers,
Freelancing Careers and
Household
Finance & Budgeting, visit the Work & Finance Channel of Dot Com
Women.
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475 Gift Basket Ideas
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Ebook ideas with detailed
instructions and supplies lists for making your own gift baskets
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