Personal energy independence is possible and this video describes an ebook which can show you how to achieve it. Not only can you have free electricity, but you this books tells you how to make money by selling your surplus to the electric companies.

Foreclosure can be devastating to your finances and your mental health. If you find yourself in a situation which may result in the foreclosure or your property, don’t despair; take action. There are things you can do to stall, or even avoid foreclosure. The bank’s case is not infallible. You can win and you can keep your home. David is a foreclosure attorney. His report, Foreclosure Defense Secrets, can save your home, your future finances and your sanity.

Saving Money on Air Conditioning

Air conditioning – lower your cooling and heating bills by closing drapes and blinds during the summer and insulating with blankets on windows during the winter months. Sun light coming through your windows throughout the day brings in unwanted heat and raises indoor temperatures, that in turn, makes your air conditioning unit have to work harder, and thereby, costing you more.

In the evening, during the summer, open your shades and such to let the cooler night air in. This coolness will be retained throughout the night. Wood flooring keeps your home cooler and carpeting keeps it warmer. I bring out area rugs during the winter and helps keep the house warmer.

I also insulate my windows with thick blankets for added warmth. Wood floors are colder in winter. Thick comforters work better than thicker made curtains anyway. Bring them down for spring- cleaning and store them until the following winter. With these methods, I have found my electric bill to be incredibly lower and I don’t have to use the heat or air conditioning most of the time.

You can use ceiling fans as well, to keep your cold air circulating and set your thermostat at a higher temperature in the summer. Large trees and bushes also provide shade that lead to lower energy bills. This welcoming shade will also save you lots on energy cost. We have giant Oak trees that shade most of the house as well as large bushes that cover most of the windows – this can also serve as a burglar deterrent.

Do not pay your electric bill or any bill for that matter on a credit card. You’ll end up paying ten to thirty percent on your final credit card statement.

Make sure your refrigerator is just the right size for your needs. Empty shelf or drawer space leads to energy loss. It’s more efficient to cool or freeze filled areas than empty areas.

When wanting to conserve heat or air conditioning, shades work over 30 percent more efficiently than draperies.

Later,g

Winter Holiday Money Saving Tips

Home made snow – beat together a solution of water and your choice of natural powdered soap flakes. You can find this product in your laundry isle, but to make it even better, buy powdered natural soap flakes from your local health food market…especially if little ones are involved in the application of the home made snow. I did this last year at my son’s school and I was really surprised at how beautiful the project came out.

Anyway, you can hand mix this recipe but an electric mixer is better and quicker. The consistency seems to come out smoother and easier to apply on the tree. Mix until the solution is thick, followed by spooning on ends of tree branches. You can cover most of the branches if you’d like more of a white tree effect. You’ll be really surprised how great it works, and actually ends up being lots cheaper, and you get larger amounts for less money investment.

Here are a few ways to make your Christmas trees last a little longer.

One way to make sure you’re buying a really fresh tree that in turn will last longer anyway, is to rub the base and feel for moisture content. If it feels really ooey and gooey, you’re buying a really fresh tree.

Extending the color life of the needles can be achieved by trimming the base of your tree and putting it in a bucket of cold water (just the bottom part of the tree) with any cup of sweet substance mixed into the water. I prefer organic brown sugar but you can use maple syrup, regular sugar or even honey. No fake sugar products.

Keep in mind, before going to pick out your tree, that certain varieties last longer and stay greener than others. Spruce and Scotch Pine are some of the best.

Homemade gift tags – use your unwanted cards with pretty pictures printed on them and cut out in squares. Fill the blank side out like you would a store bought gift tag.

If you have a newspaper subscription, save the paper to be used as wrapping paper. Use the funnies for kids and apply your homemade tags… free of charge and readily available. Anything to keep you away from the crowds is worth it.

Hoping your Holidays are inexpensive and creative. Later,g

Back to school shopping…

Ways to save money and help our environment when you shop for ‘back to school.’

Although school has been in session for over 2 months now, get out there and shop for next year. Don’t wait for the back to school shopping madness when prices are raised due to consumerism or go crazy shopping during after school sales. Shop now when it’s quiet and take your time as you check out secondhand shops and garage sales. You might even have friends whose children are a couple of years older than yours and they can supply you with an assortment of gently used school items and apparel.

I have a very good friend that has pretty much supplied my son’s clothes for back to school since he started Kindergarten. I am so appreciative to her. She’d much rather hand them down to me than give it away to a store or church. You won’t believe how much money it’s saved. My Son always looks great and in style! Remember, shop a year before on back to school items, swim suits and summer gear. Other than food, shop out of season for the rest. If you’re planning a vacation, travel off- season.

Check out thrift shops and consignment shops, especially those in upper class neighborhoods. You’ll be surprised what cool stuff you can find and usually in excellent condition. Last year, my daughter found a really cool high-end designer pair of jeans for about 2.00. She really loved them and ended up being one of her favorite jeans last year. They were still in style and none of her friends had the same jeans.

We also went to a discount store where everything was new and the already discounted merchandise was half off. She realized how silly it was to spend a lot of money and just get a few items years before. She now is able to get clothing she loves, and lots of it. I remember one year I purchased a pair of 100.00 shoes for her and just last year we got everything for back to school including tons of clothes for less than what those pair of shoes cost.

Purchase mechanical pencils and refillable pens. Mechanical pencils last forever and the refills are inexpensive. You don’t have to keep sharpening them and you’re saving trees along the way as well. Mechanical pens last a very long time and the refill cartridges are not that expensive, plus the cartridges themselves can be recycled. Check schools for items that can be recycled. Our schools take paper, ink cartridges and cell phones.

Before you buy new school supplies, check to see what you already have. You might even find that you still have packages of pencils, pens and even paper that have not been used up. I know we run into that every year. I make sure to double check, as one year, I bought a bunch of paper and pencils and later on, during our twice a year clean-out, found tons of school supplies that were unopened. If your backpack or binders are still in good shape, re-use them.

Use shoes and clothes that are still in good condition. Accessories for girls last year after year, and there are many more items that can be used again, recycled. Get creative and take an item and decorate it so it doesn’t look like the exact same thing. I know teenagers worry what other kids think about them, but if you instill in your children that school is for learning, they’ll better be able to handle the pressures of designer stuff!

If you really want to help our environment, and really think ahead regarding your back to school shopping, find a reliable wholesaler and purchase recycled paper or Hemp paper products, for example, and buy several years’ supply. I’ve even found gently used school supplies at second hand stores and garage sales. If you don’t have money at all for back to school shopping, remember to investigate and get in touch with your local help agency that may offer different programs to get you some free supplies, clothing and shoes. Also, check with your child’s public school. They definitely know where to send you for help with your children’s back to school stuff – free or at very low cost. It helps if your child is under the free lunch program. You’ll be guaranteed lots of help then!

Shop for eco-friendly apparel and shoes now, or wait for a sale. Zappos.com has some really great selection of eco-friendly shoes like Simple and Vans, and sometimes has great sales. The teenagers won’t even know they’re eco-friendly, cause the styles are really cool. You can also find eco-friendly gear at some secondhand stores or major discount retailers.

If you drink water throughout your school day, make sure you use a refillable water container. Shop for one that is eco-friendly. This will ensure that the bottle itself is free of materials that can cause chemical sensitivities or health problems down the road. Avoid aluminum bottles and make sure you know what’s involved in plastic ones. There are lots of web sites that specialize in eco-friendly reusable water bottles and thermoses. They also have some really cool hiking containers and thermoses as well.

Invest in solar electronics or ones with a rechargeable battery. You initially pay a little more, but… the investment is quite worth it. They recharge quickly and won’t pollute   our environment and landfills with the nasty stuff found in batteries. You’ll never have to buy batteries again and stop filling our dumps with the nasty chemicals found in batteries.

Good Luck,g

How to safely store leftovers

Cold food storage:

? Products that have been baked – 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator – 34 to 40 degrees

? Cheese cake and fruit pies – 3 to 5 days – 34to 40 degrees

? Unbaked pie shells should stay in the freezer till ready for use at 0 degrees or below

? Dairy products like cheese and cream 1 to 10 days 34 to 40 degrees
? Cottage and ricotta cheese are not recommended for the freezer

? Milk products no longer than a week but yogurt can go about 3 weeks in refrigerator -34 to 40 degrees

? I don’t recommend freezing buttermilk and sour cream

? Eggs – raw eggs should last about 3 weeks in the refrigerator -34 to 40 degrees
? Hard boiled should last about 1 week in refrigerator
? Don’t freeze eggs

? Spreads and oils last about 2 weeks to 1 month in the refrigerator
? You can freeze butter and margarine for up to 2 months but mayonnaise and salad dressings are not recommended

? Ground beef and pork chops for example should not be frozen longer than 4 months at a stretch.
? Deli meats and most processed meats should never be frozen
? Although canned hams can be refrigerated for up to 9 months unopened, it’s not recommended for freezer
? Cooked meats can last up to 4 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer
? Hot dogs can last up to 2 weeks unopened and about one week after they’ve been opened. Cooked hot dogs should only remain in your refrigerator no more than a couple of days and never cook hot dogs and freeze
? I never freeze cured bacon and only allow it to sit after it’s been opened for no more than a few days – it tends to get slimy like deli meat. If your deli meat gets slimy or smells weird even though it has a longer expiration date listed on the package, go ahead and get rid of it!

? Game birds, ducks and geese for example can be freezer stored for up to 1 year.
? Cooked birds can last up to 3 months in the freezer and about 3 days in the refrigerator

Storing Seafood:

? Uncooked fish can last a couple of days in the refrigerator. Make sure to cover any uncooked meat and always place it in the lowest part of your refrigerator so in case it leaks, it won’t contaminate other foods.
? Shellfish that has not been cooked can be stored in the refrigerator up t0 2 days and can last in the freezer about 3 to 4 months.
? Cooked shellfish can last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and about 2 months frozen

The cold life of food and its handling and storage safety is extremely important in your quest for frugality. When meats are on sale you can buy a bunch and freeze it. If you do the once a week cooking and freeze routine, it’s important to know what to cook and how long it will last. If you happen to be really self-sufficient and hunt for all of your meat products as well as prepare your meats, you need to know how long to store it for and how much you should actually hunt for. Some hunting licenses only allow a certain amount of game per year as well as specific game allowances. Information on safety of storing your meat, how much and how long can be crucial to your budgeting plans. This also works well if you only grocery shop several times a year.

Later,g

Ways to save…

Write down everything you buy and every activity you spend money on. Make sure you write down what it was for and file it under ‘needs’ or ‘wants’. Be really honest with yourself and ask if you could really have lived without spending the money. When I started this plan years ago, I also wrote and ‘alternative’ column and found free ways of achieving the same thing.

Pay all your credit cards and debts off. Avoid charging and just keep a debit card that can also be used as a credit card. If you do have credit cards with lots of credit, use these as an emergency savings account.

Write down a list of spending triggers. Check yourself out as you go through your day and maybe try to figure out what makes you spend. Are you sad, lonely, bored, excited, etc…

Figure out and write down ALL of your income sources, then eliminate any services you are paying on a monthly or weekly basis.

Write out your savings goal. Don’t eliminate things all at once – do it little by little and don’t get upset if you fail at first. Just keep on trying. Reward yourself with a little something at the end of each week. Remember, you’re trying to break and addiction so you’ll need to try and replace an unhealthy habit with a healthy one.

Just like you carry pictures of your children in your wallet, carry a little note to yourself with an affirmation of your savings plan and look at it throughout the day to remind you and give you strength. Create a wish list and look at that several times as well.

Here are some new books I’ve found to be quite helpful:

Growing money by Gail Karlitz
The Teen Girl’s Gotta have it guide by Jessica Blatt
The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn – great for moms and families
Extraordinary uses for Ordinary things – Reader’s Digest – I love this one!
Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals by Sandra Lee quick. Simple and inexpensive
The Millionaire next door by Thomas J. Stanley – interesting read