Budget Style

Get started now if you want to save energy and save money this winter. Take a good look around your home first and look for possible "leaks," or areas where your heat may be escaping and cold air may creep in. Windows and doors are the most common culprits, but there are things you may overlook, as well. One example would be a permanently installed air conditioner. Make sure that the back is covered tightly and securely and that any cracks around the unit itself are sealed.

Once you've sealed all the leaks with weather stripping, plastic and other weather proofing materials you can pick up inexpensively at your local hardware or home store, it's time to consider some other small steps you can take to save energy before tackling the big issue of heating. If you haven't switched over to the new energy-efficient light bulbs, it's definitely time to do so. I own a small business and I have replaced as many of the lights as possible with those type of bulbs and have noticed much more of a reduction in my electric bill than I ever expected. The bulbs themselves are a little expensive, but they pay for themselves very quickly, last much longer than standard light bulbs and provide the same quality and level of lighting at a fraction of the cost. If you can't afford to replace all the bulbs in your house at once, take it step by step and replace one a week.

Keeping in mind what most of our mother's preached to us when we were kids is another great way to save energy. You probably heard a million times to turn a light off when you leave a room. It's a great habit to get into and will save money in the longrun. Take this a step further and look at other devices that can be silent energy drains, sucking money as well as juice even when you think they're not. Your computer, even if has a sleep or power-saver mode, is using power constantly. Turning it off when not in use will save you a lot on your electric bill. Other electrical items, such as chargers for phones and music players also constantly pull juice, even when the devices are not attached to them. By unplugging the chargers when not in use, you'll eliminate yet another source of needless energy waste.

The biggest problem in winter time is heat. It's most people's largest expense during the winter months and it's more of a necessity than a luxury, so it can't be done without. There are ways, however, to save on your heating costs. Closing off rooms you don't use and not wasting energy heating them will help,

but that's not always practical. One of the easiest ways to impact your heat bill is to set your thermostat on the lowest setting at which you feel comfortable. After you've gotten used to this temperature, turn it down three more degrees. The human body isn't supposed to be able to feel the difference in a temperature difference of three degrees, but you'll be using less energy and over time that will result in a lower heating bill.

Another way to save money on heat is to NOT turn your thermastat up and down. You may think you're saving money by turning your heat off or way down when you're not home, like when you go to work, but think about what you do when you return. You turn it up full blast to warm it up quickly, using a great deal of energy in a short amount of time. Even if you only turn it back to your normal setting, the heating unit has to work harder to get back to that temperature and is still using more energy than it would if you had just left it alone. Of course, if you are using portable electric heaters to supplement your heating, you should always turn those off when you're not around because they can pose a fire hazard when left unattended.

Portable electric heaters are a great way to supplement your main heating unit and help it not have to work so hard to warm your home, especially if your main source of heat is gas which is sure to be exorbitantly high this season. If you're having a difficult time paying your heating bills, go to your gas or electric company and see if they offer a program which allows you to pay an average of your past year's bills each month. This can be a good way to avoid being surprised with huge bills in the winter making it a struggle to pay your other bills. If you're in the same boat as a lot of us this year, you're already struggling. See if your gas or electric company offers any subsidy programs or can point you toward a nonprofit group that can help you out with your heating bills. There are lots of great groups out there that help people out when they need it and there is no shame in asking. Normally it's as simple as providing proof of income to see if you qualify. It's definitely worth a shot.

A few final things you can do to save energy are to check out things that "run" all the time like your refrigerator and water heater. See if you can turn both of them down a few notches. Of course you will need to make sure you don't turn your refrigerator down too low and risk having your food stored an unsafe temperatures, but most of us could stand to turn them down a notch or two without making a huge difference in the temperature. To be on the safe side you might want to invest in a relatively inexpensive thermometer to make sure you haven't overdone it. The water heater can usually easily be turned down a little. You don't need to be able to boil an egg with the water that comes from your tap, it just needs to be hot. Turning it down a bit keeps it from using extra energy all the time and could save a great deal in the long run.

Remember that when it comes to saving money on energy, there's no one big quick fix. It's actually the little things that mean a lot. If you carefully look around at the ways your energy is being used you will see that, in addition to those mentioned here, you will notice many more. Make a mental not of each of them and see if there is a way that you can help to reduce your usage and dependence on the utility companies.

A Collection of Old-Time Household Hints
By Linda Carol Wilson

I love collecting recipes, cookbooks and household hints. Below are a list of old-fashioned household hints I collected from the back of an old cookbook. They are interesting, sometimes funny and some are still practical for today. They are written exactly as they were in the book. I hope you will enjoy reading them. And who knows, you just might learn a thing or two.

Old-Fashioned Household Tips

1. To keep nuts from sinking to the bottom of cake or bread batter, shake them in a paper bag with a pinch or two of flour.

2. Do not discard worn pillow slips. Cut a small hole in the seamed end and slip it over a hanger as protection for clothes.

3. Use cotton swabs dipped in lukewarm soap or detergent suds to clean the grooves of carved furniture.

4. Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes before baking will bake more rapidly.

5. A pie crust will be more easily made and better if all the ingredients are cool.

6. To cut fresh bread easily, cut with a hot knife.

7. Tablecloths and sheets should be folded crosswise occasionally. It will make them last longer.

8. To prevent the iron from sticking, add a little salt to the starch.

9. To remove iodine stains from linens rub the stained area with a slice of lemon.

10. Fruit stains may be removed with a strong solution of borax, or the stain moistened with water, rubbed with borax, and boiling water poured through.

11. Measure a cupful of whipped cream after it is whipped.

12. To avoid lumps in batter, add a pinch of salt to the flour before it is wet.

13. To cream butter and sugar, warm a bowl, put the butter in, then sieve the sugar on top. Beat until the mixture is like whipped cream.

14. To improve the flavor of old potatoes, add a little sugar to the water in which they are boiled.

15. To keep lint from clinging to blue jeans and corduroys, add a half cup of vinegar to each wash load.

16. Bury the yeast cake in salt and it will keep for some time.

17. Heat lemons well before using and there will be twice as much juice.

18. To prevent cakes from burning, sprinkle salt in the oven under the baking pans.

19. Never beat egg-whites in an aluminum pan, it is sure to darken them.

20. If egg yolks become stringy after being added to hot puddings, especially tapioca, use a beater; the lumps will adhere to the beater, and leave the pudding smooth.

21. When baking a milk pudding, place the dish in a pan of water in the oven. This prevents the pudding from burning or boiling over.

22. A well-beaten white of egg added to mashed potatoes will add to the looks and taste of the dish.

23. When bread is baking, a small dish of water in the oven will help to keep the crust from getting too hard.

24. To draw out the salt from salted fish, add a glass of vinegar to the water in which the fish is soaking.

25. Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to cranberries while cooking and they will not require much sugar.

26. To keep milk or cream from souring in hot weather, stir in a small quantity of bicarbonatge of soda.

27. All seasonings should be added gradually to soup, or the flavor may be too strong.

28. A little finely grated cheese added to thin soup improves the taste immensely.

29. If parsley is washed with hot water, instead of cold, it retains its flavor and is easier to chop.

30. To prevent the odor of boiling ham or cabbage permeating the house, add a little vinegar to the water in which they are boiled.

There you have it, folks. Old-fashioned tips for everyday use. I especially like #26. However, I'm sure that was very important to folks many years ago. But there are some tips that are still quite useful today, number 29 for example. Anyway, it is fun to share these tips with you.

Linda is a collector of vintage recipes, cookbooks, and household hints. You may visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/

She is also a diabetic and has a website dedicated to diabetic recipes and information at http://www.diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Carol_Wilson
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As costs of everything continue to climb, most of us are looking at ways to maximize our budget. One way to do this is to take steps to save money on food. With a few relatively painless tactics, you can significantly trim your spending at the grocery store and keep more of your hard-earned cash for other needs.

One way save money on food is to change your thinking about grocery shopping just a little. Not all grocery shopping has to be done in a grocery store. These days, discount stores like Dollar General, Family Dollar and others are adding more food items. You can pick up lots of basic items like canned goods and much more for less than you'd pay at the grocery store. Do a little comparison shopping and see which items are significantly less expensive at these types of stores and then stock up on them to compliment your overall grocery shopping.

Another good way to save money on food is to get over being a brand snob. Most of us were raised to believe that a certain brand of canned corn was inherently better than any other. However, store brands and generics offer the same quality at reduced prices. After all, canned corn is pretty much canned corn. There are exceptions. Nobody seems to have gotten a few things like peanut butter and pasta sauce quite right. Do a little experimenting, adding in a few store brand or generic items each week. Continue to buy the ones that are just as good as what you're used to and go ahead and splurge on a few brand name items if you can't find a suitable alternative. Saving money doesn't have to mean eating something you can't stand.

Learn to tune out the advertising messages that have been drilled into your head about certain places offering the best price on everything. It simply often isn't true. While you can save money on a large variety of items by shopping in one of those super stores, you might be surprised to find that you can often find lower prices on some items in small, independently owned local stores. By visiting them as part of your food buying routine, you'll be saving money and helping your local economy.

Coupons are still a good way to save money on food. Be sure to scan the newspapers, online resources and even look for coupons inside the store. Always look for "save now" coupons on items you're buying. Sometimes you will find these instant savings coupons already on the package. If you don't notice them and point them out to the cashier, you're missing out on potential savings. Ten cents off a can of green beans might seem like it's not worth taking time for, but if you consistently utilize coupons you'll be amazed at how much the savings add up over the course of a year.

Food preparation offers you another opportunity to save money. Learn to cook according to your family's appetite to avoid waste. If you always have mashed potatoes left over that you have to throw out, then cut back the amount you're making per meal. If you do wind up with leftovers despite your best efforts, get creative and turn those leftovers into another meal. This used to be a common practice that we've gotten away from. In these tight economic times, you won't find as many people scoffing at vegetable soup made from yesterday's leftovers.

Finally, another good way to save money on food is a simple tip you've probably heard before. Never go shopping when you're hungry. Everything will look wonderful and you'll feel like you simply have to have things you normally wouldn't pick up. Go grocery shopping after you've already eaten and have a list of what you truly need to avoid impulse purchases and picking up extras you can live without. Asking yourself whether you can live without something or if another choice might be more economical will also help you save money.

The bottom line is to be conscious of your spending, make wise choices based on what you and your family really need versus what you just want, allow yourself some room to splurge so you don't feel constantly deprived, compare prices at various stores, use those coupons, be open to new places to buy things, and use those leftovers wisely. You'll find that in time you'll become a truly great bargain shopper with a little extra money in your pocket.

Have you discovered some smart, simple ways to save money? Share them here with your fellow Budget Style readers.