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Entry bubble Saving Money on Home Heating

By: Jess | November 05, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

FurnaceWe've already changed the clocks and soon that winter chill is going to start creeping into the air (unless maybe you live in Florida, in which case, I'm a little jealous).

Winter usually means a spike in the cost of your energy bills from having to run the heat. But if you're looking to keep costs low this year, and really who isn't, the Federal Trade Commission's Weathering the High Cost of Heating Your Home offers several tips that will help you save money this winter.

Check out some of the suggestions:

  • Check drafty areas of the house (like the attic and basement) to be sure they are properly insulated to not let heat escape.
  • Look into installing a programmable thermostat that can keep your home at a cooler temperature when you're not there, and turn it up an hour before you get home.
  • Vaccum air vents, heaters and radiators regularly to prevent blocked airflow.
  • Seal any flues in your fireplace if you don't use it.
  • Close the doors to rooms that don't get used frequently.

What are your best tips for saving money on heating costs in the winter? Share them in the comments.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: heating   jess   money   savings  

 

Entry bubble Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend

By: Jess | October 29, 2009 | Category: General

ClockHere's a big reminder if you don't have it on your calendar yet.

Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend!

Starting on Sunday at 2 a.m. Daylight Saving Time will end (for the places that observe it) and we'll all need to set our clocks back one hour.

Personally I love the extra hour of sleep, but hate the shorter days that come with switching back to standard time. I'm also not always the best at remembering to change the clocks. I usually remember at the last minute Saturday night. Forgetting to change your clocks can cause mild chaos for some people, like a friend of mine who went the whole day without remembering to switch her clocks and almost ended up being late for work the following Monday. (This was in the spring, when we were supposed to spring our clocks ahead an hour.)

Curious as to why this whole Daylight Saving Time and changing clocks thing even exists? National Geographic did a nice job explaining the history of DST.

Have you ever forgotten to change your clocks? Feel free to share your stories in the comments.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: changing_clocks   daylight_saving_time   jess   sleep   time  

 

Entry bubble Vegetarian Awareness Month

By: Jess | October 22, 2009 | Category: Health

Fruits and vegetablesI know to many Americans the thought of living without meat seems practically impossible. But there's an entire group of people in the country who do it and love it. Vegetarianism has many forms, from the super flexible flexitarian, who eats meat on occasion, to the extremely strict vegan, who doesn't buy any product that was tested on animals or contains any animal products.

The North American Vegetarian Society dubbed October as Vegetarian Awareness Month to teach people some of the benefits of not eating meat. Don't worry, the group isn't trying to convert you. It just wants to show you that it's possible to go a day, a week or even a month without eating meat and still have plenty of yummy and healthy options.

Personally, I consider myself a flexitarian. I only eat meat if it's served to me or if I'm at a restaurant and the vegetarian options aren't that great. Or on that rare occasion when I just want a turkey sandwich. For me it wasn't a big moment when I realized eating meat was wrong, or anything like that. Touching raw meat in the kitchen just kind of grosses me out.

So in honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month, I present you with a challenge. Check out some of the great vegetarian resources from USA.gov and explore some vegetarian recipes and lifecycle information available. Pick a recipe and try it. You might be surprised to find that a diet based in fruits, vegetables and healthy grains tastes better than you expected.

Do you consider yourself a vegetarian? 

| Post a Comment | View Comments [12] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: awareness   diet   eating   jess   vegetables   vegetarian  

 

Entry bubble Expanding the Home Buyer Tax Credit

By: Jess | October 15, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

House soldTwo of my friends bought their first house this year and are moving in this weekend. They get married this spring, but they wanted to take advantage of the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit, which meant they had to buy the house before Dec. 1, 2009.

However, now there is a debate in Congress on whether the tax credit should be expanded or continued next year.

Some of the potential expansions include increasing the amount of the credit from $8,000 to $15,000, making the credit available for all of 2010 and opening the tax credit to all home buyers who meet the income requirements (currently $75,000 for those filing taxes separately and $150,000 for those filing jointly.)

Those who support the idea expanding the tax credit believe the credit will help cut down on the amount of foreclosures and prevent the housing market from falling farther.

Those who are in favor of letting the credit expire at the end of this year worry that expanding the credit would inflate house prices temporarily causing a severe drop off when the credit eventually does expire. They also worry that eventually the credit will have to be paid for through higher taxes.

So where do you stand on this issue? Are you in favor of expanding the credit or letting it expire after this year?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: home_buyer   jess   tax_credit  

 

Entry bubble Banned: Flavored Cigarettes

By: Jess | October 01, 2009 | Category: Health

no smoking signLast week cigarettes with candy and clove flavors were banned in the United States as the first step in the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

The reason for the ban was to get rid of flavored cigarettes, which may attract more kids and teens to begin smoking, leading to a lifelong habit. Companies that continue to ship the products in the country will be subject to punishment from the FDA. A phone number (1-877-CTP-1373) and website have been set up for people to report if they continue to see these products for sale.

I'm not a smoker, so this ban doesn't affect me on a personal level, but I want to know what you all think. Smoking is a personal issue for a lot of people, so please share your opinions on the new ban. (Please make sure to read our comment guidelines before doing so.)

| Post a Comment | View Comments [15] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: ban   cigarettes   jess   no_smoking   smoking  

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