There is a lot of talk around the world about compact fluorescent bulbs. They save energy. They also contain mercury and can be big. They just don’t fit in a lot of my fixtures. So I keep checking the prices of LED bulbs. Here is a little math to see whether or not a $70 LED bulb is a good replacement for a $7 Halogen flood… Read the rest of this entry »
When I was a kid, my mom was always after me to turn off the lights after I left a room. I got to be pretty good, even nagging my friends when they left lights on. It wasn’t a global warming or environmental thing back then, it was to save money. Now that everyone in on an energy savings kick, I thought I’d offer a nag-free solution: motion-sensitive light switches. These have a light switch and a little curved plastic window. Behind the window sits a device to sense motion in the room. I have seen them in lots of offices and I’ve heard some states require them in commercial buildings.
These are great for walk-in closets, bathrooms, kid’s rooms and other places where people tend to leave on the lights. They’re good for real rooms, too, but don’t use them where you might unexpectedly fall asleep! If you have one in the living room and you fall asleep on the couch, the light will go out and you will have a nice comfortable night’s sleep on the couch. Oops.
You can pick these up at almost any hardware store. They are no different/difficult to install than a normal light switch.
Really good. Gasoline needs air to make the explosions that drive your car. Air comes into your car through an air filter. The filter cleans out the dust and other particles floating around (like bugs).
The way most filters clean the air coming in is to trap the particles in the paper the filter is made from. This means that over time the filter will be clogged with gunk and not suck in as much air. The dirtier the air, the faster the filter clogs.
Replacing your car’s air filter when it’s dirty can give a whopping 10% increase in gas mileage!
There are some air filters that don’t need replacement. They are made from washable materials. Instead of replacing the air filter, it’s washed. The effect is the same: more air to the engine.
Keep air flowing to the engine and get better gas mileage.
Welcome to the Trim Your Budget blog.
A little about me and the blog:
I live in (or rather near) Angel Fire, NM. My house is rammed earth, there are wood ceilings and a few framed walls, but most of the house is made of dirt. We did it to save money and be more environmentally friendly. My wife did the construction management, and a lot of the work. More on this in a later post.
I created ths blog because I have been trying to save money due to higher energy and food costs and the likelihood of higher taxes. I’ll be sharing some of what I’ve been doing and some new ideas I want to try.
Welcome, and let me know what you use and what you think.