No-Cost and Low-Cost
Money Saving & Energy Reducing Tips

No-Cost Ways to Save

1. Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers, etc.
2. Check the furnace or air conditioner (AC) filter each month, and clean or replace it as needed.
3. Glass fireplace doors help stop heat from being lost up the chimney. Also, close the fireplace damper when not in use.
4. Activate "sleep" features on computers and office equipment that power down when not in use for a while. Turn off equipment during longer periods of non-use to cut energy costs and improve longevity.
5. About 15 percent of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. To save hot water, take five-minute showers instead of baths. Do only full loads when using the laundry machine or dishwasher.
6. Switch to cold water when washing laundry in top-loading, energy-inefficient washing machines.
7. Lower the temperature on your water heater. It should be set at "warm," so that a thermometer held under running water reads no more than 120 degrees.
8. Only heat the rooms you need - close vents and doors of unused rooms.

Low-Cost Ways to Save

1. Seal and weatherstrip your windows and doors to ensure that you're not wasting energy on heat or air conditioning that escapes through leaks to the outdoors.
2. A water tank insulation wrap costs about $20 and helps hold the heat inside. Add pre-cut pipe insulation to exposed pipes going into your water heater - it is cheap and easy to install.
3. Storm windows can reduce heat lost by single-paned windows by 25 to 50 percent during the winter. As an alternative, you can improve your windows temporarily with plastic sheeting installed on the inside.
4. When buying new products, look for the Energy Star label, found on more than 40 different products such as TVs, furnaces, cell phones, refrigerators, air conditioners, and more.
5. Incandescent light bulbs are outdated; 95 percent of the energy used goes to heating the bulb, adding unwanted heat to your home in the summer. Replace your five most used light bulbs with Energy Star compact fluorescent bulbs to save $60 each year in energy costs. These light bulbs use two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer. Use dimmers, timers, and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.

5 Best Dog Breeds for First Time Owners

So you're thinking about getting a dog. Sure, you've entertained the idea before, but this time you're really serious. Yet you're intimidated. You've never owned a dog, not even as a kid. It seems like a lot of work -- walking it, training it, making sure it won't destroy your home or make your neighbors hate you because of constant barking.

Luckily, there is an infinity of breeds out there to pick from, and many of them make particularly good choices for you, the first-time dog owner.

1. The Brittany makes a terrific first dog for owners and families with very active lifestyles.
   
   
2. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are loyal people-pleasers who love to be around their owners as much as possible.
   
   
3. Golden Retrievers are the classic American family dogs, as they are known for their warm and loving natures, and for their patience with children.
   
   
4. Long, lanky and lightning fast, you’d think that Greyhounds would be more full of energy than just about any other breed, but they are incredibly mellow and laid-back.
   
   
5. More people in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand own Labrador Retrievers than any other breed... and that’s been true for more than 20 years.

10 Most Common
New Year's Resolutions...
Are They On Your List?

1. Eat healthy and exercise regularly. Generally, people use the holiday season as an excuse to binge one last time before the New Year.
2. Drink less. Drinking less kills many birds with one stone: It helps you lose weight, it helps your insides stay healthier, and it helps you make better life decisions.
3. Learn something new. The sky is the limit, and in this great world, there are so many fascinating things to discover.
4. Quit smoking. To quit smoking is an ongoing resolution that reaches its peak at the start of the New Year.
5. Better work/life balance. Working is great: it brings in income, the food on your table, and the vacation you take over the summer. But it’s those who embody the un-tangible items in life that simply cannot be ignored for their job as an accountant, lawyer, writer, and so on.
6. Volunteer. Spending a few hours at a city soup kitchen counts, so does visiting the old age home. It’s rare you meet someone who hasn’t been rewarded in some way after his or her volunteer efforts.
7. Set a savings budget. Whether it’s saving for retirement, a down payment on a house or eliminating debt, pay yourself first by setting aside a portion of each paycheck
8. Get organized. This might mean your kitchen, your bedroom drawers, your desk at the office, or your social life.
9. Read more. It could be a biography of George Washington, it could be Fifty Shades of Grey, or it could be a picture book. Only things not allowed are textbooks, policy briefs, and the like.
10. Finish those around the house "to-do" lists. Set a day aside, early in the year so it comes a bit more realistic to get done, before your first to-do list is on the master, later on to-do list.