Saving Time and Money with the Freezer

As a new home owner, switching food over between refrigerators and freezers has made me more acutely aware of just how bad I am about preserving food. After cleaning out several sets of leftovers, it's hard not to feel like there's more I could have done to freeze the food that wasn't going to get used right away. Using the freezer better not only results in less time preparing food, but also less money spent since you're using the leftovers so well.  I've tried to do this a few times in the past, but I've never been able to find the right balance of time and effort.

I'm not sure if any of you are in the same boat as me, but if you are, I found a recent post on Lifehacker to be fairly helpful when it comes to the freezer. 10 Simple Freezer Tricks to Save You Time and Money has some practical guidelines to follow that will make your life easier. For instance, one of the tips talks about using a chopstick to break apart pieces of frozen meat for portion control. Also, saving hard drives in freezers can help damaged recover lost data, or may at least allow it to boot long enough to get what you need.

To read more freezer tips, be sure to visit Lifehacker. How about you guys? Do you have any freezer or refrigerator tips to save time and money?

HDTV: Batteries Not Included

One of the worst feelings as a kid was opening up my Christmas presents and seeing the phrase "batteries not included". To my young and fragile mind, this was a travesty for which there was no equal. Requiring me to wait before I played with my new loot? It was unthinkable! Interestingly enough, many are experiencing the same thing when it comes to HDTVs. Same problem, different packaging.

Last month, we posted on the blog about the fact that over 50 percent of households have HDTVs. The more curious part of that article is the notion that of the millions that now have a high definition television set of some sort, 69 percent of HDTV owners do not have HD service of any kind.

Perhaps people are fine with just having a bigger — though not necessarily better — picture? Maybe it's a money issue, though often times adding an HD package onto your existing TV service isn't much more than a few extra dollars a month. I think the largest contributing factor, though, is that most people don't realize that for HDTVs, the "batteries" are not included, and there's no information to let them know about this in the retail stores. After all, they just want you to get the TV. Why would they bother to educate people about what else is needed to enjoy it and fully utilize your entertainment investment?

So, I've decided to put together a few pieces of information that might prove helpful. Tips on where to find the "batteries" for your HDTV, so to speak. Listed below is what you need in order to start watching high definition programming. Hit the jump to read on!

Hurricane Season: Have You Prepared?

Even though it's been a relatively quiet hurricane season thus far in 2009, those pesky and devastating storms are most active between the months of August and October. Since it's been so calm this year, I honestly keep forgetting we're right in the thick of it, but it could just as easily pick up in activity since the pinnacle of the season is from early to mid-September. If this happens, are you prepared?

If there's anybody that knows a thing or two about being ready for hurricanes, it's Floridians. So if you're uncertain of how to stock your home, the Sun-Sentinel of Florida has a hurricane supply guide with some links to increase your hurricane preparedness. The list covers first aid, supplies and food and water. In particular, the list of non-perishables food items you can buy well in advance is handy.

To read more about what you will need for the rest of hurricane season, be sure to visit the Sun-Sentinel. Besides, it's good to have some of this stuff around the home in general.

Back-to-School Shopping Tips

It’s that time of year again, when children everywhere start counting down their last days of freedom and parents get ready to outfit them for another year of school. Here are some quick tips to save money this year:

• Bring a list – It may sound obvious, but make sure you bring along a list of all of the required school supplies and all of the clothing your kids need.
• Stick to the list – Back-to-school-shopping is already expensive enough, don’t make it more painful with impulse items.
• Leave the kids at home – What your children don’t know they’re missing won’t hurt them.
• Shop tax-free – Check to see if your state has a tax-free weekend, if it does you can save a bundle on supplies, clothes and expensive items like laptops.
• Don’t skimp on the important things – Going cheap on bigger-ticket items may be tempting, but there’s no point in buying a inexpensive backpack that you’re going to have to replace in a month.
• Don’t shop at just one store – It may be handy to get everything on your list from calculators to clothing under one roof, but you might be missing out on some great deals, so shop around.
• Check what you already have – You may be surprised at how many things are lurking in your kid’s desks and old backpacks.
• Shop late – Stores mark down lots of school supplies as soon as school starts, so see if you can wait it out or just stop in after your regular shopping to get enough refills for the year at a deep discount.

How to Slay Your Energy Vampire

Is your home infested with energy vampires? You know, those pesky plugged in appliances that suck energy even though they are turned off. Well if your answer is yes, then I've got a solution that will banish those energy draining vampires for good and lower your energy usage.

It's as easy as unplugging unused appliances and getting some up-to-date power strips. Doing those two simple things can save you money on your monthly electric bill.

Now I know some of you already use power strips, and that's great, but do you have the fancy new smart power strips that are out on the market? Some of these new power strips will automatically cut power to everything you have plugged into it when you turn off one designated item. Another power strip has a motion sensor that will turn itself on when you walk by.

Sure these new power strips will cost a little more but in the long run they will cut your energy usage and lower your energy bill. To read more about how you can slay your energy vampire, visit EnergyCircle.

Get a Green Computer

If you're in the market for a new computer, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star can help you choose an energy efficient computer. That's right, you can have it all—get all the bells and whistles you want on your computer and be environmentally friendly.

Read more about how the computer are rated at HowStuffWorks.

Save Money by Improving Your Credit Score

The beginning of the month is usually when we all take a deep breath and pay our dreaded bills. It’s an unpleasant yet necessary ritual that without we would get swamped by collection agencies. So, as we sit with pen and paper, or computer and keyboard, this month, I thought we could all re-evaluate our payment plans and be reminded of methods to improve our credit scores.

The biggest culprit in bad credit is out-of-control credit card debt with the average American carrying around approximately $8,000 worth of it. First things first, stop using plastic! Then, starting with the highest interest rate card, pay off monthly as much as you can while you continue to pay the minimum payments on the rest. When determining your FICO credit score, debt balances in comparison to credit lines are heavily factored, so strive towards maintaining low balances. An obvious, yet easily overlooked tip is to always pay your bills on time. Just one slip and it can detrimentally affect your credit score.

As you’re taking steps to improve your credit, remember that it’s like losing weight – it won’t happen overnight. Keep in mind the long-term benefits to maintain motivation. Those with higher credit scores are offered the best rates on all major types of loans which will save you money. For more credit-improving tips, visit CNNMoney and check out this interactive online debt planner if you want to visualize your monthly payments and goals.

A Greener Way to Print

We all know that to be more environmentally friendly we need to cut down on printing, but what about when it is necessary to print out a document?

Most printers use petroleum-based toner which isn't the most eco-friendly way to print, but hey, that's the only option we have - at least for now. It looks like a soy-base toner is now in development.

As with any new product on the market there are those that say it's just as good as the petroleum-based toner and of course those that are opposed. I think it's a good option to at least try out. I hear the soy-based toner is cheaper too and who doesn't like that.

Read the article, Black and White and Green All Over: Soy-Based Printer Toner, to learn more about how to print green.

Tip 2: Vacationing with a Low Carbon Footprint

Is it possible to take a eco-friendly vacation? Sure thing! Planning a vacation that will keep your carbon footprint low may take a little time but it is well worth it.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning a green vacation.

• Tray a Staycation - Instead of venturing off to a new location, stay in your city and discover all it has to offer. You might be surprised at the hidden treasures and adventures you'll find right at home.
• Green Hotels - The Internet makes it simple to find hotels that have environmentally friendly practices such as recycling and renewable energy.
• Purchase Carbon Offsets - You can offset your carbon foot print by purchasing carbon offsets or green tags from your electric company. This will so help you to have an earth-conscience vacation.
• Ecotourism - Green vacations are totally in! It shouldn't be hard to find a travel company that specializes in eco-friendly traveling. In fact, check out this article at Howstuffworks.com to get you started.

Tip 5: Eco-Friendly Coffee and Tea Habits

For many of us, our days don’t start without a jolt of coffee or tea to shake off our morning drowsiness. Then we need another round mid-afternoon to counter the food coma effects. With the high consumption rate of these two essential beverages, a few adjustments in rituals could help the Earth. Since we’re going green with everything else, why not with our coffee and tea addictions?

• Pour the Sugar and Cream First - You can cut out the use of disposable coffee stirrers by pouring in the sugar and cream before the coffee. The heat from a fresh pot of coffee or tea will dissolve the sugar and the swirl of the pouring will mix the cream around.
• Grab a Mug - If you consume two servings of coffee or tea each workday, then that leads to 10 cups per week, 40 cups per month, and 520 cups per year that stack up in landfills across the nation. Usually, these disposable cups aren’t biodegradable either. Simple solution: use a mug for your caffeine fixes. 
• Turn Trash into Compost - Don’t discard your used coffee grinds and tea leaves. Instead, save them for your compost heap which in turn can be used to enrich your plants and balance the soil’s nitrogen balance. You can also throw in the coffee filters and tea bags as they break down quickly during composting. 
• Buy Organic - When perusing aisles overflowing with coffee and tea options, target the ones that are certified as organic. When you buy organic, you support Eco-friendly methods of cultivation and harvesting and protect workers from noxious chemicals.  

For more green tips, visit TreeHugger.