The WhiteFence Virtual Plant-athon Has Begun!

Earth Day is finally here! To celebrate, we’re having our first ever Virtual Plant-athon.

What is a Virtual Plant-athon?
It’s simple, for every new fan of WhiteFence on Facebook from now through Arbor Day (April 30th), we will donate $1 to the Arbor Day Foundation (up to $1,500). Each dollar donated plants one tree, so every new fan means one new tree in the world!

How can you help?
First, if you’re not already our fan on Facebook, become one now! All you have to do is visit our Facebook page and hit the ‘like’ button. That’s it! The final count will take place 6pm PST on April 30th, so make sure you’re still around then.

Second, once you’re already a fan yourself, you can help spread the word to your friends and family. An easy way to do this is to post a link to your Facebook profile. To do this, just head over to the WhiteFence Facebook page and find the ‘share’ button on the left side of the page below the friends and event. Click that, type a message to all of your Facebook friends and hit the share button.  Don’t forget to let everyone know they should tell their friends and family too!

This is a really easy way to take action today and do something positive for the environment. Please join us this year in making a difference!

5 Easy Ways to Go Green for Earth Day

Tomorrow is Earth Day and all over the world people are getting ready to do their part. Are you ready? Don’t worry, if you’re not sure what you can do to help tomorrow, I’ve put together five quick and easy tips:

• Become a fan of WhiteFence, plant a tree – That’s right, starting tomorrow for anyone that becomes a fan of WhiteFence on Facebook and remains a fan until Arbor Day (April 30^th), we will donate $1 to the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a tree (up to 1,500 trees)! How easy is that?

• Buy a programmable thermostat – Climate control makes up the bulk of many electricity bills (especially down here in Houston). Before the summer heat hits, why not invest in a programmable thermostat? They let you schedule your heating and cooling—so you don’t end up wasting electricity on an empty house—and can lower energy use by 10 percent.

• Dump your incandescent light bulbs – So, you’ve wanted to switch to CFLs for years, but haven’t made the plunge? What better time than Earth Day to make the change? Compact fluorescent light bulbs last much longer than traditional bulbs and can cut energy usage by a whopping 75 percent, making them an easy target for those looking to go green.

• Invest in a smart power strip – Did you know your house is filled with energy vampires? That’s right, lots of your household items draw power even when you’re not using them. Smart power strips let you cut those vampires off when you don’t need them, saving lots of electricity in the process.

• Switch to a green energy plan – Reducing energy use is incredibly important, but let’s not forget about the other side of the coin: where that energy comes from. By switching to a clean energy plan, you can make sure that the energy that you do use is not hurting the planet. To get started, head over to the homepage and enter your address to see if you have the option to switch to a renewable plan.

Who Has the Most TV Channels Per Dollar?

When it comes to ordering TV packages, many people base their decision on the number of channels that come with each plan. That got me thinking, which package out there has the most plans for the money? I decided to look through all of the different TV packages (not including bundles) available here on WhiteFence to find which package has the most channels per dollar (each month).

After checking each provider and plan—and man there's a lot of them—I found a winner: TVMAX with their XDtv Digital Ultra plan weighing in at a whopping 6.1 channels per dollar. Other great deals out there include DIRECTV's CHOICE XTRA^™ Package at over 5.7 channels per dollar and DISH Network's America's Top 200 at over 5.2 channels per dollar. Prices do vary by location, so let me know if you find an even better deal out there.

Of course, this doesn’t take into account upgrades like premium channels, HDTV service, DVR service and more, nor does it take into account the savings you get with a bundle, but it’s still cool to see.

How many channels do you get to the dollar? Let us know in the comments.

Reminder: WhiteFence Virtual Plant-athon Is This Week!

In case you didn't know, I thought I'd put up a quick reminder about our WhiteFence Virtual Plant-athon, which starts this week on Earth Day, April 22nd, and runs through Arbor Day, April 30th. What is a Virtual Plant-athon, you ask?

Starting this Thursday, we will be donating the cost of planting a tree ($1) to the Arbor Day Foundation for every new Facebook fan we get. That's right, one tree per every person that fans us on Facebook. We'll do this for up to $1500, so that means a total of 1500 trees could be planted around the world. So be sure to spread the word on Facebook and tell your friends how they can help make a difference with us.

Here are the details, bullet-point style.

• What: WhiteFence Virtual Plant-athon
• When: Earth Day (April 22nd) through Arbor Day (April 30th)
• How You Can Help: Fan WhiteFence on Facebook! We will donate the cost of a tree to the Arbor Day Foundation for each new fan, up to 1500.

To read more details, check out our original blog post on the Virtual Plant-athon.

The Cost of Utilities in the Summer

I'm not sure where all of this blog's readers live, but here in Texas, we are slowly beginning to warm up. Soon, the weather here will transform from something fun and sunny to hot and death-inducing. This will happen seemingly overnight, and us Texans will be very upset about the heat as well as the stifling humidity. This will last until about November, where we will then be shocked by the fact that the Earth can in fact cool down a bit. Rinse and repeat for next year.

As things heat up, so will our home energy costs. Last week, we did a post talking about saving money with windows, and how they can be the biggest energy holes in your entire home.There are other factors that go into your monthly utility bills, such as weather sealing on doors, insulation, electricity/gas, etc. Each of these will affect your final monthly payment either positively or negatively, resulting in what you spend.

Since my post about windows and saving money, I've been wondering about what the summer energy bills are going to look like for my home. While things have been relatively tame during the winter, my wife and I have yet to experience a summer in this home, and I'm starting to wonder what kind of money we're going to have to pay to keep things from getting too hot inside.

So, it made me wonder what all of you pay each month for your summer energy bills. Feel free to answer the poll and discuss in the comments! If you live in a deregulated state for electricity, this might be the time to switch and potentially save before the summer. See if WhiteFence can help.

Planning a Cheap Summer Vacation

If there's one thing that Spring Break exists for, it's getting people fired up for summer in a major way. People start ramping up their plans for the May through August months, ready to set out on trips across the country and beyond. When I was growing up, my mom would always take my brother and I on camping trips, which I loathed at the time but kind of miss now.

Anyway, summer vacations, while fun, can tend to be expensive. Unless you live somewhere gorgeous and plan on taking a stay-cation (please don't tell us who you are, for the rest of us will hiss), traveling costs money, especially if you're bringing a family along. Recently, Trent over at the Simple Dollar posted some tips about keeping the summer vacation costs low. While there's nothing super specific in terms of "the perfect equation to save you x dollars this summer", he offers some good general guidelines about saving money when planning a trip.

I think one of the most helpful tips that he offers are about announcing your plans to your social network prior to your trip. You never know who might let you know that they have a place for you to stay, or perhaps even discounted tickets or coupons to something that you want to go do. Who knows, you could even get a free meal out of it as well. In addition, he also points out to be resourceful. If you're going camping, don't just buy firewood - collect it yourself. Fill up a thermos at water fountains if you're at an amusement park, etc.

For anyone that's currently in the middle of planning their next big trip, it's certainly a must-read. So, who's already made their plans for the summer?

Source- Simple Dollar

Windows, Energy Efficiency and Saving Money

We've talked a great deal on this blog about energy efficiency, how to save money on your energy bills and how to save money in general. There are many ways that you can go about cutting your monthly costs, from switching providers to being conscious of your energy habits. However, one of the biggest energy holes in your home happens to be your windows.

Right now my wife and I have single pane aluminum windows in our home, which are some of the worst barriers in terms of energy efficiency. Sitting on our couch watching TV over the winter, we could feel the drafty cold air pouring in on our backs. Apparently, houses lose as much as 30% of their energy through the windows, and replacing them can save about 25-30% in energy costs per year. Over time, that turns into quite a bit of savings.

Unfortunately, windows don't come cheap, especially if you live in a house with quite a few of them. As a result, trying to make the right decision about the types of windows you need can be overwhelming. My wife and I listened to a two hour spiel from a window salesman last night, so we know this first hand. Here are some factors to consider when replacing your windows...

Remember, Taxes Are Due Tomorrow

I just wanted to take a second to remind everyone that federal taxes are due tomorrow. If you’re one of the millions of procrastinators this year (like me) you have only a precious few hours left to get everything squared away and sent off, so get to work!

Usually I’m one of those Ned Flanders-style nerds that file their taxes the day they get their last W2 in the mail, but this year a combination of added complications and an ever busier schedule had me dropping my return in the mailbox just last night. Wait a minute. Did a blogger just say they mailed in their tax return?

You see, one of the main reasons I waited so long was that this year I had to actually send in a physical return. Printing and signing your return and sending it in with actual W2s? How Quaint! It actually ended up with a mad dash last night to find an envelope (finally found a single envelope hiding in an unlikely closet) and stamps. Nothing really drives home how much the Internet has changed our lives than turning your kitchen upside down hunting for stamps.

So why did I have to go old-school with my return this year? Last year my wife and I bought our first home (also known as a time vampire) and we’re eligible for the First-Time Homebuyer Credit. To claim our credit we had to send in a printed copy of our return along with a copy of our final settlement statement, something I was not expecting. Fair warning fellow procrastinating first time homebuyers: you’re going to have to print out your return this year and find some proof to send along. No e-filing for you this year!

Are you stressed about tax time, or are you one of those overachievers like Eddy, kicking back and already enjoying the fruits of your return? Let us know in the comments!

Announcing the WhiteFence Virtual Plant-athon!

Earth Day is a chance each year to commit to taking action for the good of the planet. This year, we decided to do our part by helping the Arbor Day Foundation replant trees in devastated parts of our national forests. Instead of keeping the feeling of making a difference to ourselves though, we wanted to get the public involved.

With that in mind, we’ve decided that for everyone that becomes our fan on Facebook between Earth Day (April 22nd) and Arbor Day (April 30th), we’ll donate the cost of one tree to the Arbor Day Foundation. That's right, all you have to do is fan us on Facebook from April 22nd through April 30th, and we will donate $1 (up to $1,500) to the Arbor Day Foundation. That could equal up to 1,500 new trees in the world! The final count will be on April 30th at 6pm PT, so make sure you are still a fan then.

Join us this year in making the world a better place to live. Check back on the 22nd for more details.

Looking to do more? Switching to renewable energy is an easy and inexpensive way to make your lifestyle more sustainable. Visit the WhiteFence homepage and enter your address to see what clean energy options are available in your area.

Getting Your Home Ready for Summer

Summer is almost here! Is your home ready? Below you will find 11 tips to get your home prepared for the summer season.

• Air Conditioner – Check to make sure your air conditioner is working. If it isn’t, it is best to get it fixed now when the temperature is not too hot.
• Air Filters – Replace old filters with new ones and make sure to change them out monthly.
• Drafts or Cracks – Seal any drafty doors or windows and cracks to keep the cool air in and the hot air out. This can save you money on your electric bill.
• Thermostat – It’s a good time to upgrade to a programmable thermostat. During the day when no one is home you can program your air conditioner to 78-80 degrees and then cooler in the evening when you and your family are home. This can also lower your electric bill.
• Hurricane Season – If you live in a hurricane area then you know summer is hurricane season. So make sure your hurricane kit is up to date.
• Pests – Insects and bugs will be attracted to the cool air in your home so seal any cracks and spray the perimeter of your home with insecticide.
• Windows – Install double pain windows or tinted to keep the heat out. Also keep your curtains closed and blinds drawn to keep the sunshine out.
• Watering the Lawn – To get the best bang for your buck water your lawn early in the morning or at night. If you have a sprinkler system make sure it works now so you’re not looking for a repair man during the summer season when they are in high demand.
• Pool – Stock up on pool supplies or schedule a pool maintenance company to come out regularly. Also set up a towel rack with clean dry towels by the back door to help keep wet children from running across your clean house.
• Pets – Make sure you have your pets on a monthly flea treatment. Also treat your lawn for fleas and other pests. If your pets spend time outside, have a big bowl of water for them that is not in direct sunlight and make sure your pet has a nice shady spot to relax.
• Summer Allergies – If you have allergies then you must dust frequently with a wet towel, regularly wash bedding and curtains, use air conditioning instead of opening windows, keep all tiled areas clean and free of mold and use a Hepa filter.