I have a ritual that I do twice a year, once right after New Years and once just before or after Independence Day. I spend part of one day going through my bills and calling the companies to see if there’s any room for cutting or saving. I make sure that I’m in the appropriate phone package, the appropriate cell phone package and check that there’s no better deal on my satellite television. I even call my auto insurance company and check with them and then I call two or three other companies and request an auto insurance quote from them. How do you make sure you’re getting the best rates or prices on your regular bills?

Well, this week’s safari goes everywhere and nowhere specific. Earthcam has a whole New Years page up featuring webcams in a number of cities. It was a lot of fun to watch the New Year begin in so many different places. Webcams were broadcasting in the US from New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Key West, Memphis and Seattle.  There were 13 cameras set up for Times Square, New York alone. Cities in other countries with webcams up were Prague, London, Paris and Niagara Falls.

I hope all of you have a safe and Happy New Year!

I personally don’t like to exercise in the cold. I don’t like to do much of anything outdoors in the cold. If you like to ride a bicycle for exercise but don’t like the cold, consider getting an exercise bike. You can position it near a television if you like. Of, you can ride and listen to the stereo. The advantage of an exercise bike over a real one is that you can ride anytime, even when it’s 105 outside or snowing. You can also ride at any hour, and don’t have to worry about traffic.

I remember when I was young exercise bikes were pretty expensive. These days you can get new low end models for under $100. You can also find higher end used models for free or for a bargain on sites like Freecycle and Craigslist. Riding an exercise bike will be more effective than taking diet pills, and it’s healthier for you. Do you have an exercise bike?

We have a lift top coffee table in our living room. We bought it from a Sears Furniture Outlet about ten years ago for less than $200. It’s real wood and we love it. To the eye of anyone that doesn’t know better our coffee table looks much like any other. The fact that the top is on hinges and raises up to make the mother of all tv trays is not common knowledge. It’s terrific for holding snacks when the family is watching a movie, or having a light lunch. I use it to hold my laptop when I’m sitting on the couch. What kind of coffee table do you have?

Did you ever think about how much room a television takes up? Think about it. Except for the giant big screens like we’ve got in the living room, televisions are placed on furniture like dressers and tv stands. My youngest son got a flat panel from his grandparents for Christmas. We went into his room to decide what wall we were going to place it on. We moved his small 13 inch television off of the dresser and were shocked at how different things looked and how much space was freed. My Dad told me what kind of mount we’d need and we’ll be picking it up this week. When I told him how I wished we could save some space in our bedroom he told me there are mounts that will hold tube televisions as well. If you are in super small quarters or just want to free up some space in your room, raise your television.

Where do you store your pet food? Many people store bags in the corner of a room, or in a pantry, laundry room, garage or closet. Not us. We store our pet food right out in the open. We got a storage feeder quite a while back and I recommend it highly. The feeder consists of a top that holds two bowls and a hollow bottom where the food is stored. To put food in the bowl just lift the top off, remove the food you need and replace the lid. Food stays dry, out of sight and away from any other animals.Where do you store your pet food?

My Mom or I have almost always been the ones to take my youngest son to any doctor’s appointments he had until earlier this year when hubby lost his job. After the first appointment with a doctor I don’t usually need directions because I remember where I’m going. I do still print them out anyway, just in case I lose my bearings. I don’t have  GPS but my hubby does, he got it as a Christmas gift last year. The reason I think removable GPS units are better than the ones built into a car is because a couple can share the unit and move it from car to car. Now no matter which one of us takes our son to the first doctor’s appointment, whoever goes in the future can just take the GPS and stick it to the windshield and have no worries of not knowing where to go. Do you have a GPS? Is it built in to your car or is it the removable kind?

If you want to add to your existing holiday decorations, or if you’re moving out on your own and need to buy holiday decorations, pay attention. The best time to buy any type of holiday decorations is right now, in the first few days after Christmas. Most stores will slash prices on everything that they have left in stock just to get people to buy it and get it out of the store. It’s the perfect time to buy expensive things like lawn figures, inflatables and artificial trees because they’ll be priced much less then they usually would be. It’s a great time to purchase less expensive things such stockings and ornaments, because the stores will price most of them so low they’ll almost be giving them away. And, you will find no better time to buy things like holiday cards and wrapping paper. Every couple of years I like to buy a bunch and stock up on them for use in future years. What’s the best bargain you’ve ever gotten shopping right after Christmas?

I had to ship some of my Christmas gifts. I had a hard time finding larger boxes. The mass retail stores like Walmart and Target had none. Staples only had some small ones in stock. Just when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to get my gifts shipped I realized there were other businesses that might have what I needed - self storage companies and moving companies. Sometimes it pays to think outside of the box. Where else would you look if you needed to buy a box?