Window coverings are greatwhen they look nice but did you realize they can do more than look good? If you’re wanting to cut down on your heating and air conditioning bills one thing you can do is use your window coverings effectively. what I mean is make them work for you. Consider the material and thickness of your window coverings when choosing them. In the summer use a darker curtain or close the blinds completely to block the sunlight from coming in. We lowered the temperature of our home several degrees by doing this. In the winter leave your blinds or curtains open, so that the sunlight gets in and helps heat the house.

Did you ever go on a trip and forget something? Medications? Sleeping pills? Socks? Lots of people do this, myself included. What I’ve found helpful is making list in the days and weeks before my trip. I add everything I need as a part of my daily routine, and then add additional items as I think of them. Then when I’m packing I cross each item off the list as I pack it. It works every time, I haven’t forgotten anything in some time.

Everyone knows to look around when they’re car shopping. You should know your car prices when you’re shopping. What many people don’t think of is looking a little out of their area. We saved many thousands of dollars buying my truck by purchasing it several hours away. Think a little out of the box if you’re car shopping. When you look around, make sure you look all around.

Here’s something I learned recently. I’m not sure why I’d never heard of it befor because it actually makes sense. Petroleum jelly can be used as a household lubricant. If you have things creaking and squeaking like cabinet doors and windows Petroleum jelly might help silence the problem. Just use petroleum jelly similar to the way you would WD40. apply it using a small brush to the offending hinge or other item and it should help almost immediately.

Where do you keep your small hardware and things, like nails, nuts, screws, bolts and picture hangers? Lots of people keep them in a junk drawer, something we ourselves did for years. Here’s an inexpensive tip on how you can keep your small items like that stored and organized. Save some empty glass jars. the jars can be from anything you like, possibilities include spaghetti sauce, pickles and baby food. Wash the jar out and dry. Screw the lid from the jar to the underside of a cabinet or shelf. Place your small hardware (or whatever else it is that you need to store) into the jar and screw it onto the lid. That’s it. Your stuff is organized, easy to find and out of the way.

The best thing I ever decided to do in regards to sending mail is to use self sticking stamps. They’re the best thing the Post Office ever came out with. I hated licking stamps, they tasted awful. Once the stamps were dealt with all I had to worry about was addressing envelopes. What a pain it is to keep writing your return address. I tried address labels, which worked fine but got tedious if I was sending a lot of mail (like when I was paying a lot of bills). That’s when I decided to get one of those rubber stamps. They’re not that expensive, especially when you consider how long you can use them for and how much time they save. Try it, you’ll be glad you did!

If you’re getting ready to buy a used (or as some people say, pre-owned) car, here are a couple of money and time saving tips. Once you decide what model you want I recommend that you obtain and compare multiple auto insurance quotes, so you know how your insurance payments will be effected. Then start shopping. When you find cars you’re interested in, always have someone who knows a bit about cars go with you to take a look at it. I’ve brought my Dad with me whenever I’ve looked at a car. I also recommend that while you’re shopping you sign up for Carfax, a website that offers history of a vehicle’s accidents, title history and recall information. Hopefully it won’t take you long to find the ideal car for you. By following these tips you can make an informed purchase.

We all know that sponges can get to looking and smelling pretty nasty. Did you know you can clean them? You can clean most sponges by floating them in boiling water for a few minutes or running it through the dishwasher. By cleaning them you’ll extend their life and prevent the growth of bacteria.

My linen closet was a mess for a long time. Every time I needed something I had to hunt for it because everything was in everything else’s way. Here’s what I found helpful in taking control back.

• Empty the linen closet.
• Sort everything into categories – blankets, towels, sheets, washcloths.
  As you’re sorting be sure to take anything you no longer need or use and put it aside in another pile to get rid of.
• Fold and stack towels by size – beach, bath, hand, etc. Place the towels on a shelf at arms level, as this is probably the shelf you’ll be accessing the most.
• Fold and stack sheets and place them on the next shelf above or below the towels, whichever is most convenient. Fold and stack pillowcases next to them.
• Fold and store comforters on the bottom shelf. I like to put them in a clear bag. If you’re talented you might be able to get them back into their original plastic storage bag and it will prevent them from getting dusty. I don’t like to put comforters on the way top because they’re bulky and heavy and sometimes awkward to lift up there.

I prefer not to keep anything else in the linen closet so that’s it. Happy organizing!

In recent years digital cameras have increased in quality and capabilities while decreasing in price. It’s not uncommon for households to have one now. I love my digital camera and like to bring it along with me. We take a lot of pictures in my family. It’s definitely more economical to take digital pictures then it was to have tons of rolls of film developed. But what happens if you’re away from your desktop computer at home, or don’t have your laptop with you on your trip, when you fill up the storage card in your digital camera? My tip, the way I handle this situation, is to find a good sale on compact flash cards and buy a bunch and bring them with me. That way you can just switch to a new, empty storage card and download the full card when you get home.