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.