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?

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.

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?

Winter is here and we’ve had some really cold days. Cold winter weekends are my favorite time of year to cook our favorite comfort foods. These foods take a while to prepare and can really help heat the house. Even boiling water when cooking adds steam which will help warm the house as well. And don’t forget, you end up with the smell of home cooked food and you get to eat whatever you made as well. Some of my favorite things to cook in the winter include creamy chicken noodle soup, chili, corn sausage chowder, lasagna and baked goods. What are your favorite things to cook during the cold weather?

Winter is underway here in the Northeast. It’s not unheard of for people to use portable heaters to provide additional heat to a space, or to use them to keep the heating bills down. Here are some tips for home heating safety for those using portable heaters.

• Keep portable heaters at least three feet away from anything flammable.
• Don’t leave children and pets unsupervised when a portable heater is being used.
• Don’t leave portable heaters on if you’re not going to be awake and in the room.
• Don’t warm or dry anything on a portable heater.
• Don’t use portable heaters in the bathroom.
• Don’t place portable heaters on top of anything, particularly furniture.
• Don’t use an extension cord to plug your heater in.

Lastly, there are a few things that every home should have in the way of safety equipment including a fire extinguisher, the appropriate amount of smoke alarms for your home and a carbon monoxide alarm.

I can’t be the only one that hates cleaning out the refrigerator. Here’s the quickest way I’ve found to give a refrigerator a through cleaning, the kind that mine needs because I’ve waited too long between cleanings.

1. Fill the bathtub with your favorite cleanser.
2. While the tub is filling empty the refrigerator.
3. Place all shelves, drawers, butter trays, etc. in the tub to soak.
4. Wearing gloves, use your favorite cleaner or mixture to clean all surfaces inside the empty refrigerator.
5. Dry the inside of the refrigerator with an old towel.
6. Use an old nail brush or tooth brush to get between the cracks of the gaskets around doors.
7. Go back to the tub and wipe the loosened dirt off of the items you have soaking.
8. Remove and dry the items in the tub and put them bck in their place in the refrigerator.
9. Go through the food, checking all expiration dates and discarding as appropriate.
10. Put the food back inside of the refrigerator.

I hate to be hot when I’m trying to sleep. Much like the outside temperature, you can have a direct effect on your comfort by wearing the right pajamas. You can save some money by lowering your thermostat when you go to bed. Don’t think I’m saying you should be cold because I’m not. It’s cheaper to turn the thermostat down at night and use a second blanket or a heavier blanket to stay warm. Also consider the pajamas you wear. I realize some people don’t wear any and that’s how they’re comfortable. If you already wear pajamas (or even plus size lingerie) just switch to a heavier material. I have microfleece pajamas and they’re super soft and comfortable and they keep me very warm. I’m not spending as much on heating and I’m still quite comfy.

If you’ve got any half bathrooms in your home you probably know what a pain it is to fill a bucket and mop the floor in there to only be finished in three minutes. Instead of doing that, just give it a regular quick clean. Keep a bottle of all purpose cleaner and a sponge under the cabinet and give it a quick spray and wipe every couple of days. You can use that same spray to clean around the sink and toilet area.

The Christmas shopping season has begun and will kick into high gear next week, on the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday. I’ve shopped on a number of Black Fridays successfully and am offering them to you. Happy shopping.

1. Make a list of everyone that you need to buy a gift for.

2. Do your research. Check out the ads before the day arrives. Decide which items you’re interested in and research the prices to find out what’s really a good buy.

3. If you’re shopping in the stores, line up as early as possible. Die hards are known to start lining up late the night before. Some specials only run for a few hours, so check if there’s a specific time frame items are on sale for.

4. Shop with a friend. Having a friend with you is great for company and to hold your spot in line if you need to take a bathroom break or get coffee or something.

5. Think comfort. Wear comfortable clothes and be prepared for weather. Also, bring a folding chair so you’re not sitting on the ground, and snacks.

6. Make a list of the items you want, in order of priority. No decisions should need to be made at the store, they should all be made ahead of time.

7. Be prepared when the stores open. Bring your shopping list, your gift list and the ads with you to the store. When the store opens, know where the sale items are located. Go for the higher priority items first. If you can buy two and you’ve got that friend with you they can go for one item while you go for another and you can help each other out.

8. Want to go to more than one store? Split the stores with a friend, relative or spouse. You do some, they do some.

9. Get gift receipts for EVERYTHING. After you’re home put them inside or tape them to the outside of every box. There’s nothing wrong with including a gift receipt with a gift. And if you need to return something you’ll be prepared.

10. Try shopping at brick and mortar store websites as well as online retailers. Every year I see more and more stores offer online specials on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, as well as Cyber Monday.

If you’ve got any other tips, feel free to share them.

Happy shopping!