I’m so glad that the cold winter has passed and we’re finally getting sunshine and warm temperatures! Unfortunately, this means our electric bill is about to rise sharply. In my never-ceasing endeavor to save money, I’m investigating ways to minimize how much we spend on cooling our home. How to save money when cooling your … [Read more...] about Frugal Approaches to Cooling Your Home
technology
Maximize Lithium-Ion Battery Life
Do you have electronic devices in your home that run on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries? If you have a laptop computer, cell phone, digital camera, and/or power tools, then chances are that you do. These batteries can be costly and inconvenient to replace, so it's wise to maximize their longevity. What things can we do to help them run … [Read more...] about Maximize Lithium-Ion Battery Life
Password Security
The need for passwords for online accounts has become nearly ubiquitous in our society. There’s email, online banking, social media sites, online retailers, payment websites for utility companies, etc. (Just now I attempted to count how many usernames and passwords I have, but I gave up once I reached two dozen sets…and I know I didn’t cover … [Read more...] about Password Security
The Significance of Standby Power
I’ve read that minimizing the use of standby power (sometimes termed vampire or phantom power) can decrease energy bills. I’m always looking for ways to save a few dollars, so I turned to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to see what the fuss is all about. What is standby power? Many pieces of electronic equipment continue to use … [Read more...] about The Significance of Standby Power
