My oh my, the price is high!
C 2008 Leslie Sausage
Hello Everyone!
School’s been out now about a week and I’ve been decluttering my home. Save it or get rid of it? That is THE question, whether ’tis better to save and be cluttered in your home or to get rid of things you’re not using and take the chance you may/will need the item you get rid of today–next week!
I really enjoyed teaching pre-kindergarten this year; the end of the year award program was fun and the children showed off to their parents by singing plenty of fun songs we learned during the school year.
One sad note; the smart little guy I mentioned in my last eletter that counted to 109 was in a roll-over accident during Spring Break. He and his Momma were thrown out of the car; his Momma died in the accident. We thought he was going to be completely paralyzed, but thankfully, he has improved and can move all four limbs now. He still has a long way to go to recover. Please pray for for this little guy; his name is Christian.
I’m passing along some money-saving ideas. Please share your ideas or links by sending an email to:
frugalhomemaker-owner@associate.com
Visit my website for an e-book special; all e-books for $5. on any day of the month with a five in it.
Bless your heart and home!
Leslie
http://heart4home.net
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My oh my, the price is high!
Yes, the price for a gallon of gas is nearly $4 where I live in Texas.
While we may not be able to agree about all the political issues surrounding the high price of gasoline, we can discuss ways to save on this expense.
How much are you spending on gas? The average vehicle travels about 1000 miles per month. If your car gets 20 miles to the gallon, the cost for gas will be about $200.00 per month. Yikes!
You can find your cost with this simple calculation:
Miles you drive per month divided by the number of miles per gallon for your car; next multiply by the cost per gallon of gasoline. I can tell you the answer now–TOO MUCH!
Here are some ideas I’ve found for saving on this expense:
1. Remove any extra weight from your car; this may mean the stash in the trunk or maybe the roof rack.
2. Combine errands. This is a biggie for me since I live a long way from town; I have to plan better!
3. Most vehicles don’t need prewarming, so start the car and go, but drive slow and easy for several miles while
the engine warms up.
4. Buy your gas in the cool of the morning. Not much savings with this one, but over time you’ll save. Heat
causes some evaporation/gas loss.
5. Eliminate the lead foot! Start and stop EASY; pretend the pedals have eggshells on them and you don’t
want to crush them.
6. Slow down! Driving fast uses more gas.
7. Use the cruise control on the highway.
8. Use gravity to your advantage! Ease up on the gas when going downhill.
9. Turn off your vehicle when you’ll be stopped for a few minutes.
10. Don’t use the air conditioner when the weather is mild.
11. Maintain your engine with regular tune ups.
12. Keep your tires properly inflated.
13. Check out mass transit options in your area.
14. Explore car-pooling options.
15. Walk or ride a bicycle rather than drive.
Which of these make sense to you? Gather your family and discuss ideas that may work for you. You may want to set a goal for reducing your driving by 100 miles per month or 25 per week. For us, reducing driving by 100 miles will save $20.
If you have other ideas for saving on gasoline, please share them with me by sending an email to frugalhomemaker-owner@associate.com
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Another money-saving idea!
We purchased a water heater timer for our electric water heater. A friend tells us that he has saved a lot on his monthly electric bill after installing one. In his home, he only turns the water heater on about 2 hours per day and has enough hot water for his needs.