Household Tips

Want to save money around the house? Want to save more money than you originally spent on yoru car? Then drive it over 225,000 miles. The latest trend in car ownership? Drive it to death. Engine repowering gives you exactly that option — replace the engine, but keep the car. And the money. Read on!

Vehicle owners who trade in their cars every few years may be losing thousands of dollars in savings, according to Consumer Reports magazine. With the housing and credit markets in a state of turmoil, the Engine Repower Council recommends repowering your engine as a way to significantly reduce costs and save money over the long run.

Consumer Reports found that car owners save more money than the original purchase price of the car by keeping the car for 225,000 miles over 15 years as compared to buying that same car new every five years.

“People don’t realize how much money they are losing by buying a new car every few years when today’s vehicles can last over 200,000 miles,” said Steve Rich, chairman of the Engine Repower Council. “A one time investment to repower a car’s engine makes financial sense. It not only eliminates new car payments and higher insurance rates, but repowering also makes the vehicle more fuel efficient, saving money at the pump. In addition, a more fuel efficient vehicle reduces harmful emissions which helps protect the environment.”

With repowering, the engine or an identical one from another like-vehicle, is completely remanufactured/rebuilt. Also, unlike installing a used or junk yard engine, critically important internal parts get replaced with new parts that meet or exceed original equipment performance standards. Consequently, remanufactured/rebuilt engines are frequently even better than the new engines installed at the factory. This is because the original factory engine problems have been revealed through use, and can
then be redesigned or repaired with better quality parts.

Remanufactured/rebuilt engines are dependable, reliable and backed by excellent warranty programs that also usually cover installation expenses.

The Engine Repower Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating consumers about the economic and environmental benefits of remanufactured/rebuilt engines. The Engine Repower Council supports the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign. For more information about remanufactured/rebuilt engines and their suppliers visit the Engine Repower Council at http://www.enginerepower.org.

cars, money, engine, repowering

According to The Scotts Company, imrpoving your landscaping could provide better ROI on your home’s resale value than costlier bathroom or kitchen renovations! The study, conducted by Michigan State University, shows that landscaping can add 5 to 11 percent to your home’s base value. Money Magazine suggests that landscaping investments will return between 100 and 200 percent of their costs; whereas, remodeling a kitchen will net you only 75% and remodeling a bathroom will bring a mere 20% return. Scotts offers this sage advice:

Contrary to popular belief, homeowners don’t need to wait until the spring to take on a landscaping project; fall is actually the best time of the year to get started. According to John Marshall, manager of The Scotts Company’s Training Institute, fall’s unique weather conditions are ideal to tend to the centerpiece of your landscape — your lawn — with feeding and
seeding projects.

“The combination of cooler air temperatures, warm soil temperatures, increased precipitation and decreased daylight hours allow for accelerated root growth,” Marshall explains. “Root growth helps lawns protect themselves against winter weather and lays the foundation for a stronger, healthier lawn all year. Feeding your lawn in the fall not only thickens and greens your lawn immediately, but also helps roots to grow stronger so they can absorb more water and nutrients in preparation for winter.”

According to Marshall, many people think that they don’t need to feed their lawn in the fall because it goes dormant in the winter. In fact, feeding your lawn in the fall will do more good for your lawn’s long-term health than feeding at any other time of the year.

If your lawn has been damaged by summer heat or drought, or even by a particularly rough touch-football game last weekend, you might also want to consider a fall seeding project. The air and soil conditions during the autumn are ideal for any and all seeding projects. Whether you need to fill in some bare spots or you need a complete grass overhaul, high quality grass seed like Scotts Pure Premium brand grass seed will give the new grass its very best chance of establishing healthy roots.

The Scotts Company suggests these additional fall tips for ensuring spring curb appeal:

* Plant trees and shrubs — Root development is also critical for the success of your trees and shrubs. Giving your trees and shrubs a head start, before their first summer, makes a big difference. For both, dig a hole as deep as the root ball, but dig the hole about 1 - 2 feet wider than the ball. Place the plant in the hole and backfill with the soil you dug out. The loosened soil around the root ball will allow the plant’s roots to grow. After the plant is secured, water deeply.

* Plant your bulbs — Are you into tulips or are daffodils more your style? Your annuals should be planted when evening soil temps are between 40 and 50 degrees F. Big bulbs should be planted about 8 inches deep and smaller ones about 5 inches deep. Be sure to keep your bulbs in an area where the soil drains well. And check the instructions on your bulb package’s label for further instructions.

landscaping, home value, home improvement

Remodeler Dreammaker has created a “do” list for what to look for in your next remodeler.

Research
* Consult friends and neighbors on their past remodeling experiences.
* Ask to see a copy of the remodeler’s certificate of insurance. Most states require they carry worker’s compensation, property damage and personal liability insurance.
* Check out the remodeler’s credentials. Contact the Better Business Bureau or the Consumer Affairs Office for detailed background information.
* Ask for references and make the calls.

Planning
* Envision your dream home and what you want the end result to look and feel like.
* Create a detailed plan and budget for the entire project.
* Understand what is going to take place before, during, and after the entire remodel.

Other Suggestions
* Get an agreement in writing before beginning any remodeling project.

I have to admit, I love this product. CLR (Calcium Lime Rust Remover) really does, in my experience, remove just about everything. Rust spot around the toilet, gone. Lime on the bathtub? Ditto. Here’s what they have to say about themselves:

CLR Calcium Lime Rust remover is the only patented lime and rust remover on the market today. See http://www.jelmar.com for the entire product line.

CLR Outdoor Furniture Cleaner can be used to safely clean grime, bird droppings, grease and food stains off of your lawn furniture without harming your surrounding lawn, shrubs, flowers or pets.

The use of a combination of the calcium lime rust remover and CLR Grease Magnet as well as a hard bristled brush will clean the rust and grease off of your grill grate. Once the grate is clean rinse the grate with your hose, return the grate to the grill, cover the grill with a waterproof cover and your grill will be ready for next season.

A pet peeve of most golfers is a dirty, rusty golf club. The calcium lime rust remover and a hard bristle brush will clean the clubs down to their original metal surface.

For home cleaning, the calcium lime rust remover can be used to clean hard water stains off the outside of your windows. Then before you put your screens back on the window, use a sponge dampened with the remover to clean your metal or fiberglass screens.

One of the most unsightly outdoor messes is an oil stain on a driveway. Pour Grease Magnet directly on your concrete, terrazzo, granite, stone or asphalt driveway, scrub, rinse with your hose and the stain will be gone.

Our friends at Troy-Bilt have published a fall garden checklist that I will be following this weekend!

– Walk around your landscaping - Remove any flowers or shrubs that didn’t grow well and tidy up the area for new bulbs; perennial planting is best in early fall. Make a note of what plants didn’t work and try something new next year. Weed beds now to prevent pesky weeds from growing next spring. Remove decorative stones or collectibles from gardens and bring them inside.

– Fertilize the lawn - Fall is a great time to fertilize, reseed and touch up bare spots before temperatures plunge. Try fertilizing and reseeding once in early fall and once in late October. This process pumps nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium into the roots, giving them a boost to grow in the spring.

– Add leaves to the soil - Instead of raking leaves out of the flower beds, spend a few extra minutes tilling them into the soil to enrich it for next season. Chop up extra leaves with a quick pass of the lawn mower and add to a compost pile, or take them to the nearest recycling center.

– Plant new bulbs - Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths should be planted in the fall to develop healthy root systems before the soil cools.

– Clean up the vegetable garden - Start preparing your garden for next spring by cleaning out dead plants and adding in organic matter from your compost pile. Be sure to till the soil well to help to refresh the soil’s nutrient levels by breaking down old vegetable organic matter.

– Trim trees - Remove all dead or dying tree limbs before the snow starts to fall. Snow or ice can build up on weak branches, causing damage to property and bystanders. Trim healthy trees after leaves turn to encourage healthy growth next spring. For easy cleanup, place an old sheet or tarp underneath the tree to catch the trimmings.

– Prep your hand tools - Grab a wire brush and scrape off the caked-on dirt from tools such as hoes and shovels, then clean with soapy water. Wipe metal surfaces with an oiled rag. Lubricate all pivot points and springs and wipe down wooden handles with boiled linseed oil to prevent drying and cracking. Sharpen bladed tools like pruners, and spray bare metal with a penetrating oil to prevent rusting.

– Prep your lawn equipment - Empty the gas tank and oil crankcase of lawn mowers, string trimmers and edgers. Wipe the entire unit down with a clean rag to protect its surfaces and grease all lubrication points. Store your lawn equipment in a clean, dry place. If equipment is light enough, hang on the wall in the garage.

– Check sprinklers and hoses - Make sure to drain all hoses to avoid freezing and breaking. If you have a sprinkler system, shut it off to prevent pipes from freezing, and store extra hoses in the garage, shed or basement.

– Wash down lawn furniture - Give the lawn furniture a good cleaning before you store it away. Wash all fabric cushions and store those inside, out of damp weather conditions. Move ceramic fireplaces into the basement; extreme cold weather can cause the pots to crack or break completely.

Fall, checklist, garden

Let me first admit: I am not familiar with this company. But, I like their top 10 list. I need these things. You need these things. I don’t know if I’ll buy them from these folks. I’m quite fond of the Real Simple line of products at my local Target. But what the hey. It’s worth a look!

The Ten Top Selling Products at Safe Home Products are the following:

– Sh-Mop Mops — Machine wash and dry cotton covers fit on this large based mop for hard wood, laminate, marble, vinyl or ceramic floors. Because you can change covers when dirty, you’ll always have a clean mop and will never put your hands in dirty mop bucket water again.

– Kirk’s Original Hard Water Castile Soap — This pure coconut oil and vegetable glycerin biodegradable soap is hypoallergenic. Create luxurious lather in hard or soft water.

– CareCover Sliding Door Electrical Outlet Covers — The original USA-made sliding door electrical outlet covers increase child safety and insulate. Help protect children from electrical shocks by covering unused outlets. Reduce air loss through unused outlet holes.

– Bona Kemi Floor Cleaning Products — Microfiber mops and safe, non-toxic, environmentally-responsible cleaners are great for hardwood, laminate and most hard-surfaced floors. Clean floors without oily residue unlike all-purpose cleaners.

– Super Stopper Window Stop & Sliding Door Stop — These sturdy home safety devices limit window or sliding door openings to help prevent accidental falls. Combining a flexible suction cup with a unique shaped wedge, Super Stoppers are easy to install products to improve home safety.

– Molechaser Stakes — Place these battery operated or solar vibrating stakes in your yard or garden to protect against mole and gopher infestations. Molechasers are environmentally-friendly solutions and remove the need for dangerous poisons or traps.

– Res-Q-Me and LifeHammer — These small safety tools can save your life if your vehicle is submerged in water or doors jam in an accident. Break out side or back windows after cutting away jammed seatbelts to escape drowning, fire or entrapment.

– Tattle Tale Sonic Pet Training Alarm — The Tattle Tale sensor detects vibrations caused when a pet jumps on a surface such as a counter or a sofa. A two second alarm startles the pet and alerts the owner. Tattle Tales enable effective training without harm to the animal.

– Animal Away Repeller — Deter animals such as cats, dogs and raccoons with this ultrasonic repeller that responds when the animal triggers a motion detector. Animal Away is battery operated and its high pitched frequencies are not audible to humans.

– Radon Gas Detector Pro 3 by Safety Siren — The only EPA evaluated radon gas alarm for home use, this device provides a continuous digital display of radon gas levels in your home. This product gives you peace of mind that your home is safe from radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

All products listed here can be viewed on the Safe Home Products website http://www.safehomeproducts.com.

I didn’t know this. Did you know that it is legal to be denied employment because of a low credit score? Did you also know that your credit report might have information on it that is simply untrue? When I bought a rental house a couple of years ago, there was a mysterious loan on my credit report. No, I wasn’t the victim of credit fraud. But someone with a social security number only one number off from my social security number. It really wasn’t very hard to fix, but it was a good thing we found it. And speaking of finding mistakes, did you know that you can check your credit report for free online? You can go to www.experian.com to find out how. Read on for more tips on credit from, of all unlikely sources, Visa:

A Visa survey found that 42 percent of consumers 18 and older have never even checked their credit score and therefore can not know if they have a bad or good score. Men are significantly less likely to check their credit score, as are people over 55 years old.

Many employers have made checking a credit score a mandatory part of the job application process, just as drug testing and criminal background checks are now common requirements for jobs in many industries.

Additional key findings of Visa’s survey of 1,000 adults nationwide include:

— More women (59%) have checked their credit score than men (51%).
— Adults age 55 and up have checked their score at a far lower rate (43%) than those under 55 (62%).
— Only 22% check their credit score once a year.
— A small group of just 18% check their score two or more times each year.

Some key credit score tips include:
— Stick to your budget and pay all of your bills on time
— Keep your credit card balance low in relation to your available credit
— Make more than the minimum payment on your credit card and other loans
— Don’t open a lot of new accounts over a short period of time, especially if you have a short credit history
— Pay off credit card debt rather than moving it around to other cards
— Review your credit report regularly for errors and know your credit score: A free online tool to estimate your current credit score is available at http://www.whatsmyscore.org/estimator

We all know that hand washing is important. Especially this time of year. Especially if you have children. Now, the makers of Airborne (which is liquefiable gold, mind you) have created a new soap to encourage kids to wash long enough. Get this, it puts a temporary dye on their hands, which doesn’t disappear until they’ve washed long enough! I love this idea. (But I have to tell you, my preschooler freaks out when marker gets on his hands. I’m not convinced he’d put up with this stuff…) Anyway, it’s called squid soap, and here’s what the Airborned folks have to say about it:

Your child has been playing outside. His hands are dirty, so you tell him to wash up before dinner. It’s a nightly ritual in millions of homes all over the United States. But hand washing isn’t just about dirt. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hand washing is one of the most important things children can do to help stay healthy.

According to the CDC, the best time to wash your hands is:
— Before eating.
— Before, during and after handling or preparing food.
— After using the bathroom.
— After handling animals, their toys, leashes or waste.
— After contact with blood, saliva, nasal secretions, etc.
— After touching something that could be contaminated, such as a trash can, cleaning cloth, soil, etc.
— More often when someone in your home is sick.
— Whenever they look dirty.

The CDC says it’s best to wash your hands by vigorously scrubbing with soap and running water for about 20 seconds. For more information on hand-washing benefits, visit http://www.cdc.gov.

SquidSoap by Airborne(R) is Designed to Teach and Train Proper Hand-washing Technique to Children

But, how do you get your child to wash his hands for about 20 seconds? SquidSoap by Airborne(R), with its patented technology, is designed to teach and train proper hand-washing technique to children. It’s the only liquid-soap dispenser with a specially designed pump that stamps a child’s hand with vegetable dye. It takes about 20 seconds of thorough hand washing to remove the ink mark, leaving the child with clean hands.

MSRP is $3.99. To learn more about SquidSoap, visit http://www.squidsoap.com

kids, handwashing, squid soap

I have a problem in my bathroom, and I’ve been researching solutions. Actually, my bathroom has ceramic tile. But my kids’ bathroom has those peel and stick vinyl squares. A few of them are coming up. Now, I’d love to replace them with ceramic tile, but I don’t have the time or inclination to take on that project right now. So I’ve been looking for ways to just fix it.

According to one source, holding a WARM (not hot) iron to the tile will re-activate the adhesive underneath and allow you to re-stick the tile.

I haven’t tried it yet. But I will.

peeling tile, tile, vinyl

GMAC, the big insurance guys, has put together a great easy-reference table of carseat information. For those of you who know nothing about carseats and even those of you who THINK you know about carseats, this is a timely and important read!

Child Passenger Restraint Guidelines

Under 1 year old and less than 20 pounds at a minimum: Rear-facing seat- keep child rear-facing as long as seat allows for maximum safety-usually up to 30 pounds

At least 1 year old and 20 to 40 pounds: Forward-facing seat with a harness- use until harness is outgrown for maximum safety

Under 4′9″ and approximately 40 to 100 pounds: Booster seat

Taller than 4′9″ and more than 80 to 100 pounds until age 13:Safety belt, but remain in back seat until age 13

* Choose wisely. The NHTSA’s 2007 Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings compares 101 child safety seats (including booster seats) to allow parents to find the child safety seat that will best fit their needs.
Visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/CPS/CSSRating/Index.cfm to find which safety seat is right for your child.

* Read up. To ensure that you install your specific car seat model properly, make sure to read both the vehicle owner’s manual and the child safety seat instruction manual.

* Get inspected. As part of their Buckle Up program, Safe Kids Worldwide and GM and Chevrolet car dealerships around the country sponsor child safety seat inspections where caregivers can learn how to correctly install their child’s seat. Visit http://usa.safekids.org for upcoming Safe Kids inspection events near you.

* Stay in the back. As a rule of thumb, all children under age 13 should always be properly restrained in a rear seat.

* Restrain yourself. To encourage positive habits in your children, use a seat belt yourself on every trip. In a recent Safe Kids Buckle Up study, nearly 40 percent of children riding with unbelted drivers were completely unrestrained, compared with only 5 percent of children riding with belted drivers.

carseats

Did you know there was such a thing as the “coupon counsel”? I didn’t. But they exist! And they know an awful lot about who uses coupons and how. I was surprised to see that young adults — under 24 — actually use a LOT of coupons. I think when I was 24 I could barely afford to drive to the grocery, much less buy a paper and clip coupons. Actually, I doubt it even occurred to me at that juncture… So yea for you, you under-24 set. Read on!

The Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) Coupon Council unveiled data today that shows that 71% of people between the ages of 18-24 use coupons when purchasing a product or service. Coupon clipping is a time-honored ritual that saves Americans billions of dollars annually on grocery, healthcare and household items. In fact, the Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) Coupon Council reports that “coupon clippers” represent 86 percent of the overall U.S. population up 10% from 2006. Each year, the PMA designates September as National Coupon Month, and reminds consumers of all demographics of the many saving opportunities
available with coupons.

Some remarkable data on coupon usage of 18-24 year olds from BIGresearch’s July 2007 Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM10) include:
— Coupons are more influential in purchase decisions to 18-24 year olds in four out of the eight retail categories measured than the general population, including:

— Electronics (37% vs. 23%)
— Apparel/Clothing (31% vs. 24%)
— Car/Truck (11% vs. 8%)
— Telecom Services (9% vs. 7%)

— 54% of 18-24 year olds were influenced to purchase a grocery product (food/cleaning/beauty) because of a coupon.
— 46% of 18-24 year olds were influenced to eat a particular restaurant because of a coupon.
— 37% of 18-24 year olds were influenced to purchase a particular electronics product as a result of a coupon.

Basic Coupon Facts
— 86% of the United States population uses coupons.
— Shoppers saved approximately $2.6 billion last year by using manufacturer’s coupons.
— The typical manufacturer’s coupon was worth $1.15 savings in 2006.
— Coupon users report an average of 11.5% savings on their grocery bill with coupons.
— Manufacturers offered approximately $330 billion in coupon savings in 2006.

For more coupon clipping tips visit: http://www.couponmonth.com.

coupons

My daughter is about to turn 14, and I teach high school juniors at my day job. Let me tell you, there is nothing they talk about more than what they drive or want to drive. Seriously. More than girlfriends and boyfriends. More than part-time jobs. And certainly more than their grades. So how can you pick a car that is teen-friendly? Well, following this checklist is a good start!

1) Conduct a dashboard test. An easy test is to turn the key and watch as
the warning lights on the dashboard illuminate. Then, turn the key
further and start the car. If a light stays on after the car starts,
something is not working properly. The lights are indicators that the
vehicle is doing a “self-check” to ensure all features are operable.

2) Is there an Antilock Braking System (ABS) and, more important, does
your teen know how to use it? Antilock brakes, introduced in the late
’80s and currently in about 83 percent of cars, are not meant to be
stabbed numerous times in a row or pumped. Doing so defeats the purpose
of ABS. A vibrating feeling underfoot and loud “chattering” noise
actually means the ABS is working properly. Liberty Mutual has found
that even professional drivers are not always familiar with how ABS
works. The real benefit of ABS is that it allows the driver to maintain
steering control in an emergency. It’s a good idea to take your teen to
a safe place, drive 15-20 MPH with seat belts properly fastened, and
slam on the brakes to get a feel for what ABS feels and sounds like.

3) The more airbags the better. It’s standard on new models to have driver
and passenger airbags. But protection is dramatically increased with
the addition of side torso and head curtain bags. More recently, dual-
stage and smart airbags have become available. Dual-stage airbags offer
two levels of inflation depending on crash severity - full pressure for
hard impacts, less for more minor hits. Smart airbags include sensors
that assess the weight or position of the occupant to determine whether
or not to fire the front passenger airbag.

4) Does the car have stability control? This is an especially important
function if you are buying your teen an SUV. Stability control, which
works using the ABS system sensors, helps prevent skids and helps keep
equipped vehicles under control during abrupt maneuvers. A new report
from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says
that stability control has been very effective in reducing crashes.
Automotive safety experts now say that stability control is the single
most effective safety device in vehicles since the advent of seat
belts.

5) Check the conditions of the seat belts, head restraints and tires.
Properly adjusted head restraints help protect against whiplash in the
event of a rear-end crash. Look carefully at seat belts to ensure they
are not frayed, cut, or worn excessively. Make sure there are working
safety belts for all driver and passenger positions. And, tires must
have adequate tread life left in them. Bring a tire gauge when hunting
for a used car. Also, be careful of “aged” tires - most experts agree
tires that are older than five years need to be carefully inspected to
look for signs the rubber is degrading. This can be a particularly
serious problem on cars that are not driven many miles per year - the
tread may appear good, but the tire has deteriorated to the point where
it is dangerous.

6) Does the car have traction control? Traction control is effective when
starting out on roads that are slippery from snow, ice, or rain. It
operates using the ABS wheel sensors to detect tire spin. If the tire
spins because it has lost traction, traction control automatically
defuels the vehicle to slow the drive wheels down and regain traction.

7) Does the car have All Wheel Drive/Front Wheel Drive/Four Wheel Drive?
— AWD - Power is distributed to the wheels that have traction and not
those that are slipping; this function is useful in all weather
conditions. AWD vehicles are not suitable for extreme off-road
driving.
— FWD - This type improves traction because of the weight of the
engine and transmission over the front drive wheels.
— 4WD - Commonly found in SUVs and pickup trucks, this feature is only
useful if the vehicle is taken off road. These vehicles are usually
rear wheel drive until they are manually shifted into 4WD.

Look up the car safety score. There are a number of Web sites,
including http://www.libertymutual.com/lm/carsafetyscore , where you
can research the safety ratings a car has received. Others include the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), http://www.iihs.org ,
and the National Highway Traffic

I know I’ve posted on this before, but someone e-mailed another great tip for this… It’s end of the season, and it’s a holiday. If you find yourself enjoying life in the great outdoors, you MAY have to deal with this!

Book Club met at my house last week, and as with all book club meetings, there are still unclaimed and unmarked dishes that were left in my kitchen. How to avoid the problem:

No more lost dishes! And no more angst-ridden hostesses trying to figure out who owns which plate!

dishes, parties

Here are some great tips from Seeds of Change on how to be more environmentally conscious. (And none of these are hard to implement!)

– Reuse, renew and recycle - glass jars are perfect for storing leftovers, they are easier to clean than plastic and they make beautiful vases
– Take public transportation, walk or ride a bike - by choosing not to drive a car or take a taxi to your destination, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and make a big impact on the environment
– Select certified organic foods - help promote sustainable growing practices by choosing organically grown produce and food products over conventionally grown foods
– Plant an herb window garden - keeping plants indoors can help remove common environmental pollutants
– Unplug appliances - the simple act of switching off power when appliances are not in use helps save precious energy resources

recycling