Lower Your Electric Bill in 31 Days

December will be dedicated to lowering our dependence on the public electrical grid. Every day, I will be posting a different way to reduce your dependence on electricity and to lower your bill. So, go get your electric bill and look to see how many kwh you used last December. If it isn't listed, call your electric company and ask. This will be your starting point (assuming you haven't moved or increased your base load since last year).

Sign up for my newsletter with your email. No, I don't publish frequently and won't clog your email with offers! You can unsubscribe at any time. Just register your email address ans select the mailing list you want. At the end of December I will choose a winner from the new sign-ups! The prize has not been determined yet. I'm still scouting donors. If you have a relevant electricity/earth saving product and would like some free exposure, contact me at iNails at hotmail.com I would be happy to promote your item/website as a service to help readers.

We may end up with several prizes! Wouldn't that be fun?

While you are here leave a comment on the posts and let us know what you are doing to save.

So, help yourself and help the planet. Sign up for my newsletter and qualify to win prizes in December.

Register for Newsletter, Qualify for prizes!

Prizes are coming. Stay tuned. December is devoted to: 31 days to reduce your electric bill.

I have been researching and scouring the far reaches to bring you the info you need to go way down. So, go ahead sign up for my newsletter (published monthly) and you can win prizes in December.

Black Friday Strategies

The dishes are barely cleared from the Thanksgiving table and shoppers are already in high gear for Christmas shopping. Shoppers will likely shed a few calories in the chaos as well as their hard-earned dollars.

One thing keeps reverberating in my mind. Spending doesn't mean you are saving--if it's something you don't really need or want.
So the big question is: Do you really need it and/or do you really want it?

Advertisers are good at making us think we want something. They make us think that we will be happier, prettier, thinner, more loved, more popular, etc. if we just use a certain product/brand. The truth is that you just might be happier if you passed on that offer. The happiness of financial security may just outweigh what you will spend. And don't even get me started on what happens if we put that want on a credit card. I'll simply say that your savings disappear!

So, what am I doing on Black Friday? I'm staying home. You see, my shopping is almost done. I made a simple list of my gift giving needs. I chose smaller, more local (more on this in future posts), and consumable items that I know people will use. It may be a pound of favorite coffee, kitty treats, or a pampering item from my salon line of beauty care products.

Having the shopping stuff mostly behind me, I was free to enjoy sleeping in. I didn't have to get up and brave the clod to stand in line at 3am. If this brings you joy, then go for it! My husband and I went through some clothes to donate to a local charity (our favorite is Children's Hospital of The Kings Daughters), Raked some leaves and tended our organic garden, and hung freshly washed clothes on the line.

Enjoying time together as a couple also saves money. Couples who accomplish things together establish a foundation that prevents having to spend money on marriage counseling. I know you are laughing and may even think me a little un- American.

I'm not saving to stop buying gifts or stay home. I'm just saying to think and make a conscious choice before opening your wallet. If it brings true great joy, then go ahead. But only if you can afford to do it without going into debt.

e.l.f. Follow-up

Well, as promised, I’m back with some follow-up information on the e.l.f. cosmetics I've been testing out. My personal results are what matters most to me so I’ll share those with you now. Periodically I’ll be back to share some of the results of other testers.

Therapeudic Conditioning Balm (in Vanilla Crème)- This is my new favorite! At about a buck (before any discount) I’m impressed. It compares to other brands at way more moola. I found it felt so nice on my lips that I made it part of my bedtime routine too. I have really sensitive, dry skin. Shea butter pampers my lips and makes them feel soft and silky. If I had found just one item that did what it claimed and delivered a whammo savings to my wallet, this item would have been worth the search! But read on, because the fun is just beginning.

Plumping Lip Glaze (Oasis, and Fire Coral)- Whoopeee! Previously, I’d purchased my lip plumping products from a big time cosmetics store. You know the one. They have a location in Times Square with a ginormous array of beauty products for us to lust after. I’ve been (noticed past tense)the better part of a twenty dollar bill on my lip plumper of choice. NO more, I tell you! This stuff rocks! The clear base goes on easy and tingly with a hint of shimmer. Then the color glaze glides over the top. My lips still felt moist and they looked great. I had clients in the salon commenting on my lip color. The tingly sensation wasn’t too much and felt refreshing. I would continue to buy this item over and over again. And at the great price, I can try many colors instead of having to choose one measly tube. More for me.

Moving on… remember that e.l.f. has generously agreed to give a 50% discount (up to $7.50) on orders if you use the code BeautyWriter at checkout. No, I don’t get paid for this. In the interest of full disclosure I would let you know if I did. So, go to www.eyeslipsface.com for your discount.

Shear Foundation SPF15 (Tone 2)- The shear moisturizing foundation felt great on my skin. Virtually weightless and featherlight to blend. It has a light scent of oranges that is refreshing. Not as much coverage as I like, but an awesome choice for around town, working out, or for teens new to experimenting with makeup. The color was perfect. It did quench my thirsty skin.

Eye Primer & Liner Sealer (clear)- How cool is this. The liner sealer makes indestructible eye liners from your favorite shadow! And the shadow base keep shadow in place all day without budging. It adds a step to the routine, but I’m thinking this will be a step that is worthwhile when there is no time in the day for touch ups. I probably wouldn’t use it every day, but it’s a must for when I have speaking engagements. The shadow base is simple. Twist the stick up and apply, then smooth with your fingertip. Done.

That’s it for now. I still can’t believe that this stuff will be available in places like Target. What will I tell the gal at the makeup counter when I scale back? I’ll probably lean in and whisper, “check out my blog.” She knows I’ll be back to at least try every newfangled thing that comes along…at least once.

e.l.f. has generously agreed to give a 50% discount (up to $7.50) on orders if you use the code BeautyWriter at checkout. No, I don’t get paid for this. In the interest of full disclosure I would let you know if I did. So, go to www.eyeslipsface.com for your discount.

Santa's Helper Could Save You Big

Okay, most of you realize that I own a salon spa and write for the beauty industry. I'm not easily impressed and neither are my salon clients.

I spend time on twitter keeping track of trends emerging in the beauty industry. One of the trends is consumers trying to save money. During a twitter session I was introduced to a cosmetic line I hadn't heard of. You see, I spend a lot of time at the department store cosmetics counter. Enter e.l.f. (eyes, lips, face) on the scene with an impressive list of magazine spots and news coverage for doing just that--Delivering top quality cosmetics for rock bottom prices.

When I first went to the e.l.f. website I had to do a double take. Could that be? Is it on sale? No. I was certain that with prices that low there was no way it could be all that good. Wow. Was I surprised. The box arrived with the sampling of goods I ordered( Lip plumpers, conditioners, glosses, and eye shadows). It was becoming apparent I had hit pay dirt!

Whooo Hooooo! It was like Christmas for me and my clients who will continue to test and report on some of our findings.

I have a had a chance to use some of the products and so far I love them. Stay tuned for some in-depth reports on just what the testers find.

If you want to do your own test and jump-start your savings on beauty care, go to www.eyeslipsface.com and enter the code: BeautyWriter at checkout. You will get a 50% discount on purchases up to $15 (max discount $7.50) Make sure to sign up for their newsletter to get future discounts.

Disclosure: e.l.f. has not paid us in any way for this posting. In fact we paid to order and try the products. Being a skeptic, I didn't want it to cloud my vision of the product. They have provided the graphics and were nice enough to offer the discount!

When You Reach for the Switch

Oh yeah, you know what I'm going to say? Make sure you turn the lights out when you leave the room? Well, that's partially true. Turning out the lights when you leave the room, or better yet, use natural window light to see will save you a bundle. But that isn't what I was going to point out.

Behind that faceplate is a space that air can escape or invade. Light switches and outlets are easy to miss. They are small and unassuming. How many outlets and switches does your house have?

Insulators can be found at your local hardware store for a few dollars a pack. They are quick to install and over time the savings can add up.

One thing I found in this old home is that some of the covers were ill fitting and there were gaps in the plaster around them that could be sealed with patching medium.

I have no clue how much savings can be garnered. If anyone has a calculator for that I would love to post a link here, so send it on.

Power Tip #5 Pull on a sweater. Add a layer of long underwear. Shrug into a cardigan. Do whatever you have to do to mitigate the cold BEFORE turning the heat up.

Power Tip #6 Add more blankets to the bed and you may get away with turning the heat way down at night. If you live in a colder region a heated mattress pad or blanket may be in order. That's about eight hours of turning the heat down. That's 720 hours over a 90 day period. What could you save if you turned the heat back over time?

Stay tuned for more Power Tips over time. Each one, on it's own, may not lend a drastic change. Put them together and you will have a supercharged savings plan.

Novel Ideas

Starting a new novel is exciting. It's new, fresh territory with surprises lurking behind each keystroke. It is also demanding--a master that absorbs blocks of time. Since time is limited, I must choose how to portion out my resources.

The art and strategy of saving is in me as much as the determination to get what I want. At times they serve each other. At other times the two objectives collide.

Saving has become a priority for me. Sure, the economy is on peoples' minds but that's not it. The earth is my friend and I long to support the future, but that's not it either. The reality is that I have committed to beginning a new novel and I need the time to write. In turn, I'll be faced with turning down some jobs to accommodate more writing time. At this time saving seems to support me.

I'll continue to twitter my PowerTip each day as well as bring them to you here. If you would like to keep tabs on my progress, sign up for my newsletter. I expect it to go out about once a month. You don't have to worry about spam. I won't sell your name and I don't have the time to send out daily blasts.

For those of you following along on the ENERGY PROJECT, here are the past two tips:

PowerTip #3 Embrace CFL bulbs. They can cut energy use dramatically. Please be sure to dispose of them properly. Disposal sites can be found through your local bulk waste office.

PowerTip #4 Hey, is the carpet really dirty? Does it really need to be vacuumed twice a day. Could you cut back and vacuum every other day?

Stay tuned for more of the steps I've personally taken to reduce my dependence on electricity.

Little Changes, BIG Rewards!

In a time when most things are on the rise, I am happy to report that my family's power usage is on the decline. When I tell people about the electricity project at my home, they often ask what I did to cut it so much.

First things first. How much did I cut? Well. I've been tracking my usage for a number of years now but not doing anything specific to manifest dramatic change. We went from an average of about 1200 kWh a month to 507 this past month.

Okay, averages don't say a lot. Let's compare month to month. Last year for the same period of time we used 916 kWh of power. Again, this year it was 507! And I'm not going to stop now. My goal is to hit 400 for a single month. We'll see if I can do it.

As I chronicle my electric adventures, I will also be Twittering the tips at www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter

So, far I haven't done anything big or expensive. No new windows or doors, no bundles of insulation , or new heating units! We have done small things consistently.

Stay tuned and we will share along the way.

Power Tip #1 Unplug things that just sit on standby waiting to be used. These are things like your coffee pot that has a clock, TVs with remotes, etc. To make it simple some people use a power strip to easily cut the power to things when not in use.

Power Tip #2 Microwaves use less power then the stove. Cook a big meal and then portion it for later heating in the microwave. You can even freeze complete meals and save a ton of time. Imagine, complete meals in your freezer you can grab for work. Bet you will even save money on eating out.

One last thing before I go. There is a great blog you should be reading if you are into saving money. Go to www.BudgeTips.blogspot.com

Until next time...We'll turn the light off for ya'.