The piece covers how homeowners can take their home’s energy efficiency to the next level through more-efficient product upgrades and additions as well as simple, low-cost and even no-cost upgrades and actions.

Bob Markovich, home and yard editor of Consumer Reports says, “According to our recent nationally representative survey, of more than 2,000 Americans, only 12 percent added or upgraded their home’s insulation in the past three years and just 5 percent had insulated their heating and cooling ductwork — quick fixes that save you money for years to come.”

Consumer Reports looks at four key categories in the October issue…

• Heating and cooling
• Water
• Recycling
• Electricity

Consumer Reports notes that the Heating & Cooling category is the area where homeowners can save the most. Some of their tips include…

• Use a combination of caulk, foam board, expandable sealant, and weather stripping to mask leaks.
• Check insulation levels; if the attic has less than 11 inches of fiberglass or rock wool or less than 8 inches of cellulose, you should probably add more.
• Get a programmable thermostat.

Water Consumption is an area where you may be able to save more than $400 annually, and most of those savings, according to Consumer Reports is simply by stopping drips and leaks. Other tips…

• Upgrade to water-efficient fixtures.
• Watch the water heater; lower the temperature to 120 F and insulate hot-water pipes.

Electricity Use was another good place to save money and the changes here are easy. By simply changing 10 incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs and replacing three major appliances with energy-efficient models, you could save hundreds per year.

Recycling is an awesome category to see, and I’m glad CR decided to include it in their report. While recycling only saved about $250 per year, many people found it easy to do and thus lowered their garbage bills. According to CR, you should try RecycleBank, which “Lets people put all of their recyclables in one container instead of separating them by type then it weighs the container and issues rewards or points redeemable at local retailers, the average households get $250 worth.” They also note you should redeem bottles deposits as millions of dollars are unclaimed every year.

The full report on energy-saving products — including Consumer Reports tests of pellet stoves and solar water heaters, and tips on saving energy costs — is in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports Magazine. It’s also available online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

According to Consumer Reports, an efficient dishwasher can use less water than washing dishes by hand, no matter how frugal you are at the faucet.  

Here are some other tips to lower your bill while using your dishwasher:

1.  Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
2.  Turn it on the energy saver cycle.
3.  Don’t prerinse your load.
4.  Use an enzyme based detergent to get your dishes completely clean. See Frugal Friday #2 for more information.
5.  If your dishwasher has a booster heater, turn it down. Most booster heaters can raise the water temperature 20 F.
6.  Turn off the heated drying option. If you don’t have this option on your dishwasher, then after the cycle finishes, open the door and allow it to air dry. (I try to run my dishwasher at night after the kids are in bed. When the dishes are clean, I sometimes open the door to allow them to air dry.)
7.  Use the shortest cycle that will get your dishes clean.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

According to Consumer Reports, prerinsing your dishes can waste 20 gallons of heated water a day.  They suggest switching to an enzyme-based detergent so that you can simply scrape off the big chunks and throw the dishes in the machine.  The enzymes get off the stuck on food, so that you don’t have to scrub your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

You know what product Consumer Reports recommends? They recommend the Great Value Wal-Mart brand or Kirkland Signature from Costco!!!!  Can you believe it?  The generic, store brands are the ones they recommend?!?!

So, I decided to put it to the test.  Last month I bought the Great Value Wal-Mart brand dishwashing detergent.  I quit prerinsing and prewashing my dishes and it the product has worked!  I’m so excited.

This tip has saved me time, money on detergent, and money on energy and water.  It has also kept my eczema from flaring up.  What a thrifty tip!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1.  Hydrogen peroxide – Good for getting out blood, juice, and other red stains.  I’ve used this product many times to get blood out of clothing.  You may want to do a small test spot before using.  After you’ve opened the bottle, you may want to replace it every few months because I’ve heard it starts turning to water.  Someone also told me that they add some peroxide to their load of whites.

2.  Amodex (ink zapper) – This product was featured on Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show.  Place it on the ink stain and work it in or follow the directions on the bottle.  You can get it at stationery stores or the Amodex website.

3.  OxiClean (sodium percarbonate) – Good for stains of all colors.  Follow manufacturer’s instructions and soak stains for several hours before washing.

4.  Fels-naptha (grease buster) – Good for getting out oily stains such as salad dressing, gravy, grease, and pasta sauce.  I checked out their site and this product has many uses.  Some wrote in to say that they make their own laundry detergent using Fels-naptha.   I definitely need some of this soap since grease is so hard to get out of clothes.

Do you have a product that works great on stains?  Please tell us about it.  We’d love to know.

Picture from thefabricofourlives.com.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

After my response, my husband began to do something that he does very well.  He began to research the many different brands and products that are available.  He did some research online and decided that we needed to buy a Eureka Boss Smart Vac.  He went to the Consumer Reports website and found out that they had very good things to say about the Eureka Boss and that it was an inexpensive vacuum cleaner. 

Consumer Reports tested 59 vacuums and rated the Kenmore Progressive 35922 ($300), Eureka Boss ($150), and Kenmore Progressive 25512 ($300) as Best Buys.  The Eureka Boss also ranked #4 among all the vacuums.

Once my hubby decided which vacuum we would purchase, he also searched for the best deal.  He found the best deal on e-bay through ABC Vacuum Warehouse.  Including shipping we only paid $103.68 for our vacuum!  We also got 9 extra bags with the deal.

We’ve only had our new vacuum cleaner for about a month now, but it is definitely the best vacuum cleaner we have ever owned.  I used to think we needed new carpet.  Now I realize we just needed a new vacuum cleaner.  My carpet has never looked better.  Best of all, my husband now likes to vacuum.  He has probably vacuumed more this past month than I have.  That’s enough to make a girl happy.   

The Eureka also has a hose (and attachments) with great suction power and it does floors.  This weekend I put the brush attachment on and started dusting just about everything in my house with it.  I was amazed at the super job it did dusting my tv.

The Eureka Boss Smart Vac Ultra 4870 is definitely a thrifty buy. Now, if only I were a celebrity.  I could get some major kick-backs for saying all these things! 

Photo from Eureka.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

 

I got an important email alert from Baby Center about a report from Consumer reports. Turns out, they tested 12 rear facing infant car seats and 10 failed. I have a Evenflo Portaround that they don’t even sell anymore that fails the safety tests at weight limit when going 30 MPH. The trick is to not use the LATCH system and take your kids out of the rear facing seats at 20 lbs. Each car seat failed at the weight limit which is usually 22 lbs. Take a look at the report from Consumer Reports and Baby Center and learn an important lesson. It is a very important safety issue that your kids will thank you for later.

Picture courtesy of Consumer Reports.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy