I want to avoid those last minute trips to the local pharmacy to buy batteries that I probably have stored somewhere in a clustered drawer, and I am guessing you do too.   With today’s soaring green technology, we can hopefully replace our small battery-ed gadgets with water power, saving time and money.

            Bedol introduced their new water-powered clocks—a clock that runs on water, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  With no batteries, electricity, or chemicals, this natural powered clock will save you money and frustration.  Bedol’s Eco-friendly clock is only $16.00.  For a clock with an alarm clock feature, it is $29.99. These prices are low and worth it.  It is one less device to worry about batteries, and one less device to plug into the wall.  To purchase this product, go to the official website: http://www.bedolwhatsnext.com/clocks-waterpowered-clock-c-89_199.html.

            You can also save with Global B2B Marketplace’s water powered calculators.  This device has a replaceable battery that is powered by a water re-fill around every three months; again, this is an alternative to the conventional battery that continuously costs you money, and time. It’s worth the purchase. The best place to buy a water-powered calculator would be from here for $9.99: http://www.shopgadgetsandgizmos.com/product/19460/. Life without the burden of batteries is great! These are also thoughtful gifts to give.

        Hot water is more expensive than we all realize.  We use it for our dishes, showers, hands, washing machines, and cooking on a daily basis, forcing the hot water pump to exert energy and cost us money.  However, there is a cheap, easy way to avoid the high costs of heating water with the Minnesota Power’s Drain Water Heat Recovery System.  This system re-uses shower water to preheat incoming cold water before entering the hot water tank to about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  This transaction results in less energy and therefore, less money.  Not only does this product estimate to save from $100-230 per month for the average family, but if installed within the guidelines, you are guaranteed a $400 rebate for the installation process.

            There are many perks to purchasing the Drain Water Heat Recovery System.  The obvious incentive of saving hundreds per year is just the start.  This system increases, strengthens, and lengthens the hot water capacity and life of your hot water system by reducing the energy force.  The hot water in your home instantly becomes more reliable.  Another advantage is that this system has no moving parts.  The installation process is easy and leaves no maintenance afterward.  With this system, you will always have a ready supply of hot water in your home.

The average family spends around $400 every year just on laundry in the home.  But there are plenty of tricks and tips on how to save money and energy while doing your laundry.  Three easy ones come to mind immediately.  Starting with the fact that 90% of your washing machine’s energy goes towards hot water, you can reduce your hot water exploit by only using it when washing heavily soiled laundry.  Contrary to popular belief, cold water gets the job done as well.  You should also only run the laundry machine if you have a full load, therefore gaining the maximum use out of the machine.  When doing two loads in a day, try to do them one after the other so the machine does not have to work as hard to get started. 

            In addition to the simple changes in how you do your laundry, there is a new item that will help you save even more money on your way to energy efficiency.  The new green laundry washing machine balls seem to be the most resourceful and convenient way to save money and energy on a regular basis.  You don’t even have to worry about remembering to use them when they are already waiting in your machine. These ceramic, beaded balls are designed to replace detergent for basic laundry loads.  The antibacterial, hypoallergenic magnets work by changing the pH balance in the water using reverse polarity.  Science works its magic to separate the dirt from the clothing, leaving the clothes fresh and clean.

In today’s world, it’s not just cut up coupons throughout the year or Labor Day sales that help reduce our spending.  With rising technology and competitive markets, there must be another way to bring down our costs while still living within the comfortable parameters of modern day society.   There is: energy reduction rebates and tax credits worth thousands of dollars.

            Modern day society causes us to take for granted a couple of things—for one, electricity—something far too beneficial to give up, as it cools and heats our homes, lights up our rooms, and cleans our clothes.  We can thank electricity for facilitating home cooked meals with a hot stove, and a cool refrigerator to keep the food fresh. 

            Before we knew it, this miraculous convenience brought everyone’s monthly bills up.  The extra refrigerator in the back – you cleverly kept after having to upgrade to a newer one - soaked up energy even though it was empty. The central air conditioner had to compete with the summer heat seeping in through the various spaces around the windows and doors; even the insulated rooms on the first floor seemed to be competing with the cool draft of winter coming from the garage.  Unbeknownst to most homeowners, these are some of the highest energy drainers, dramatically increasing our energy bill by hundreds of dollars.

Patio furniture dealers routinely discourage homeowners from replacing the glass on their patio tables.  I found this out when my umbrella was left open in a wind storm and rose out of the umbrella stand and then fell over, breaking the glass on my 60 inch round outdoor dining table.

Most retailers we called said it wasn't possible to replace.  They offered a new table, for about $630 plus tax.  One local retailer, Town & County Patio Shoppe in Wilton, CT, offered great advice: call local glass companies for a replacement that should be half the cost of a new table - or less.

We called one of the referrals made by Town & Country, Bethel Glass, of Bethel, CT, and brought our table to them (saving a $150 round trip pickup and delivery charge).  It was easy to tie the table to our SUV roof rack, and a fun project to do with my older kid.  Note we reused old bubble wrap to protect the frame and roof rack.

Our new favorite linen store, Linenplace, has a very educational feature on thread count and some wonderful sale prices on sheets. (Use your new-found knowledge to some purpose!)

Here's an excerpt:

The high thread count story hit the bedding market in the mid to late 1990s and has since dominated all conversations about sheets.  Now over ten years later it's still the focus of questions asked the most by our customers. Honestly, we wish there was a simple answer. The truth is that it's just not that simple, thread count is one metric that should be looked at when considering sheets. 

We've always liked the European design sense over at Hudson Reed, and their Father's Day promotion is a great excuse to roll up your sleeves and do a little DIY bathroom upgrade, or have your favorite plumber install these beautiful faucets and fixtures for you.  If you need a contractor, just click here for a local referral to a pre-screened plumber with our $500 service assurance.  All fixtures fit U.S. standard plumbing!  And Yes, you can add the discount codes below to your 50% discount!

If you were starting to think about installing heating and cooling thermostats or even upgrading from a simple On or Off switch, now it the time to make the leap.

If you are serviced by Con Edison, check out their 'Smart Utility' program (The Info Center article in 'Taking Care of Your Home -> Heating and Cooling' has the details).

With record rain this spring, many in the northeast have experienced damp, wet or flooded basements.  If you live near a river that overflowed, this post won't help you, but if you don't, read on as perhaps there is something here for you.

A house with a basement is constantly under pressure from below. Most of the time it's just gravity trying to fill the void in the earth, but sometimes it's from water, too.  

The most obvious homeowner task is to ensure your gutters and leaders are cleaned, clear and allowing water to run away from the side of your house.  Most sources suggest at least six feet above ground and 20-25 feet if being drained into a drywell.  Clean your gutters (or have someone do it for you) once a year at minimum after all the leaves have fallen off trees near your home (we have our gutters cleaned here in Connecticut just before Thanksgiving).

We have patio chairs and chaise lounges that we like very much.  Trouble is, they are 10 years old and the seating material (called a sling in the trade) began to wear out.  One of the seats was completely ripped.  The frames, on the other hand, were in great condition.

My wife and I went to a patio furniture store to price out a replacement set.  Chairs were $300 each and chaise lounges, $450.  The table would cost another $800.  Total price for a replacement set: $4400.  Not money we wanted to spend.  But there was another answer.