$796 Saved On Energy Cost In One Year!

Do you remember when I posted way back in September that it was possible to save 800 bucks off your energy bill in one year WITHOUT replacing your windows?

Well I've got an update for you!

Our final savings tally for the year was $796.08!  There is no doubt in my mind that we would have broken the $800 barrier if this past December hadn't been 6% colder than last year's December.

I'll have another post out next fall with several new additional low budget techniques that I've implemented since the original September post.

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Avoid Horrible Gift Giving With Free Google Docs

Do you sometimes have a problem coming up with the perfect gift for your wife?

Oh SURE, during the "courting period" it was easy to come up with stuff.  But now, finding something she won't immediately want to return is a bit tougher.

Well I've solved this problem, and many others, with Google's free Google Docs collaboration tool.

I created a shared 'Wish List' spreadsheet for eM, myself and the kids.  Now when eM thinks of something she might like to have as a future gift she opens up our shared document and adds it to her list.

Now I always know I'm  getting her something she really wants, and as long as there are enough items on the list, we still retain some element of surprise because she doesn't know which gift is coming.  Some of our immediate family members have also asked to see the list so we've given them permission to view it as well.

New Study: Negative Short Term Video Game Effect on Children

New study out last month about the short term effects of video games on children's writing, reading and learning skills.

The study examined a group of 6-9 year-olds both before, and then 4-months after, receiving a video game device and three age appropriate games.

According to the author of the study which appeared in a journal of the Association for Psychological Science,

"boys who received the video-game system at the beginning of the study had significantly lower reading and writing scores four months later compared with the boys [who did not]. Although there were no differences in parent-reported behavioral problems between the two groups of kids, the boys who received the video-game system immediately had greater teacher-reported learning problems."

DIY Fix For Your Wobbly Keyboard

Tip: Is your keyboard wobbling because you snapped off one of its little legs?  Use the "spring" from a large binder clip to replace it.  Good as new!

(and yes, that is a delicious glass of scotch in the background)

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