X-MAS CARDS AND THE POST OFFICE

I received another Christmas card in the mail the other day. I appreciated the time it took for this person to have to physically go to the store, purchase it, drive home, address it, write a little note in it, stamp it, then either drop it off at the post office or stick it in their mailbox. WHEW! That's a lot of work just to perform a simple task. I appreciate the thought. But for me, X-mas cards are a double edged sword. First, being an agnostic, my view of what this holiday season means may not be the view shared by others. This feeling of holiday cheer and good will should be felt and demonstrated year long and not come upon us beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and ending on new years day. But I digress. Back to the cards. So I have this collection of cards. With every new card that comes I feel more guilty about not sending out my own set of cards, or at least reciprocating to the ones I got. This guilty feeling sucks. It really puts a damper on my X-mas spirit. And then there are the cards I get from folks I haven't heard a peep from all year long. What am I supposed to think here? They only think of me once a year? A verbal conversation is not allowed? A ten minute phone call exchanging pleasantries would  have better demonstrated that they really care versus two lines in a card. Please don't view my comments as ungrateful; I take friendships very seriously and value each and every one. But to think of me only at Christmas seems a bit hypocritical. I think some people view X-mas cards as some sort of moral status. "Gee, if I send out two hundred Christmas cards, I MUST have lots of friends and be so well liked!" I call it the FACEBOOK syndrome. Thinking that you are so popular because you have 642 friends. But how many of those friends would come by to lend a hand on "moving day?" Just as I thought. And how about those press release diatribes that people send out, detailing every single thing that is happening in their lives. A Christmas "form letter!" Talk about impersonal! My advice: forget the cards and pick up the phone. You remember the phone don't you? It was the thing we used to communicate with before "email" came along. Call the people you haven't seen or spoken to all year. Ask how they are. Ask how their children are. Ask how their parents, brothers and sisters are. Tell them what is going on in your life and ask them the same. Say, "it was good talking to you and I wish you well." An "I love you" wouldn't hurt either.

 While I'm on the subject of cards, lets talk about the post office. An American institution in constant ridicule. Post office personnel have the second most thankless job on the planet right behind teachers. Look, their job is very stressful. Imagine being responsible for moving ton upon ton of mail every day. And how do we thank them? We make jokes about "going postal." Ask yourself this: Is there anyone I know that will come to my house, take a letter from me, carry it clear across the country and hand deliver it to someone of my choosing? No one? How about one of your 642 friends on FACEBOOK? And don't get me started about ALL the people who complain about the price of a stamp. Do you think that YOU could physically hand deliver a letter to someone 3,000 miles away for less than 44 cents? Well guess what? People do it for you day after day, no matter what the weather is or where they're going. And they never ask for a "thank you" either. Isn't it amazing the people and things we take for granted? So, the next time you're standing in line at the post office waiting to buy your stamps and the person either behind or in front of you comments about the HIGH PRICE, remind them of our little conversation. And realize one more thing: With email gaining momentum as the preferred method of mail delivery, it's only a matter of time before your mail man or mail woman is out of a job. More stress to add to an already stressful job. Be glad of who you are.
Happy holidays to everyone and peace to all that need it.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST ADVICE YOU WILL RECEIVE ALL YEAR!!!

The above title says it all. The following advice that I am about to give to all of you reading this right now is the BEST you will receive all year. But before I spill the beans, I must first disclose it's origin.

On November 1st of this year I was engaged in a telephone conversation with my mother. Because she is alone and I am concerned for her, we often speak on the phone. The conversation was going its usual way until she mentioned something she had seen on a T.V. sitcom. According to her, an actor on this certain sitcom made a statement, one she thought she had never heard before. The actor said to his sitcom wife that she should unplug the toaster once she had finished using it. The actress asked why. The actor responded that although the appliance was no longer turned on, the mere fact that it was still plugged in meant that the appliance was still drawing current. At that point I am unsure as to what the next exchange was due to the fact that my mother was recounting it. Mom asked me if I had ever heard of this before and then informed me that SHE had pulled practically every plug in her apartment. She then went on to tell me how her ELECTRIC BILL HAD BEEN REDUCED BY HALF since she started this practice. I ran her words around inside my head. I had never heard of such a thing. Even with my knowledge of electricity, having owned a home remodeling business for years, these statements were very new and puzzling. I honestly thought mom had "lost it." I thoroughly questioned her on every aspect of life in her apartment and if she had changed anything else in addition to "unplugging." She assured me she had not. At that point, I realized the only way to prove her claims was to see for myself. I decided on that day, November 1st, to unplug every cord in the house. I left two plugged in: the two behind our bed's headboard, the ones that power our digital alarm clocks. They were too inconvenient to access. The only other things plugged in were mine and my wife's computers, the battery charger to a power screwdriver and the battery charger to a small beard and mustache trimmer.

And then I waited. I made sure to unplug everything immediately after using it. When our monthly electric bill arrived, I was shocked. Because the bill reflects electric usage from mid-month to mid-month, I could only view the results of exactly 16 days worth of unplugging. According to the bill, dated November 18, 2009, the total kilowatt hours used between 10/20 and 11/16 amounted to 882. THAT wasn't the amazing thing. The AMAZING thing was LAST YEAR'S record of usage for the exact same time period (drum roll please) 1,223. AND don't forget that November's bill reflected only 16 days of my unplugging task. A whole month's worth would really reflect my savings.

Now, some of you may be skeptical. But I assure you that the same living conditions, habits, days at home, and thermostat heating temperatures had not changed from year to year. Today, December 22, I received the electric bill for the period 11/16 to 12/16. The total kilowatt usage for this period is 1,376. And as I write this and view the kilowatt usage for the exact same time period last year, I am amazed. Last year's total: 1,680. A difference of over 300 kilowatt hours. In dollars this amounts to roughly a $25.00 savings over last year's bill for December. I expect all following bills to be greatly reduced also.

Now comes the question: WHY ISN'T THIS INFORMATION PRINTED IN GIANT BOLD LETTERS ON EVERY ELECTRIC BILL MAILED IN THIS COUNTRY? Why isn't this money saving, energy saving tip splashed all over the T.V. and newspapers? Why hasn't President Obama held a national press conference telling each and every one of us how easily we can save a SIGNIFICANT amount of money on our electric bills? Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe somebody should tell him. But then, it's easy to see why the electric companies keep this little tidbit of information from us. Imagine the lost revenue incurred by them if every person could cut $20 to $30 from their electric bill.

I intend to shout this information from the highest mountain. HALLELUJAH!! LOWER BILLS AT LAST, LOWER BILLS AT LAST!! Join me America in spreading the good word. Send folks you know here to read this for themselves. Comment on this article if you already know this information. Start an email chain telling everyone how to pocket some extra cash in these hard times. Let's get Congress to pass a bill that all electric companies must publish this TIP on every bill to every customer. If we need a GREEN solution, there is no better one that I can think of. Thank you for your time. Ray.

ADVICE FOR HOMEOWNERS: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

            Are you a new homeowner or someone who has owned a home for some time? If you are, there are many aspects of home maintenance that you may be aware of or some that you have never considered at all. I have compiled a list of questions and answers that I feel are important to know.

1) Do you have QEST water pipe running through your home?  This is Polybutylene flexible pipe that was used to plumb many houses during the late 1980's and most of the 90's. Apparently, this brand of pipe will fail under certain conditions and there was a nationwide class action lawsuit in response to such failure. This pipe is usually recognized by it's grey color but it is also found in white, black, blue and cream. The printed letters "PB" can be found on the exterior of the pipe to help identify it. If you have this pipe running through your home and you have easy access to it, say, from an unfinished basement, crawl space or attic, you might consider replacing it. Or, at least just knowing if you have it can be useful. Generally, the cost to replace said pipe is not as expensive as you might think and the preventative costs associated with it far outweigh the potential damage costs. Look in the Yellow Pages for small owner-operated plumbing companies to get the most inexpensive material and labor costs to replace it.

2) Do you know where your home's main water supply shut off valve is? If you do, is it easily accessible? Do you have to climb over a mountain of toys or plastic storage totes to get to it? Easy access to this valve is essential in case of an emergency situation that requires the water to be turned off. Some older homes have the main valve outside the home in a front yard. Sometimes the lid to access the valve has a locking bolt on it to keep it sealed. Do you need a special sized wrench to open it? If you do, could you locate it in 60 seconds? When your house is flooding, every second counts. Keep such a device handy and in clear view at all times. I recommend a MASTER SHEET of information reminding you where all of these things can be found. You may want to add more of the following.

3) Do you know where your main circuit breaker panel is? Do you know if you have sub-panels, how many, and where they are? Do you have an older home with the old style screw-in fuses? If so, do you have any extra fuses handy in case one blows? By the law of building codes, access to circuit panels should never be blocked. But, as we all know, sometimes lack of space forces us to use every square inch of our garages and basements. You should always have easy access to these panels in case of an emergency. Having a flashlight with good batteries placed near such panels is always handy. Are all the circuits marked correctly AND LEGIBLE? If not, find an adult who can walk through your home as you flip breakers off and on, one by one to identify what they power. Use an indelible ink marker to mark as such. In an emergency, not having to guess what goes to where could save someone's life.

4) Do you have natural gas or propane entering your home? Do you know where the main shut off valve is? Do you have a gas fireplace or a gas stove? Do you know where the shut off valves are for these? Do you have a gas furnace heating your home? Can you easily find and reach the shut off valve to it? You should know the EXACT location where each of these can be found. Some gas fireplaces have a special KEY to turn the valve on and off. Do you know where the key is? Good advice is to hang the key in plain sight but NOT ABOVE THE FIREPLACE! If a fire should accidentally get out of hand, you may not be able to grab it due to flames.

5) Do you have a washer and dryer? Is your dryer exhaust vent free of dust and lint and does its opening and closing function properly? Believe it or not, birds and small animals will make these vents their home if they don't close properly when not in use. When was the last time you changed the rubber hoses that supply hot and cold water to your washing machine? Just like outdoor lawn hoses, these will fail and leak over time. They should be replaced periodically to avoid a flood, like when you're on a two week vacation away from home. That's when they usually break!

6) Does your home have a forced hot/cold air system? Do you know where ALL the return air duct filters are located? Do you know what size they are for each duct. Sometimes they are not all the same size. Did you know that the inexpensive throw away filters should be changed every month to keep your heating/cooling system functioning at its most cost efficient potential?

        A home, just like a car, needs regular maintenance. My advice is to put all pertinent information together on one master sheet, make several copies and keep them in easy reach. In an emergency, running around like a headless chicken in front of family members and neighbors never looks good. Although sometimes it might be entertaining.

Winter and your car

If you own a car and do not have access to mass transit, your least favorite time of year is approaching : Winter! I get chills just typing the word. I have a few suggestions on how to make winter and your car work together.

1) When winter roads start to become hazardous, release some of the air in your tires. A slightly flatter tire provides a little bit more contact with the road. I recommend setting the pressure at slightly above half of the maximum recommended pressure for that tire. That information is found on the outside of each tire. In very small letters.

2) When is the last time you replaced your wiper blades? If you can't remember, it's time to replace them.

3) Check the fluid level in your windshield washer fluid reservoir. Make sure it is full.

4) Check the fluid level of anti-freeze in your overflow reservoir. Make sure it is full to it's capacity. If you haven't changed your anti-freeze in over three years, it's time for a fluid change.

5) Keep a flashlight in your glove compartment and check the batteries every three months.

6) Keep a warm blanket, raincoat and two gallons of distilled water in your trunk if possible. It's better to be prepared for an emergency than to try and improvise during one.

7) Have you ever changed a flat tire on your vehicle? Do you know if you have a working jack? A tire iron to remove a wheel? Does your spare (if any) have air in it? If it does, set the pressure to what I suggested in tip # 1.

8) Flares, reflective HAZARD signs and a small emergency medical kit are all great to have in your trunk just in case.

9) If you have a cell phone, keep a cell phone car charger in your glove compartment.

10) For better night vision during storms or rural driving, change your head light lamp bulbs to the brightest halogen bulbs allowed for your vehicle. Your local auto parts store clerk can help provide this information and if you ask him or her nicely, they just might install them for you.

11) How old is the battery in your car? Most batteries have a five year life span. Cold temperatures can quickly drain a battery's cranking power. If the five year mark is approaching, consider replacing your battery. On most newer foreign cars, a dead or dying battery will most often harm your alternator causing it to fail as well. Another good reason to replace your battery.

12) Try to keep your gas tank full as much as possible. There are many reasons to do this. First, since a property of gasoline is to easily vaporize, keeping your tank full reduces the amount of air space available for your gas to vaporize into. The gas in your tank will last longer this way. Second, every gallon of gasoline in your tank adds weight over you car's rear wheels. If you have a rear wheel drive vehicle, this helps provide your car with more traction. Third, if a big storm hits and power goes out to a large area, gas stations may close due to lack of power. Having little or no gas in your tank may strand you at home or on the road. And finally, if the power goes out at your home and you have to rely solely on electric for heat, you can always climb into your car, start it up and run the heater to keep warm. I DO NOT recommend you do this if your car is in an enclosed area OR if your car currently has an inadequate muffler.

13) If you know in advance that a snow or ice storm is coming, lift your windshield wipers off of the windshield. This will help you scrape ice or snow off without damaging them.

14) If a snow storm is imminent, park you car at the end of your driveway closest to the street. You will have less snow to shovel out of your way to access the road.

15) Slow down. Be safe, Ray.

How to get married ---------on a budget!

Remember back in the good old days when people had money? You could buy a house, a car, a big screen television, a whirlwind vacation, get married. Today it's so bad that individuals who used to be billionaires are now only millionaires. Boy, life is tough. But life goes on. Let's say for instance that you want to get married. You've finally found your perfect mate. The love of your life. Someone who shares your likes and dislikes. Someone who DOES eat tree bark or believes in the healing power of crystals or who thinks that an UZI is a 'must have' fashion accessory. Your 'soul mate.' So, what do you do to tie the knot without spending a fortune? If you're a woman, getting hitched for the first time and your last name is Getty, Trump, Rockefeller, or Kennedy, skip this article and go shopping. But if you're a young couple just starting out or you're two divorcees who've 'been there, done that,' the following advice may save you thousands on your wedding costs.

1) Invitations. Let's face it: Do you really need old English script on antique white parchment paper that contains two white doves that are released when the intended guest opens it? Overkill. Of course you could entertain using the other side of the spectrum: Pen ink written requests on cocktail napkins sent by carrier pigeon. What? TOO tacky you say? How about something in the middle? Make your own! Today's personal computers have software installed in them that enables the user to create a customized invitation. It's not hard to do. After you've configured your 'invite' all you need to do now is drive down to your nearest office supply store and buy 'card stock.' A box of 60 costs around $20.00. Simply put the card stock in your printer and watch it print out your invitations. Fold them, stick them in an envelope and you're done.

2) Your dress, his tux. Does it have to be white? Does it have to be new? Does it have to be yours? A formal white evening gown is a viable option. They are considerably less expensive than a conventional wedding dress and you can get more use out of it. What about finding a used one on Craigslist or EBay? How about renting one for the day. There are plenty of websites that let you rent one for the day. Does your intended own a nice suit? If he doesn't, how about a friend or family member. Borrowing or buying a nice suit can be cheaper than renting a tux for the day.

3) The place. Do you absolutely have to get married in a church or chapel? Most churches and or priests charge a pretty substantial fee for this service. To save money, consider having a justice of the peace marry you both. Arrange to have the marriage ceremony performed in the same place that your reception will be held. This saves your guests from having to find some place to go in between the ceremony and the reception. Don't have the money to rent an expensive catering hall for your reception? What about an upscale restaurant with a large private room. How about a local hotel or motel with a nice conference room? Book traveling relatives or friends there and save them the hassle of trying to find an address in a strange city or town. Would you consider a 'Knights of Columbus' hall or a 'Moose lodge' or a V.F.W. hall to house your reception? Most of these places have kitchens inside their meeting halls which will allow you to bring in your own food. Getting creative can sometimes save you thousands.

4) The food. Having friends or relatives volunteer to cook food for your wedding decreases your costs too. Most restaurants offer outside catering services to most any location. They sometimes provide waitresses and servers for you. Don't have enough money in the budget to feed everyone? Consider spending a little bit more for your wedding cake. Most wedding cakes are nothing more than plain chocolate or vanilla cake mix with a sugar frosting on top. Boring and forgetful. Serve your guests a cake TO DIE FOR! Choose many layers with mouth watering fillings. Black forest cake and German chocolate cake are two examples. Serve coffee, tea and soda instead of alcohol. Provide those new 'designer' potato chips, pretzels and a choice of dips to go with the meal. If alcohol is a must, purchase bottles from a supplier if possible and buy your mixers from a 'bulk' store like SAM'S or B.J.'s Wholesale club.

5) The ride there. Do you really have to take a limo from your home to your wedding ceremony? Does a friend or family member own a large sedan or s.u.v.? How about someone with a classic car or roadster? Imagine pulling up in a model 'T' or a 1968 Chevy Camaro.

6) Photos or video. Hiring a professional photographer can be expensive. Since practically everyone on the planet owns a digital camera, cell phone camera, or small hand-held video camera, include a little blurb on your invitation suggesting that everyone who plans to attend bring something along. Another great idea is to purchase those inexpensive single-use film cameras that you can buy for about $5.00 each and place one or two on each table where your guests will be seated. Leave a little note next to them inviting them to take as many pictures of your happy occasion as they'd like. The cost for developing them will be cheaper in the long run. As your guests depart supply them with your email address and ask them to send you the pictures they've taken. Load film stock paper in your home printer and press 'print.' You'll have enough to fill an album in no time. Or, download them onto a CD and send everyone a copy. Oh, and keep one for yourself.

7) The rings. Big tip here: SHOP AROUND!! Prices on rings vary greatly from store to store. Do they have to be gold? 10ct gold is a viable option. How about titanium, sterling silver or stainless steel? Has a parent or relative passed down a ring to you? Consider using one of these.

8) Wedding favors. Can't afford hand blown glass figurines as wedding favors for your guests? Time to get inventive. Try purchasing a roll of colored cellophane film like the kind you wrap Easter baskets in. Cut it into 10' by 10' squares, make a pouch out of it and fill the pouch with Hershey kisses and a one dollar gold coin. The bank sells these for a dollar. Tie the pouch up in ribbon and 'voila,' you have a wedding favor. Your guests can keep the coin as a souvenir or spend it at the 'dollar store'! Good luck and best wishes.

Increase your home equity--save money and do it yourself!

So, who here thinks the recession is over? Raise your hands. I count no-one. We're all in agreement that the giant 'R' word is still looming over our heads. And, because of this, you may have lost some built-in equity associated with your home. But fear not: This thing will blow over and when it does your home will be marketable again. So, in the interim, here are 5 inexpensive upgrades that you the homeowner can do yourself to help increase your home's value.
1) Upgrade your bathroom. Second only to a total kitchen remodel, upgrading your bathroom is one thing that you yourself can do to build equity. Replacing that tacky, energy wasting light fixture with a more modern, energy saving fixture is one idea. How about yanking that old, wood and mirror medicine cabinet off the wall too. If you have adequate storage in your sink's vanity, opt for just hanging a round or oblong mirror in it's place. Do you still have those old, pitted, chrome plated towel hangers on the walls? Take them down. There are so many new styles to choose from. Most big box building supply stores have accessory packages that include towel rings, hangers and toilet paper holders all in one. A newer, modern vanity top is easy to install too. Don't forget a new, water-saving faucet to go with it. Add a new coat of semi-gloss paint and you are done. See, now doesn't that look better?!
2) Change-out the knobs or pulls on your kitchen cabinets. Self-explanatory here, simply by removing those ugly, outdated, pitted knobs and handles and replacing them with new modern ones, you can easily and afford ably change the look of your kitchen. Again, the big box stores will have lots of styles to choose from. Here's a tip: not all handles are the same width. Measure the distance between the screw holes for the proper replacement handle.
3) Paint. Oh, stop groaning. You know your house needs it. You might as well do it now. Re-painting the interior of your house is one of the most cost-effective projects that you can undertake. Paint your ceilings in flat ceiling white to hide any imperfections in the drywall finishing work. If you have youngsters, paint the walls in a satin finish. Dirt and fingerprints will wash off easier. If your rooms are small, keep the colors light. Dark colors always make a room feel like a cave. Oh, and PICK A NEUTRAL COLOR! The next owners may not like the Barney Dinosaur purple that you've picked out. Here's the best painting tip that you'll ever receive: Paint the ceiling and walls with an 18" roller. What, you've never seen one? That doesn't mean that they don't exist. Find them in the big box store. You'll need an extension pole, some 18" roller covers (I recommend 3/8" nap) and a WIDE paint tray. Look around the paint section carefully, they are there. Using an 18" setup will speed the job along AND it makes a mediocre painter into a superb painter. This I can personally attest to!
4) Install a Pergo floor. The latest thing in snap together flooring is not that hard to install and can dramatically change the look of a room. You will need to either borrow or buy a small, portable table saw, but let's face it, you've always wanted one so here's your chance. Follow the directions closely and you can't screw up. I advise using a helper for this project. Any extra pair of hands will do. This type of flooring is NOT recommended for wet locations i.e., bathrooms, mud rooms or basements that tend to flood during rainstorms or high tide. Wait for local sales in your area to purchase said flooring and remember to add 10% more to your square footage when purchasing.
5) Window treatments. So, exactly how long have those curtains been hanging on your windows? I don't care if they were your grandmothers', they are ugly and they smell like dust! Rip those suckers down! Here in this century, vertical blinds are the latest thing. Forget those pull down shades, those cheap plastic mini-blinds and the ugly curtains. Vertical blinds come in a variety of materials, colors and sizes. There are websites out there that offer custom made vertical blinds that are EXTREMELY affordable. All you do is pick your material, color and size. You determine size by measuring height and width. The website will give detailed instructions on how to do this. Installation of these custom blinds is very easy too, with easy to follow step by step instructions. Again, pick a neutral color because these will stay with the house when sold. A nicely trimmed window always makes a good impression on a potential buyer. Good luck, Ray

Recession over? Not by a long shot. Part 3

Here's another tip to dramatically cut your cost of living costs.
3) Stop wasting money heating your house! The most efficient way to heat a home is with a gas fired, forced hot air furnace. This is not to be confused with a heat pump. A heat pump is second only to electric baseboard heat for being inefficient for home heating. But because not everyone has a gas furnace heating their home, here is a suggestion on how to lower you cold weather heat bills. Go to your favorite, local big box building supply store and pick up a few small, portable heaters. They generally cost around $15.00 per unit. Look for the non-ceramic type but rather the small fan-forced heating element type. These are 110 volt heaters that draw about as much power as a small hair dryer. How to save $$$ with them is like this: During the night while you are asleep, there really is no logical reason to heat your entire house. You are in your bedroom, tucked snugly under your covers. Realistically, the only rooms you need to heat are your bedrooms so turn your house-heat thermostat down to 55 or 60. The first one up in the morning should then give the house a good shot of heat. These small compact heaters usually come with a thermostat enabling you to set your bedroom temperature to whatever you wish. The heater will cycle on and off during the night saving you hundreds of dollars in fuel costs. How do I know this? I personally have been doing this for years. I own three of them and keep one in my bedroom, one in my den and one in the kitchen. I can keep my heating and electric costs down to under $90.00 per month using this method. If you have kids, put one in their bedrooms too. Also, if your house is empty during the day, lower your house thermostat way down and set your portable heater thermostats down to 65 degrees. This will keep rooms of your choice warm for you when you get home at night. If this works for you, write me with your feedback. Best of luck, Ray

Recession over? Not by a long shot. Part 2

Here are more suggestions on how to weather this recession.
2) Shop wisely. Here's a newsflash: BULK IS BETTER!! If you don't have a Sam's club or B.J'S Wholesale club membership yet, get one! You will save hundreds on certain goods in the course of a year. All of your paper goods are cheaper: toilet paper, napkins, tissues, plastic cups, paper plates, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, garbage bags and paper towels. Bar soap is cheaper in bulk. Most food items are cheaper too. Coffee, creamer, breakfast cereal, oil, eggs and butter. Canned goods, salad dressings, flour, rice, mayonnaise and spices. If you rotate your stock of items so that you are replacing one large item per week, you won't feel the outlay as much. Use your grocery store for last minute items and fresh meats and fish only. The term, "Cheaper by the dozen" really applies to these bulk, chain outlets.