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Re-use and Re-Purpose Household Items
Rich Duncan | Lakeshore News

August 17, 2011 - Going green is a trend that is becoming more common in numerous households. People are becoming more conscientious of the environment and finding ways to contribute to conserving it. However, the other benefit of adopting a green lifestyle is you will find ways to re-use and recycle items in useful ways, which often means being able to help the environment and save money in the process. Here are some ways to re-use certain objects and make your own to save money.
Gardening: There are numerous ways to re-use materials in the context of your garden, particularly if you need pots to place plants in. If you happen to have cinderblocks in your yard, many times plastic planters can fit in the spaces and they can be transformed into a garden. You can also place soil and plants in old tins and with just a few holes at the bottom, you have transformed something you would through away into a useful planting tool. Also, if you often use water that you end up dumping down the drain, consider using it to water your plants (provided there were no harsh chemicals in the water). This helps cut down on waste and can save you money.
Old newspapers: Sometimes we accumulate stacks of old newspapers and often times we just recycle them or throw them in the trash. However, there are ways to re-use newspapers long after you are done using them. Popular internet blog, Re-Nest, suggests using them to get cleaner windows by spraying your windows and starting out with a circular motion and then vertical and horizontal motions to get sparkling clean windows. You can also take the comics sections and use them as a creative gift wrapping option.
Dryer Sheets: You can re-use dryer sheets even after you are done as a duster and sometimes they even retain their scents and can be used to freshen your gym bag.
Make your own scrubber: Lifehacker suggests making your own scrubber by simply taking the mesh bags that produce occasionally comes in and cutting them into rectangles. You can then stuff them with old plastic bags and stitch it closed with floss. This allows you to create a scrubber that can be re-used multiple times.

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Utilizing Leftovers
Rich Duncan | Lakeshore News

August 17, 2011 - This week’s column is not a recipe exactly, but rather a way to utilize leftovers. Often times with recipes, we are making a dish out of new ingredients and often times this can result in an extra trip to the grocery store and cause a bit of a spike to a grocery bill. However, there are ways to make delicious meals using food that we may already have on hand. Often times leftovers sit in the fridge because people do not want to eat the same thing two days in a row and this can result in thrown out food.
However, utilizing the leftover food from previous dinners can help eliminate the need for other ingredients and also help you save money on weekly dinners. A good example is if you have left over meat, such as chicken. Chicken can be shredded and made into a chicken salad and also used as a filling for a hearty pot pie. The only additional ingredient you would need is pastry shells. Simply shred the leftover chicken or other meat and mix it with leftover vegetables, gravy and add salt and pepper to taste. Then place the contents in the bottom crust and flip the other crust on top and score it with lines. Then, bake it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes at around 350 degrees.
Utilizing leftovers is not only an economical option to get the most out of the food in your house; it also allows you to be creative. Often times it is more enjoyable to cook dinner without a set plan in mind and instead raiding the fridge and cupboards for whatever you find to make a dish. Get creative. If you notice a lot of leftovers in the fridge, think of the different possibilities that are there and what you can add from the cupboards. Do not worry as much if the ingredients go together, instead go out on a limb and try new combinations. At the very least, you may know not to make that again but if it tastes good, you may have invented a new recipe.
So the next time you need a dinner idea or are looking for a cheap meal option, you may not have to look any further than your own refrigerator.

Cut Your Expenses
Rich Duncan | Lakeshore News

August 17, 2011 - Everyone is looking for ways to save money, whether it is to make our lives easier by cutting down our bills or simply looking for the best deal available to have more money in our pockets. There are numerous ways to find bargains and lessen the financial burdens of every day life, and these tips will at least help you get started in lowering your expenses and helping you save a little money.
Getting organized: This may not lower your expenses, but getting organized is an essential first step in managing your finances. One option, if you do your banking online, is to ask your bank about bill pay services. This allows you to pay your bills online from your account and cuts down on the amount of time you spend writing checks and sending out payments. This option often lets you know when your payments will arrive, view past payments and it also allows you to see all the bills you have to pay in an organized fashion. If you do not have bill pay, pay your bills as soon as possible and keep all of your records in one place and organize them. This will cut down on the time you spend paying bills every month.
Cut your electric bill: I mentioned ways to lower your electric bill costs in a previous column, but there are even more easy ways to cut down your electric bill, even if it is only a little bit. The easiest solution that many people do not take advantage of is unplugging devices that aren’t in use. A great example of this is cell phone chargers. Sometimes it seems easier to leave little things like this plugged in, but in reality, leaving things like chargers plugged in still utilizes electricity. For things you do not use often, consider unplugging them to help lower your electric bill. Also, consider switching to energy efficient light bulbs. They may be a little more expensive in the short term, but they will help keep your costs down over the long term and often times can last a little longer than regular bulbs.
Think about Impulse Buys: While it is impossible to never buy anything for entertainment purposes, it may be important to stop and think if it can really fit in your budget. An easy way to do this is by thinking of the cost in terms of how long it took you to earn that money. Simply take the price of the item and divide it by your hourly wage (if you have an hourly wage) to see how many hours it took you to make that amount. This will help you determine if it is worth making the purchase.
Cut your cable and phone bill: If you have access to the internet, it may make sense to get rid of your cable package and watch shows online. Websites like Hulu and the T.V. channels’ website allow free streaming of episodes that make cable TV packages redundant. Also, if you have a cell phone, you may consider getting rid of your landline, which is a popular choice for many people now. This limits the amounts of bills you will pay.
Hopefully these tips help you keep costs down and save a little extra money!

BY  TH3  NUMB3RS:
Green Living

• If every American home replaced one light with an energy efficient bulb, it would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year.
• 82 million tons of materials are recycled every year in the United States.
• It takes 6  weeks to manufacture, fill, sell, recycle, and re-manufacture an aluminum can.
• The average American uses 1.5 pounds of recycled materials per day.