With winter just around the corner, many of us are bracing ourselves for the arrival of higher electricity bills. Sadly, it’s inevitable; our country’s famously frigid climate forces us to increase our energy consumption during the cold months. There is, however, a way to reduce your monthly electricity consumption, and bill; by making small changes to your daily habits. Here are a few tips:
HEATING
• Replace your regular thermostats by electronic ones. They work to keep room temperatures constant and are programmable so you won’t need to remember to turn down the heat at night.
• Set your thermostats to 19ºC in the daytime and 17ºC at night. These are the average comfortable indoor temperatures during the winter months.
• On cold days, put on a warm sweater and add an extra cover onto your bed. You will feel warm and toasty, without having to turn up the heat.
• At night, close all your shades, blinds and drapes to keep the heat inside the house. Keep them open during the day to let in light… and heat from the sun.
• If you have a fireplace, remember to close the damper once the fire goes out.
• Weather-strip all doors and windows to keep the heat inside and the cold outside.
LIGHTING
• Dust your light bulbs regularly to keep their light shining brightly.
• Avoid unnecessary lighting in your home; turn the lights off in all unused rooms.
• When painting your home, opt for lighter wall colours that will reflect light.
• Replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; they use up to 75% less energy and last almost 10 times longer.
HOT WATER
• In the shower, cut the water while you’re soaping up, shaving, or shampooing your hair.
• Install a low flow showerhead to reduce the amount of hot water used.
• Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket to eliminate 97% of heat loss.
• Make sure to tightly close all faucets and fix the running ones. You’ll save water and energy if it’s the hot water tap that was leaking.
• Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible.
IN THE KITCHEN
• Don’t leave the refrigerator door open for long periods of time.
• Avoid placing the fridge right next to the stove.
• When using the stove, make sure to use both a pot and burner that are size-appropriate for what you are making (not too big). A small soup = a small saucepan + a small burner.
• When cooking, try to cover pots as often as possible.
• Choose pots and pans that have an evenly flat bottom, ensuring efficient heat distribution.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Careers that top $30 per hour !
In just 60 minutes, you could earn enough to pay for a tank of gas, the cable bill, gym membership, or dinner out. Thirty dollars still covers some of life's essential costs. Earn that much in just one hour on the job, and you have enough to build a comfortable life.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau figures put the median household income in the U.S. at $50,233. A $30-per-hour job brings in $62,400 before taxes, or 20% more than the national median. For many people, this extra margin is just one promotion or one credential away. To boost your economic security, consider these 10 careers with salary data as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Database Administrator
Mean Hourly Wage: $33.78
Salary: $70,260
Database administrators perform a vital role in our information economy, managing the database systems that help companies store, process, and access data effectively. Job growth is stunning in this high-demand field as well -- the profession is expected to grow 37 percent through 2016. Continuing education is a must to keep up with evolving technology, but entry requirements are modest. You can launch this $30-plus-an-hour career with an associate's degree in database administration or information technology.
Registered Nurse
Mean Hourly Wage: $30.04
Salary: $62,480
Historic demand for registered nurses is inspiring many people to reinvent themselves as health care practitioners. Nursing is projected to generate more new jobs than any other profession -- an estimated 587,000 positions through 2016, which represents a 23% increase in a decade. To take advantage of this boom, head to nursing school for your bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Accelerated programs are available for career changers who already have a bachelor degree in another field.
Technical Writer
Median Hourly Wage: $30.18
Salary: $62,780
Technical writers interpret engineering and scientific information for a lay audience, producing product documentation, user manuals, project proposals, and scientific reports. Most writers come to the field with a college bachelor's degree in a communications or liberal arts field. Some colleges offer specialized certificate programs in technical communication, which incorporate IT literacy training.
Fashion Designer
Median Hourly Wage: $34.22
Salary: $71,170
Fashion design has the reputation as an all-or-nothing labor of love -- you begin as a starving artist and ultimately attain celebrity stature designing haute couture. In fact, the majority of fashion designers -- 3 in 4 designers -- work secure, salaried jobs for apparel manufacturers. What these artists give up in suffering and glamour they make up for in a solid and stable paycheck. A job as a salaried fashion designer starts with an associate's or bachelor's degree in fashion design.
Accountant
Median Hourly Wage: $30.11
Salary: $62,640
Accountants should have no trouble finding work as businesses throughout the economy sort through the financial rubble of the credit crisis. Mounting federal regulation will also contribute to demand for trained accountants. Accountants working for accounting and bookkeeping services earn upwards of $30 per hour. These employers hire trained professionals with a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance.
Environmental Scientist
Median Hourly Wage: $30.71
Salary: $63,870
Environmental scientists will be the heroes of the coming era, developing much-needed strategies to redress environmental damage to soil, water, and air. The field is expected to grow 25% in response to new federal regulations and funding, as well as private investment. A bachelor's degree in earth sciences will get you started in this fascinating and important field. Many scientists go on to a master's degree to secure the best opportunities.
K-12 Curriculum Designer
Median Hourly Wage: $30.87
Salary: $64,220
Curriculum designers are at the forefront of educational research, developing new instructional materials and strategies to improve the quality of education in our nation's schools. The job typically calls for a graduate-level degree in the field, such as a master's degree in education (M.Ed.).
Dental Hygienist
Mean Hourly Wage: $31.21
Salary: $64,910
To make about the same amount of money with a two-year associate's degree, enroll in a dental hygiene program. Dental hygienists work alongside dentists to promote oral health and hygiene. Hygienists enjoy distinction as one of the nation's fastest growing occupations, with 30% growth expected through 2016.
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Median Hourly Wage: $30.05
Salary: $62,500
Solving crimes is all in a day's work for these criminal justice professionals. Criminal investigators can build their skill set by completing an associate's degree in criminal justice, where they take courses in crime scene investigation, criminal investigation procedures, and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics rates job opportunities as "excellent."
Television Producer
Median Hourly Wage: $31.66
Salary: $65,850
Producers coordinate the television features we enjoy, from sitcoms to dramas to the nightly news. To build the necessary skill set, producers enter the field with an associate's or bachelor's degree in mass communications or broadcast media.
A tight economy hasn't stopped employers in these ten fields from hiring qualified grads. With the right degree, you can upgrade your career and find job security in the form of a $30-an-hour paycheck.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau figures put the median household income in the U.S. at $50,233. A $30-per-hour job brings in $62,400 before taxes, or 20% more than the national median. For many people, this extra margin is just one promotion or one credential away. To boost your economic security, consider these 10 careers with salary data as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Database Administrator
Mean Hourly Wage: $33.78
Salary: $70,260
Database administrators perform a vital role in our information economy, managing the database systems that help companies store, process, and access data effectively. Job growth is stunning in this high-demand field as well -- the profession is expected to grow 37 percent through 2016. Continuing education is a must to keep up with evolving technology, but entry requirements are modest. You can launch this $30-plus-an-hour career with an associate's degree in database administration or information technology.
Registered Nurse
Mean Hourly Wage: $30.04
Salary: $62,480
Historic demand for registered nurses is inspiring many people to reinvent themselves as health care practitioners. Nursing is projected to generate more new jobs than any other profession -- an estimated 587,000 positions through 2016, which represents a 23% increase in a decade. To take advantage of this boom, head to nursing school for your bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Accelerated programs are available for career changers who already have a bachelor degree in another field.
Technical Writer
Median Hourly Wage: $30.18
Salary: $62,780
Technical writers interpret engineering and scientific information for a lay audience, producing product documentation, user manuals, project proposals, and scientific reports. Most writers come to the field with a college bachelor's degree in a communications or liberal arts field. Some colleges offer specialized certificate programs in technical communication, which incorporate IT literacy training.
Fashion Designer
Median Hourly Wage: $34.22
Salary: $71,170
Fashion design has the reputation as an all-or-nothing labor of love -- you begin as a starving artist and ultimately attain celebrity stature designing haute couture. In fact, the majority of fashion designers -- 3 in 4 designers -- work secure, salaried jobs for apparel manufacturers. What these artists give up in suffering and glamour they make up for in a solid and stable paycheck. A job as a salaried fashion designer starts with an associate's or bachelor's degree in fashion design.
Accountant
Median Hourly Wage: $30.11
Salary: $62,640
Accountants should have no trouble finding work as businesses throughout the economy sort through the financial rubble of the credit crisis. Mounting federal regulation will also contribute to demand for trained accountants. Accountants working for accounting and bookkeeping services earn upwards of $30 per hour. These employers hire trained professionals with a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance.
Environmental Scientist
Median Hourly Wage: $30.71
Salary: $63,870
Environmental scientists will be the heroes of the coming era, developing much-needed strategies to redress environmental damage to soil, water, and air. The field is expected to grow 25% in response to new federal regulations and funding, as well as private investment. A bachelor's degree in earth sciences will get you started in this fascinating and important field. Many scientists go on to a master's degree to secure the best opportunities.
K-12 Curriculum Designer
Median Hourly Wage: $30.87
Salary: $64,220
Curriculum designers are at the forefront of educational research, developing new instructional materials and strategies to improve the quality of education in our nation's schools. The job typically calls for a graduate-level degree in the field, such as a master's degree in education (M.Ed.).
Dental Hygienist
Mean Hourly Wage: $31.21
Salary: $64,910
To make about the same amount of money with a two-year associate's degree, enroll in a dental hygiene program. Dental hygienists work alongside dentists to promote oral health and hygiene. Hygienists enjoy distinction as one of the nation's fastest growing occupations, with 30% growth expected through 2016.
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
Median Hourly Wage: $30.05
Salary: $62,500
Solving crimes is all in a day's work for these criminal justice professionals. Criminal investigators can build their skill set by completing an associate's degree in criminal justice, where they take courses in crime scene investigation, criminal investigation procedures, and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics rates job opportunities as "excellent."
Television Producer
Median Hourly Wage: $31.66
Salary: $65,850
Producers coordinate the television features we enjoy, from sitcoms to dramas to the nightly news. To build the necessary skill set, producers enter the field with an associate's or bachelor's degree in mass communications or broadcast media.
A tight economy hasn't stopped employers in these ten fields from hiring qualified grads. With the right degree, you can upgrade your career and find job security in the form of a $30-an-hour paycheck.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Five Things Super-Happy Couples Do Every Day
I Know We Do These Everyday! :)
Daily Habit #1: Talk to Each Other
Happily married couples typically say their relationships work better when they can sit down and gab one-on-one, like thinking, feeling adults. But who's got time for that?
Daily Habit #2: Flirt
Most couples realize that getting intimate every night isn't possible, let alone a worthy goal. Indeed, a 1994 University of Chicago survey of Americans' physical intimacy habits found that only about a third of adults have physical intimacy more than once a week.
Daily Habit #3: Get Stupid Together
Daily Habit #4: Declare Your Independence
Daily Habit #5: Share a Spiritual Moment
In another University of Chicago survey, this one of married couples, 75 percent of the Americans who pray with their spouses reported that their marriages are "very happy" (compared to 57 percent of those who don't). Those who pray together are also more likely to say they respect each other and discuss their relationship together. Not to say that prayer is a cure for all that ails you. But whether they're talking about a simple grace at dinnertime or some soul-searching meditation, couples routinely say that a shared spiritual life helps keep them close.
Daily Habit #1: Talk to Each Other
Happily married couples typically say their relationships work better when they can sit down and gab one-on-one, like thinking, feeling adults. But who's got time for that?
Daily Habit #2: Flirt
Most couples realize that getting intimate every night isn't possible, let alone a worthy goal. Indeed, a 1994 University of Chicago survey of Americans' physical intimacy habits found that only about a third of adults have physical intimacy more than once a week.
Daily Habit #3: Get Stupid Together
Daily Habit #4: Declare Your Independence
Daily Habit #5: Share a Spiritual Moment
In another University of Chicago survey, this one of married couples, 75 percent of the Americans who pray with their spouses reported that their marriages are "very happy" (compared to 57 percent of those who don't). Those who pray together are also more likely to say they respect each other and discuss their relationship together. Not to say that prayer is a cure for all that ails you. But whether they're talking about a simple grace at dinnertime or some soul-searching meditation, couples routinely say that a shared spiritual life helps keep them close.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Updates and Stuff...
Well it's the new year, not much been happening really.
Playing City of Heroes, D&D, Pathfinder, a ton of movie watching since we got netflix and just hanging out and having fun.
Just trying to have alot of us time.
We even turn off the phones and ignore everyone lol.
I love when we do that myself, its relaxing.
I been still at my workout, though I have come down with a cold/flu which sucks, I did my workout today anyways but I took away all my energy doing it and the housework on top of that. I'm sleepy now......
Other then that not much else really, hubby's napping so I am gonna go finish my cape mission in City of Heroes and make a new costume for Cosmic Photon my Peacebringer.
Playing City of Heroes, D&D, Pathfinder, a ton of movie watching since we got netflix and just hanging out and having fun.
Just trying to have alot of us time.
We even turn off the phones and ignore everyone lol.
I love when we do that myself, its relaxing.
I been still at my workout, though I have come down with a cold/flu which sucks, I did my workout today anyways but I took away all my energy doing it and the housework on top of that. I'm sleepy now......
Other then that not much else really, hubby's napping so I am gonna go finish my cape mission in City of Heroes and make a new costume for Cosmic Photon my Peacebringer.
Monday, January 05, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEARS!
Things been going great, even the out look of Obama and his plans, sounds promising, but we will have to see! Here is a bit of something I found on yahoo news this morning about his tax plan, more take home pay for workers too!? Well just read it =)
Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package will include hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tax breaks for individuals and businesses, according to a transition official and Democratic aides.
Obama is asking that tax cuts make up 40 percent of a stimulus package, the people say. The measure may be worth as much as $775 billion, a Democratic aide says, meaning tax cuts may constitute more than $300 billion of the legislation.
The dollar today rose to the highest level in almost three weeks against the euro and also surged against the yen on speculation that the Obama plan would help the U.S. economy recover from recession.
Making tax cuts such a large part of the stimulus may help win support from congressional Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said his party would support an immediate middle-class tax cut as part of any stimulus package.
“Republicans, by and large, think tax relief is a great way to get money to people immediately,” McConnell said yesterday on ABC’s “This Week.”
The plan would attempt to boost consumer demand by spending $140 billion on tax breaks worth $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples, according to a House Democratic aide. The change would come by altering tax-withholding rules, rather than through a rebate check as with the previous stimulus plan enacted last year, so that workers would see an immediate increase in their take-home pay.
The $500 tax credit would apply to the first $8,100 of wages, meaning a worker who earns $24,400 a year and is paid twice a month would get about $60 extra per paycheck for four months.
Business Tax Breaks
For businesses, the aide said, lawmakers will use similar measures they’ve employed in past stimulus bills, such as allowing companies to get refunds for taxes paid in any or all of the past five years by deducting losses they’ve incurred now; those losses can currently only be carried back two years.
Congress is also likely to include incentives such as accelerated depreciation to encourage companies to buy equipment now rather than defer such investments. The plan also attempts to combat joblessness by offering companies tax breaks for hiring more workers, the aide said.
The tax provisions are also likely to repeal the alternative minimum tax on municipal bonds issued to build airport runways, sewer systems and other privately run facilities that benefit the population at large, another aide said. Congress is unlikely to enact a new round of incentives for U.S.-based multinational corporations to repatriate foreign earnings at a discounted tax rate as urged by business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, that aide said.
Accelerated Tax Breaks
Many of the business tax incentives would be accelerated so that any dollar written off now would not be able to be claimed in future years, the aide said. That would reduce the long-term impact of the tax cuts on the federal budget deficit.
Obama is slated to meet today with congressional leaders from both parties to discuss the plan. Democrats said Congress probably won’t be able to complete work on the plan by January 20, the day of the inauguration, as some had hoped.
“It’s going to be very difficult to get a package put together that early,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “We want to do this right.” He said he expects the House to pass the bill by the end of the month and get the legislation through the Senate and signed into law in February.
Urgency
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in an interview yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” downplayed the importance of what he called a “false” deadline. “The urgency of this, everyone knows about -- but I’m not going to have some false deadline,” Reid said. “It’ll take as much time as it needs to get done.”
Obama has called on lawmakers to quickly pass legislation to prop up the economy, which is in its worst slump in decades and could deteriorate further without significant fiscal stimulus. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg last month projected gross domestic product would shrink in the fourth quarter by 4.3 percent, the biggest decline since 1982.
Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package will include hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tax breaks for individuals and businesses, according to a transition official and Democratic aides.
Obama is asking that tax cuts make up 40 percent of a stimulus package, the people say. The measure may be worth as much as $775 billion, a Democratic aide says, meaning tax cuts may constitute more than $300 billion of the legislation.
The dollar today rose to the highest level in almost three weeks against the euro and also surged against the yen on speculation that the Obama plan would help the U.S. economy recover from recession.
Making tax cuts such a large part of the stimulus may help win support from congressional Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said his party would support an immediate middle-class tax cut as part of any stimulus package.
“Republicans, by and large, think tax relief is a great way to get money to people immediately,” McConnell said yesterday on ABC’s “This Week.”
The plan would attempt to boost consumer demand by spending $140 billion on tax breaks worth $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples, according to a House Democratic aide. The change would come by altering tax-withholding rules, rather than through a rebate check as with the previous stimulus plan enacted last year, so that workers would see an immediate increase in their take-home pay.
The $500 tax credit would apply to the first $8,100 of wages, meaning a worker who earns $24,400 a year and is paid twice a month would get about $60 extra per paycheck for four months.
Business Tax Breaks
For businesses, the aide said, lawmakers will use similar measures they’ve employed in past stimulus bills, such as allowing companies to get refunds for taxes paid in any or all of the past five years by deducting losses they’ve incurred now; those losses can currently only be carried back two years.
Congress is also likely to include incentives such as accelerated depreciation to encourage companies to buy equipment now rather than defer such investments. The plan also attempts to combat joblessness by offering companies tax breaks for hiring more workers, the aide said.
The tax provisions are also likely to repeal the alternative minimum tax on municipal bonds issued to build airport runways, sewer systems and other privately run facilities that benefit the population at large, another aide said. Congress is unlikely to enact a new round of incentives for U.S.-based multinational corporations to repatriate foreign earnings at a discounted tax rate as urged by business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, that aide said.
Accelerated Tax Breaks
Many of the business tax incentives would be accelerated so that any dollar written off now would not be able to be claimed in future years, the aide said. That would reduce the long-term impact of the tax cuts on the federal budget deficit.
Obama is slated to meet today with congressional leaders from both parties to discuss the plan. Democrats said Congress probably won’t be able to complete work on the plan by January 20, the day of the inauguration, as some had hoped.
“It’s going to be very difficult to get a package put together that early,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “We want to do this right.” He said he expects the House to pass the bill by the end of the month and get the legislation through the Senate and signed into law in February.
Urgency
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in an interview yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” downplayed the importance of what he called a “false” deadline. “The urgency of this, everyone knows about -- but I’m not going to have some false deadline,” Reid said. “It’ll take as much time as it needs to get done.”
Obama has called on lawmakers to quickly pass legislation to prop up the economy, which is in its worst slump in decades and could deteriorate further without significant fiscal stimulus. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg last month projected gross domestic product would shrink in the fourth quarter by 4.3 percent, the biggest decline since 1982.
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