Investing now to save money this winter

Posted by Ted McEnroe October 10, 2008 at 1:47 pm

With the winter chill ahead - it is that time again, when people are looking for savings and energy companies have ideas that might cost you something now but could pay off later.

NSTAR sent out some ideas this week, and if you’re not an NSTAR customer, they’re still some interesting options. Among them (and NSTAR’s copy begins here):

Have heating systems inspected and cleaned – A properly cleaned and adjusted heating system will run more efficiently and save money. Old, inefficient systems should be replaced. NSTAR customers can save between $100 and $1,000 on a new gas, oil or propane system by taking advantage of available rebates. Home heating protection plans are also available for NSTAR Gas customers.

Switch to programmable thermostats – Programmable thermostats automatically adjust the temperature by using settings that residents can control. Recommended settings are 68 degrees when the home is occupied and lower overnight or when everyone is gone for the day. Every degree a thermostat is lowered during an eight hour period can save up to three percent on heating bills. NSTAR offers a $25 rebate on qualifying thermostat models.

Repair air leaks – A silent waster of heating dollars, air leaks come in all shapes and sizes. Inspect foundations and sills for cracks and holes. Most can be easily sealed with calking available at local home improvements stores.

Consider adding insulation – Increasing a home’s insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to make the most of energy dollars. Investing in proper levels of insulation can reduce a home’s heating and cooling needs by up to 10 percent. Zero-interest financing is currently available for qualifying installations.

Repair or replace windows – Inefficient windows can account for up to 25 percent of a home’s heating bill. Simple steps to make windows more energy efficient include repairing damaged glazing, adding weather-stripping and installing insulating window shades. Old, inefficient windows should be replaced with Energy Star-labeled windows with high-performance glass. Rebates and zero-interest financing are available.

Remember the simple things – Some steps that every resident can do on their own to save energy during the heating season include: keep radiators or heating vents dust-free and don’t block them with furniture or draperies; keep shades and curtains open during the day on the south side of the home to take advantage of solar heating, but close them at night to retain the heat; place a sheet of aluminum foil between the radiator and the wall to reflect heat back into the room.

NSTAR is the largest Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility. The company transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including more than one million electric customers in 81 communities and 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities. For more information, visit www.nstar.com.

There are a lot of pieces of advice here, and if you’re looking for an investment that will pay off better than the stock market has recently, you could do worse

Get rid of your old books — and make some extra cash

Posted by Courtney September 22, 2008 at 11:25 am

If you love to read but don’t know what to do with all those old books piling up–sell them.  The Booksmith  pays 15% of cover price in cash or 20% in store credit.  They’re one of the few remaining independent bookstores around, and their used selection is hard to beat.  In Brookline & Wellesley, MA.

More on electrolyzers from owner of Xavier Technologies

Posted by Ted McEnroe September 1, 2008 at 2:02 pm

A few weeks back, we noted a posting from a gentleman named Denys mentioning electrolyzers from Xavier Technologies as a way to save fuel. He didn’t mention at the time that Xavier Technologies was *his* company. But I linked his mention to a piece from the New York Times suggesting hydrogen products like his were not backed up by science.

Denys responded quickly, but it got sort of lost in the posting shuffle, and it deserved a more featured place.

So here it is. Sorry, Denys - wasn’t trying to edit you out.

I am the owner of the company listed in this posting. I have also read the New York Times article (referred to) concerning electrolyzers. Jim Motavalli, who wrote the article, obviously didn’t do much research. If you can’t find scientific fact to back this up, you’re not looking very hard. Try the library or the National Hydrogen Association (online). The opinion of a New York Times reporter who does inadequate research before writing an article or the “myth busters” hardly constitutes “science”.

First of all, I agree that there are a lot of scams out there ( the Tornado & magnetizer) to name a couple, and many more people who just don’t know what they’re doing. The “myth busters” are two of them or just bought a “bogus” product for their experiment. I’d also be willing to bet that they didn’t use the proper electronics. Electrolyzers are being utilized in industrial equipment such as welders. I am an affiliate for a company that makes electrolyzers and you don’t offer a guarantee on a product that doesn’t work.

The sensors in your car constantly monitor the a/f ratio and sends a small voltage to the computer. A higher voltage tells the computer you are burning too “rich” and a lower voltage means too “lean”. The proper electronics associated with an electrolyzer adds a floating voltage to the existing voltage telling the computer that you are burning too rich and subsequently cuts back on the gas flow. I guess another way to look at this would be that the extra voltage compensates for the added oxygen in the system. This decreased flow in gas is replaced by the hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer. I think that we can all agree that hydrogen is much more combustible than gas. I get very defensive concerning my credibility and reputation. The bottom line is; I have one in my car and IT WORKS.

If you’re thinking about it… do your research, and decide your comfort level before spending any money on any product. I think Denys and I could agree on that.

Electrolyzers - a great fuel saver? Science says NO.

Posted by Ted McEnroe August 7, 2008 at 6:24 pm

A viewer sent us a quick tip for something he felt might help motorists - they’re called electrolyzers.

The high price of gas has prompted some people to go online and look for fuel saving devices. After some research and sifting through the garbage, an electrolyzer (supplemental hydrogen) has the most credibility. A company (in Massachusetts) sells these products. For a $1,000 or less for cars, an electrolyzer can generate significant savings in fuel economy and (at the price of gas) would be a good investment and not take too long to pay for itself. The “automotive” page at www.xaviertechnologies.com is very informative and using less gas is definitely a step in the right direction.

The bad news? There’s no actual science to suggest these things work. The New York Times looked at the issue this week.

The conclusion? It’s a con. Want to cut your costs? Don’t spend money on one of these.

College saving? As simple as 5-2-9!

Posted by Ted McEnroe July 25, 2008 at 11:40 am

NECN personal finance guru Jennifer Lane answered viewer emails on ‘Good Morning Live’ Friday. Among the tips, finding a better way to save for college than a simple savings account. Jennifer recommends that parents start 529 plans for their kids. For more information, she mentions savingforcollege.com.

And Jennifer says it’s not just paying off your credit cards that helps your credit rating. Learn more in her segment.

A great deal for a New England fall classic!

Posted by Ted McEnroe July 17, 2008 at 10:05 am

The 190th Topsfield Fair opens on October 3. It’s always a great time, and the Cut Your Costs team loves nothing more than the sights and sounds of the midway, the annual chance to try out the fried dough and cotton candy, and the cool New England agricultural exhibitions that each fair season brings with it.

But this year in Topsfield, there’s a special deal you won’t want the family to pass up. You can get tickets to see Jeff Corwin’s “Tales from the Field”, live on October 11 at the Topsfield Fair arena at 11 a.m., for a special price of $15 each, or get a discounted “Family Four Pack for $48. It’s a chance for you and the family to get an up close visit with one of the world’s most popular conservationists at a price that won’t break your bank.

And if you’re not careful, you *and* your kids might learn something, too.

Call 888-781-3247 to order tickets.

Saving at the grocery store

Posted by Ted McEnroe July 1, 2008 at 6:55 pm

Our friends at Consumers Checkbook magazine are regular guests on “Good Morning Live”. Recently they shared a few tips for saving a few bucks the next time you hit the store. They’re all pretty common sense ideas, but great ways to cut your grocery bill.

* PLAN YOUR MEALS AND MAKE A SHOPPING LIST.  Proper planning makes you
less vulnerable to high-cost, low-nutrition impulse items.  A list also
makes you less likely to forget things, sparing you from wasting time
and gas on a return trip.  Walking through the store where you usually
shop, you can make a list of the items you regularly buy.  Then
photocopy it and mark up a copy each week before you go to the store.

* SHOP SPECIALS.  Take full advantage of the specials offered by
whatever store you use.  For example, if tuna that usually sells for
$1.59 a can is marked down to 79 cents, consider buying in quantity. You
save $8 on a purchase of 10 cans.

* TRY STORE BRANDS INSTEAD OF NATIONAL BRANDS.  CHECKBOOK has found that
substituting store brands for about one-sixth of the items in a typical
shopper’s market basket typically cuts the grocery bill by about 5
percent.

* CHOOSE A LOWER PRICED STORE.  In most areas where CHECKBOOK does
comparison shopping for a balanced market basket of about 150 items,
there are some chain stores that consistently beat other supermarkets by
10 percent or more.  Even if the lowest priced store isn’t convenient
for you for everyday shopping, think about whether it will be convenient
sometimes- when you are dropping off the babysitter or coming home from
a game, for instance.

* CONSIDER A WAREHOUSE STORE.  CHECKBOOK has found, for example, that
when a Costco or Sam’s Club is available, it will typically save
shoppers for the items it carries about 30 percent compared to shopping,
even for similar- size items, at the area’s major chain supermarkets.

* CONSIDER CHANGES IN YOUR OVERALL EATING HABITS.  Eating less meat is
likely to save you money and reduce your fat intake.

* BE FLEXIBLE.  Adjust your eating habits to take advantage of bargains.
For example, when beef goes up in price and chicken goes down, eat more
chicken.

* CONSIDER LESS EXPENSIVE RECIPES.  Especially consider foods from other
parts of the world.  Many countries use much less meat than is commonly
used in the U.S. to prepare exceedingly tasty dishes.

* CONSIDER THE COST OF CONVENIENCE FOODS.  You can save by slicing your
own cheese or making your own sauce for peas.  You also usually save by
avoiding products prepared in individual serving packets.

* SELECT SIZES CAREFULLY.  Big roasts, hams, and turkeys usually have
more meat to bone than smaller ones.  Large sizes of flour, sugar, rice,
salad oil, and other storable staples also usually save you money.  And
milk is cheaper by the gallon.  But small apples and bananas may be
perfect for families with small children, and small cans of tomato paste
may save you money by helping avoid wasted leftovers.

* COMPARE SIZES OF ITEM-PRICED FRESH PRODUCE BEFORE YOU BUY.  In the
same store, CHECKBOOK often finds some heads of iceberg lettuce, sold by
the head that weigh twice as much as others.

* USE UNIT PRICING TO DETERMINE WHICH PRODUCTS OFFER THE BEST VALUE-the
lowest price per pound, for example.

* CALCULATE COST PER SERVING, NOT JUST COST PER POUND.  Some products
have more waste than others.  For instance, bone-in roasts and chops
will give you two or three servings per pound, while boneless meat will
give three or four.

* LOOK CAREFULLY AT MEAT BEFORE YOU BUY.  A CHECKBOOK study to assess
waste in meats found one rib steak that was 88 percent lean and another
that was 48 percent lean; as a result, the leaner piece cost 45 percent
less per lean pound than the piece with more fat.

* FIT SIZE AND QUALITY TO YOUR NEEDS.  You don’t need perfect canned
peach halves for a cobbler or whole canned tomatoes and whole mushrooms
for spaghetti.

Got an idea? Share it here!

Posted by admin June 30, 2008 at 3:44 pm

If you have a way you save money that you want to share with the Cut Your Costs campaign community, you can share it here. Write it up and send it in to cutyourcosts@necn.com, and we’ll post it here.