Daily Handy Tips

Posts Tagged ‘money saving tips’

We decided to share some tips about personal budgeting in hopes of being able to provide some valuable tips and advice that can save you from financial ruin and filing bankruptcy. Listed below are several tips that will enable people to save more money.

Money Saving Coupons: This should be one of the most important rules when it comes to personal budgeting. Why you ask? If you take the time to get your hands on some money saving coupons you will be amazed at how much money you can save each time you do your shopping when you reach the checkout line.

Buy in bulk: If your favorite products are on sale, buying in bulk may cost you more at present but could end up saving you a lot in the future. Some good examples are items that do not have an expiration date, such as soap, shampoo, toiletries and other household items. Canned foods, which carry a long expiration date, are also ideal for buying in bulk.

Start collecting and saving your pocket change each day this is great for helping you with your personal budgeting plan. In fact before you even realize it all that loose change will add up to an extra $50 or $100 each and every month.

Personal budgeting means that you want to save everything that you can and the truth is that most people do not give their loose change any thought. However when you become serious about your personal budgeting plan then you will find that everything counts regardless how big or small.

Put a portion of each paycheck into a savings count each week or month. Whether its a few dollars or several hundred, always make sure that you are putting aside some amount of money into a savings account. If possible, deposit 10-20% from each paycheck.

Stop impulse shopping: We have all done it before we bought something and then regretted it later on. If you are an impulse shopper it is time to stop and think before you make that purchase. Take a day or two to decide if you really need it or not.

Shop the sale racks: Everyone enjoys sprucing up their wardrobe now and then so, when it comes time to add a few new pieces of apparel, stop by the sale rack for big savings. There is nothing wrong with keeping a few extra dollars in your pocket, which can be later be used for life’s little essentials.

Of course these a just a few of the tips that you can use to help you with your personal budgeting so that you can avoid filing bankruptcy and staying on top of your finances. If you want to learn more about handling your financial obligations and avoiding bankruptcy then be sure to visit the site below.

Car maintenance is not an option. Even if you know nothing about how a car works or have no mechanical aptitude whatsoever, there’s a few simple steps you can take to keep your car running in top form. This simple maintenance will save you time and money, as well as making for a safer, better performing vehicle.

–Wash your car regularly: Keeping the exterior clean may not be as important as taking care of what’s under the hood, but it still has a number of practical upsides. A clean car looks better, of course, and its much more enjoyable to drive a clean car than a dirty car. More significantly, frequent washing will keep your headlights and windshield clean, as well as preventing rust and corrosion.

–Wash the undercarriage of the car: This is particularly important if you live anywhere it snows. The salt, sand and chemicals that are used for ice and snow removal accumulate underneath your car and will rust out the body faster than anything else. Even in the coldest weather, its a good idea to wash your car at least once a week giving special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage of your car.

–Wash your engine: Not only is your engine subject to the same ‘threats’ as the exterior and undercarriage of your car, it also collects crusty oil, battery acid and a variety of other contaminants. Keeping your engine clean will not only protect against corrosive damage, but will help your car run cooler and more efficiently. Wash your engine every time you wash your car, and let it idle before you start driving to allow it to dry completely.

–Clean your air filter: Change your filter every time you change your oil filter. In between changes, give the filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber as well. Filters are so cheap that you have no excuse to be running around with a dirty one.

–Check and change your oil: Back in more civilized times, a full service gas station would check your oil every time you filled up. You should do the same. Change your oil frequently”at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which doesnt do you a bit of good. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.

–Check and top off other fluids: Change your anti-freeze/coolant annually, and check the coolant reservoir anytime youre under the hood to make sure that its full. It’s also a good time to look for cracks or other damage. Check the transmission, brake and power-steering fluids frequently, and top off when necessary. If your car is going through a lot of these hydraulic fluids it indicates a leak or other mechanical issue and needs to be looked at as soon as possible.

–Check your air pressure and rotate your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Also, don’t forget about the spare. Rotate your tires every few months to insure even wear. Some automotive chains will do this free of charge if you’re a regular customer, but even if you’re not it’s a lot easier for them to do with the car up on the rack than for you to do with a jack and jack stand. Simply checking the air pressure in your tires and rotating them periodically prevents countless problems and saves you a ton of money.

Emergency supplies: Obviously if you just drive cross town your emergency equipment needs will be different than someone who drives cross country in bad weather. You’ll definitely want a flashlight and tire gauge. A set of jumper cables isn’t a bad idea either, as is a few basic tools: slip joint and needle nose pliers, flat head and Phillips Screwdriver, adjustable wrench. If you travel through remote areas some emergency food like Cliff Bars are good to have, as is a blanket in case you have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger–particularly one that doesn’t require an external power supply–are also helpful. If you travel during the winter in snowy areas don’t forget sand, salt, a small shovel and tire chains.

–Auto club membership: Just a great investment that will pay for itself the first time you lock your keys in your car or need a tow. AAA is the best known, but there are many others. Most credit card and cellphone providers offer this type of service, and a growing number of car manufacturers including VW and Mini Cooper offer it free of charge for new car buyers. At minimum, they should offer free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. Keep in mind, however, that all roadside assistance companies aren’t created equal. Compare what they offer, and consider the type of driving you do–if you frequently travel through remote areas you’re better off going with a bigger company due to their larger network of covered providers.

None of these tips require any significant mechanical competence or even more than a basic knowledge of how the car works. Still, they can help save time and money, extend the life of your vehicle and provide a safer driving experience.

If you have been thinking of making a more eco-friendly garden, have you considered getting a solar powered pump birdbath? Actually, have you thought of making one yourself?

What are the benefits of having a solar powered pump fountain?

The pros to getting one are:

a: The water will not go stagnant since the pump is keeping it flowing

b: The pump does not have to plugged into your power supply

c: No inverter is needed since the pump operates on direct current.

d: The pump uses minute power (only 6volts) so very few solar panels are needed

e: The fountain usually operates during the day when the birds are out in the sun, so batteries are not essential

f: It is possible to make the entire system your yourself, helping you save money

g: The birdbath is wireless making it very portable.

So, what do you need to make your own solar powered pump fountain?

The easiest way is to simply buy a birdbath with a pump and fountain already fitted. Then all you need to do is wire up some small solar panels.

The more inexpensive, but do-it-yourself method would be to buy a birdbath that is capable of housing a fountain. Then all you need to do is buy the pump, tubing, wiring, solar panels and batteries (optional).

If you decide to make your own fountain, you will need:

The Birdbath:

Here you have a choice of cascading fountains, copper fountains, terracotta birdbaths, resin fountains, or the conventional ceramic birdbath. Just make sure a pump system can be installed on the birdbath.

The Fountain Attachment:

Depending on whether you want the water to trickle or spout out the top, you can get the right attachment from most hardware stores or garden centers.

Small Fountain Pump:

Next is the pump. Usually a small birdbath only needs a small 6 volt DC fountain pump. But if you have a larger birdbath that pumps more water, and at a greater height, then a larger pump will be needed.

Thin, Flexible PVC Pipe:

When buying the irrigation for the fountain, it is best not to get piping that is too wide, otherwise the right water pressure will not be maintained and the pump will not work properly. So before you buy the wrong tubing, get advice from your local garden center and see what they use in similarly sized birdbaths

Silicon Sealant:

This is one of those essentials that you should already have lying around the house. It will help seal all those joins and also protect electrics from water damage.

The Solar Panels:

This is what sets this off-grid system apart from conventionally powered birdbath fountains. The pump will help determine how many solar panels you need. For a 6 volt DC pump, you will need at least a 6 volt solar panel, but rater double up on the solar panels for times when the sun is weak.

NB: To get the solar panels, you have 2 choices:

1 : Buy a small expensive solar kit from Wallmart or Target or any other local supplier.

2 : Make it yourself. With the right guide it is rather easy and much cheaper to make your own solar panel in a matter of hours. If this is something you would love to try do, then keep reading…

To get the maximum sunlight, the solar panels need to be fixed in simple frame, and be south-facing (if you are in the northern hemisphere).

Can anyone build this birdbath?

Once you have all the components and tools at your disposal, putting the system together shouldn’t take you more than 2 hours. And within an afternoon you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath.

If you want you could also add some type of power storage to the system. That way the batteries can store power, which can be used to operate the pump 24 hours a day. To have this option you will need:

1) The right battery:

Since the system is small, a 12 volt battery should be enough. This will be wired up between the charge controller and the pump.

Charge controller:

This is not that important, but to protect the battery from over-charging and to maximize it lifespan, you should a charge controller that sits between the solar panels and the battery.

Over and above it being affordable to build, what I like about putting together my own solar powered pump birdbath, is that once the first one is finished, making the second or third one just gets easier. It could even be a fantastic gift for a close friend or newly wed.