Green choice for a Christmas tree

An interesting suggestion appeared in a letter to the editor, written by Carol Rawson, in The Toronto Star on Dec.6/07. She recommends this environmentally-friendly option—planting a living tree. Obtain a tree in a 10-gallon pot from a local plant nursery. Decorate it like any Christmas tree. Find out from the nursery how to winter the tree and nurture it until the spring when you can plant it in your back yard or somewhere else.

Smart motorists use this website to find the best deals at the pump in Canada and the U.S.

GasBuddy.com enables site users to locate quickly the gas stations with the best prices in their areas. I was surprised to see one station in my city with a price 12 cents higher than the lowest in town.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

Tips for greener driving

Here’s a summary of an article from Yahoo! Green entitled “How to Green Your Car”, posted November 30,2007.

1. Drive a hybrid car, or a car that runs on biodiesel, or pure vegetable oil. Purchase a flex-fuel car that will run on ethanol and regular fuel.
2. Coast to a stop at red lights and stop signs where possible; start off slowly, rather than tearing off like a race car. Plan your errands. This will do more to save gas than all those add-on gizmos.
3. Regular tune-ups, maintenance, air filter changes, minimal junk in the trunk, and proper tire pressures will increase gas mileage.
4. Join a car pool or a car sharing program like Flexcar or Zipcar.
5. Reduce your use of the car for short distance errands—walk, use the bus or your bike in combination with a backpack. Compromise by driving half of the distance, parking the car at a mall, and walking the rest of the way to work.
6. Reduce the use of your air conditioner by parking in the shade, using a reflective windshield shade, or a solar-powered exhaust fan.
7. Opt for telecommuting if your job permits this.
8. Live downtown and get rid of your car. Rent a car for long distance travel requirements.

Kodak’s new inkjet cartridge prices have my attention

In the Holiday 2007 Walmart flyer, I noticed the Kodak EasyShare model 5100 retails for $129.96 CDN. This 4-in-1 model will print, scan, copy and fax. The best part is the price of the refill cartridges, $11.96 for black and $17.96 for colour. The current Staples/Business Depot flyer lists the same cartridges for $9.99 and 14.99. At these prices you wouldn’t have to mess around with refilling your old cartridges. My next printer will definitely be a Kodak, unless all the other brands cut their cartridge prices by the time my old printer breaks down. Way to go, Kodak!

Canadians buying cars in the U.S. need to be careful

A letter to the Kingston Whig-Standard on November 26, 2007 from Bill Fellows, Chairman of the Kingston New Car Dealers Association contained a caution for Canadians thinking about buying cars in the U.S.

Here is a summary of his advice:

1. Some vehicles are not exempt from the North American Free Trade Agreement and may incur a 6.1 per cent surcharge upon entry to Canada.
2. The certificate of title for the car you purchase in the U.S. is subject to a 72-hour title search for liens registered against the incoming car.
3. Costs for importing cars from the U.S. include Transport Canada’s vehicle import fee and possible brokerage fees.
4. Some U.S. vehicles may not comply with Canadian emissions standards or feature daytime running lights—mandatory in Canada.
5. The warranty on the U.S. vehicle may not apply in Canada.
6. A zero per cent financing rate may not be available in the U.S., while it is common in Canada.
7. Local Canadian dealers who contribute to their communities expect support from the residents in those communities.

Protect your plants for the winter

Use styrofoam cones to protect rose bushes. Small fir trees need to be wrapped with jute cloth or plastic netting to stop heavy snow from causing branches to break. Shrubs will benefit from being wrapped in snow fencing, or covered with a wooden box structure. These simple measures will be cheaper than replacing your plants.

Reduce cable TV expenses when you’re away from home

Are you going to be away from home for two or three months? Have you been so busy with work lately that you haven’t turned the TV on for the last two months? Why not have your service suspended temporarily and save?

My local service, Cogeco Cable will suspend my service for any period from three to six months and charge only $29.99 to re-activate the service. Why pay up to $50.00 a month for a service you don’t plan to use for a given period of time?

Should you buy an extended warranty for electronic appliances?

Shoppers shell out extra money to purchase “extended warranties”, but often have a difficult time getting the store to honor the warranty. Some customers may even have to take the store to small claims court to get satisfaction. Unless the appliance has complex electronics with high repair costs, don’t waste your money. Read the ConsumerAffairs.com articles below for some scary details.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/11/bestbuy_warranties.html

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04//2006/11/cr_warranties.html

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/extended_warranty.html

Redwing Computers website is a great source of computer tips

Did you ever experience a computer problem and get an error message? Chances are the message was so long and complicated you didn’t bother to write it down. Then when you took your computer in for service, the technician had no idea what went wrong. How to solve that? Grab your digital camera and take a picture of the error message. Then let the service technician view the message on your camera’s LCD screen. This is one of many tech tips on the Redwing Computers website. Click on the “Information” tab at the top of their home page for articles and tech tips.

http://www.redwing.on.ca/

Home repair videos may save you money

The Expert Village site features several videos about all kinds of home repairs. For those who learn more by watching than by reading, this site is for you. Each of the following areas of the site specializes in one type of repair or renovation.

http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/interviews/diy-home-improvement.htm

http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/interviews/home-remodeling-tips.htm

http://homegarden.expertvillage.com/interviews/home-renovation.htm (kitchens)

Why are many of today's working women trading 9-to-5 jobs for Internet home-based businesses?

The typical downtown office job involves a hectic daily routine combined with expensive and time-consuming commuting to and from work. For working women who are mothers, it means daycare expenses and the shuttle back and forth from the childcare centre. Now in the Internet age, women are going online and utilizing their expertise and work skills to earn significant income. Home-based website businesses also qualify individuals for tax write-offs not available to employees in general. Women with online businesses like being their own bosses, and having the freedom to set their own hours. Most women report increased time with their families and a new flexibility in the planning of vacation time. Click on the picture below to hear Amber’s story.

Canadian taxpayer wins tuition tax credit appeal

An article titled “Hard work for tuition tax credit” by James Daw (The Toronto Star, October 30/07) describes how a part-time tax preparer challenged Canada revenue Agency in the Tax Court of Ontario and won.

Canada Revenue Agency had denied Stella Tarkowski’s husband, Marek, a post-secondary tax credit for their son’s Grade Nine Piano and Advanced Music Theory course taken at the time he was a student at an Etobicoke, Ontario high school.

The Tax Court ruled that the Mississauga School of Music, where her son had taken his course, met the criteria for a “post secondary educational institution” under the Income Tax Act. The Court ruled that “it is the status of the course being taken that determines whether or not it is a post-secondary level course”. In addition, the Court stated that “the status of the individual taking the course” and “the age of the person…(are) not relevant.”

Parents who have had their children take similar courses may wish to contact their tax preparers to find out about their possible eligibility for tuition tax credits. All relevant documents and receipts should be kept on file in the event that they are required to support a tax appeal.

What to do with stale beer

These ideas were in the August/September 2007 issue of Chill, the official magazine of The Beer Store, located in Ontario, Canada:

1. Hair shampoo—Mix ½ cup of beer with an egg, apply to your hair. Leave for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
2. Furniture polish—Moisten a cloth with beer, and rub over your wood furniture.
3. Remedy for garden pests—Pour half a can or bottle of beer into a wide-mouthed jar and set it into your garden soil level with the surface. Slugs will crawl into the jar and not be able to get out. Works great near tomato and pepper plants.
4. Carpet stain remover—Wet a light-colored cloth with beer and dab onto carpet stains. Repeat until stain disappears. Avoid using a dark-colored cloth. I found that some of the dye transfers to the carpet.
5. Plant fertilizer—House plants that get occasional small amounts of beer thrive on the nutrients in beer.

Free Internet at your local library

If you use the Internet only once or twice a week, why not use the computers at your local library for free? Our local library has more than a dozen computers with Internet access, available for free. It’s even possible to reserve time on these computers. Check out your local library and find out what is available. You could save lots of money.

Writing effective copy for your small business website

As a small business website owner, you want your site to generate as much traffic as possible. But traffic is only part of the story. You want the words on your site to lead your visitors to be willing buyers. That's not an easy task, but it is possible using the right words in the right way.

Dr. Ken Evoy is now offering his Make Your Content Presell book as a free digital download. The book shows you how to write web page copy that will allow you to communicate with your site’s visitors and generate an open-to-buy attitude. There are tips re web page layout, choice of font, writing style, writing “voice”, organization of content, writing mechanics, the role of ezines in web sales. It’s 140 pages of wisdom, and it’s available for free download from his website.

Click on the picture of the book below for download instructions:

Stop paying for 411 calls to businesses

Google has a new, free service that you can use to replace fee-based 411 services when you’re calling businesses. Simply dial 1-800-GOOG-411 from any phone, land line or cell phone. State the location and business type you require. Connect to the business for free.

Since the system is voice activated, you will be able to use your Bluetooth® headset while driving. Use it when you’re on vacation to find and contact hotels/motels or restaurants. If you are calling from a mobile device, GOOG-411 can even send you a text message with more details and a map. Simply say "Text message" or "Map it." Below is a link to Google’s FAQ on the service.

http://mobile.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=12594

For free 411 residential and business information in the U.S., use 1-800-FREE-411. You will have to listen to a 15-second commercial message first, if there is a business offering a discount for what you’re looking for. Otherwise, the call goes through directly. The system operates using voice recognition software; be prepared for glitches. Another similar service, 1-800-411-METRO uses live operators exclusively.

Save that old cell phone for emergency use

Before you dispose of that old “out of style” cell phone, consider this: all cell phones in Canada and the U.S. must, by law, be able to reach 911 wherever there is service coverage, even when the service plan has expired. Keep it charged up and use it just for an emergency phone, or give it to someone who could use it.

Two ways to stop unsolicited mail

Unsolicited mail wastes paper and time. Simply write “Refused—return to sender” on the envelope and mail it. If I think there is a reply envelope inside, I will stuff everything into that envelope and send it back at the sender’s expense and write “Delete from mailing list” on the application form.

Investment advice for Canadian investors

The Stingy Investor website ( http://www.ndir.com/) features financial investment news and article topics for the general public. One article listed 15 ways for Canadians to save taxes. Here is the link to the article: http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/newsletter/0,1012,cid%3D175828,00.html

How to choose a financial advisor

The Fidelity Investments website contains a guide to choosing a financial advisor. They do not appear to recommend choosing friends and relatives as advisors.

http://www.gga.ca/choose1.html

Automatic subscription renewal by credit card can be a problem

There have been reports that some Internet security product merchants design their order forms in such a way that subscription renewals will occur automatically using the credit card information you provide when you first order the product. A lengthy “Terms of service” document will often contain one line stating that, unless the company is informed in advance by the customer, automatic renewal will occur. Once automatic renewal happens, it will not be an easy process to secure a refund.

I recently purchased an Internet security product, using a credit card, from one of the companies listed in the report at the link below. The product has slowed my computer to a crawl at times and I will definitely not be renewing in July of 2008. Yesterday, I e-mailed the company and stated that I would not be renewing. Strangely enough, they replied that they do not have my credit card information on file and I would not have to worry about automatic renewal. I’m not taking any chances. Today I reported my credit card lost and will be receiving a new account number and card within six days. Besides, it’s a good idea to change credit account numbers every so often, as you would change passwords on bank accounts.

Check out the link below.

http://windowssecrets.com/2007/05/17/01-Microsoft-McAfee-Symantec-charge-cards-repeatedly

E-mail fraud scam promises lottery winnings

Watch out for unsolicited e-mails informing you that you have won a substantial sum of money. These e-mails originate from persons who represent themselves as associates of various lottery corporations. They ask you to keep the winnings confidential and to contact an agent at a specified web address or telephone number. This agent will then attempt to persuade you to send a “security” payment in order to be eligible to claim the prize winnings. A surprising number of people fall prey to such solicitations, and lose large sums of money.

How to negotiate with your Internet service provider

Five years ago I signed up with Bell Sympatico Internet service. In order to get me as a new customer, they gave me a special discount, which amounted to about $13 monthly off the regular price. At the time I asked them what would happen at the end of the year. They responded that I would have to call and renew the discount when the contract expired. I made careful note of this on my calendar and every year I’ve had to call. This year I was a couple of weeks late calling and my bill was $13 higher. I called today and requested that my discount be reinstated and that I get an immediate credit for $13 on my next bill. They did everything I wanted and threw in a free Internet security package which included anti-virus. It’s a bit of a nuisance to have to keep calling, but it’s worth the hassle to save $13 a month. Do you think there are people out there who never make that call and pay more by default?

Protect yourself when paying for products and services in advance of delivery

We’ve all heard stories of people who signed up for weight control or fitness club memberships, paid in advance, and lost their money when the providers went bankrupt and closed their doors. Can the same thing happen when you’re buying a new bed or other hard goods from a local merchant? Yes, it can.

A bed and bedding products store in a city west of Kingston, Ontario, took deposits and full payments for bed sets right up until they recently closed their doors. As the store was not a franchise store, there was no parent company to contact. In this case, police determined that there was no intent to defraud customers, and the owners have assured all its customers that reimbursement will be made as soon as financing is secured. Those customers will probably lose sleep over this until they get their money back.

How can you protect yourself from this kind of a situation? Simply pay with your credit card. I telephoned my President’s Choice Mastercard service center and asked them what would happen if I paid for something on my credit card, it was never delivered, and the company left town. Mastercard assured me that, after they investigated and determined that the merchant would or could not deliver, I would receive a credit back on my account from Mastercard. That’s comforting! The lesson: leave your check book at home and never pay with cash.
The only exception would be when you can negotiate a discount for NOT using your credit card on a non-major purchase.

Painting tips to make exterior wood last longer

I found these painting tips in a flyer put out by Kingston Paint and Decorating Inc.:

1. There is no completely clear exterior stain or sealer that works well to protect wood. UV rays must be blocked to prevent surface breakdown. Look for an amber tone in the sealer to block the UV rays.

2. Use a tinted primer where possible to improve the hiding power and appearance of the finish coats.

3. Although today’s tint machines are computerized and very accurate, always mix multiple containers of one color together to insure color uniformity. Mix paint with a paddle rather than shaking it to reduce the formations of bubbles.
4. Never paint outside when the temperature might dip below 10° C within 8 hours of painting, or when precipitation is expected within 24 hours.

5. Between coats, wrap your brush and roller in plastic kitchen wrap and store them in the freezer. The paint will not dry at low temperature. When you are ready for the next coat, simply take the tools out of the freezer 30 minutes before you start to allow them to thaw.

Getting rid of unwanted books and magazines

Here are some ideas for recycling books and magazines you no longer want:

1. Hold a garage sale and get rid of them there. Perhaps friends or neighbors would take books in their garage sales.
2. Your local Salvation Army Thrift Store may want them. As with all charitable organizations, call and ask first.
3. Public libraries may take them; often they will place them in their ongoing used book sales rather than put them on their shelves, unless the books are fairly new.
4. Give them away to avid readers you have in your circle of friends.
5. A nearby detention centre or penal institution may require books for its library.
6. Hospitals may want them for their waiting rooms.
7. Senior Activity centers are often holding book sales to raise money.
8. Nursing homes or long term care facilities often accept books for their libraries, especially hard cover editions which use larger print than paperbacks.
9. School libraries love to get books because their budgets are often modest. Prime candidates are those big coffee table books with lots of pictures and recent edition college textbooks. They make great reference books for students.
10. Your local symphony orchestra may be having a book sale.
11. Churches always have books sales.
12. Shelters for the homeless have libraries.
13. Women’s shelters may need books for their clients.
14. Take magazines to your doctor or dentist’s office, or to the hairdressing salon.

Is an outdoor wood/corn furnace the answer to rising energy costs?

If you live on a large rural lot, an outdoor wood/corn furnace may be the solution to the problem of the rising cost of oil and gas. This type of furnace heats water from wood or corn and converts it into heat for your house, shop, pool, hot tub or domestic hot water. Located up to 500 feet from your house, the furnace pumps heated water through an underground pipe to a heat exchanger in your basement. These furnaces are compatible with all conventional heating systems, e.g. forced air, radiant floor, or radiant baseboard applications. Fuel efficiency is rated in the 80% range. The manufacturer claims that fuel bill savings of up to 50% are achievable as compared to fossil fuels.

Some models, for example the Bioadvantage furnace sold by Central Boiler, burn readily available, environmentally-friendly shelled corn or wood pellets, yet can be converted quickly to burn regular firewood if required. http://www.bioadvantage.com/

Sequoyah Paradise, a manufacturer of outdoor wood furnaces has developed a new outdoor wood furnace that uses downdraft gasification to make the furnace much more efficient, and produce less emissions, enabling it to pass the test for new EPA Owhh emission levels.
http://www.wdheat.com/Gasification%20E3400.htm

What I really like about these furnaces is that you have superior indoor air quality and no mess, compared to standard wood stoves located inside the home.

Internet marketing book now available for free download

After Dr. Ken Evoy, author of Make Your Site Sell (2002), sold over 100,000 copies of his book on Internet marketing, he decided to make his first title available for free download in PDF format. This e-book outlines in reader-friendly terms the three vital steps in Internet marketing: developing a product suitable for online sales, building a website showcasing the product, and generating willing-to-buy traffic to that website. Dr. Evoy writes in language that non-technical readers can understand, using practical, real-world examples for immediate application. This text is the first book in a series of books written by Dr. Evoy. Currently his textbooks are in use at several educational institutions in Canada, the U.S. and overseas, e.g. The Citadel Military College of South Carolina; Santa Fe Community College; Humber College in Ontario, Canada; and Assumption University of Thailand. This book is perfect for both novices and tech-savvy readers. Click on the picture below to find out how to download this complimentary e-book.

Famous Heloise window glass and bathroom cleaner formula is a winner

My grandmother rarely used commercial products for cleaning windows, glass shower doors and mirrors, and soap scum on tile walls around the tub. She used something she called her Heloise Formula: one cup of white vinegar, one U.S. quart (or one liter) of rubbing alcohol, one tablespoon of dish-washing liquid, and two and a half quarts of water. Grandma kept this mixture in a large jar which she used to re-fill an empty spray bottle. She never used newspaper to wipe her windows dry, preferring to use brown paper towel sheets. Apparently the black ink on newspapers kept her windows from sparkling. I use this cleaner myself and it works quite well, and it doesn’t have that perfume smell that you get with commercial cleaners. If you have a natural marble or granite counter top, don’t use this formula. The acidic vinegar could etch the surface. Consult your local hardware store for marble/granite cleaners.

Free online hearing test

Are you interested in testing your hearing online to determine whether you should contact an audiologist for further testing? Try this link, which tests for the frequencies 500 Hz to 8000 Hz. Human speech usually ranges from 500 Hz to 4000 Hz.

http://www1.freehearingtest.ca/Default.aspx?TargetPage=HEARINGTESTINTRO

Another link, http://www.jimmyr.com/blog/hearingloss.html will test for higher frequencies, from 8000 Hz to 22,000 Hz. After age 19, hearing for most people progressively decreases from 18,000-20,000 Hz. Adults over age 30 generally can hear sounds only in the 8000-15000 Hz range. Teenagers in school use a "Mosquito" ring tone for their cell phones in the 17,000 Hz range because most adults wouldn’t hear it if they were more than 1 meter away. People up to about age 24 typically are able to hear sounds up to about 22000 Hz.