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.

Save taxes on Energy Star registered appliances

Before you purchase a refrigerator, dishwasher, freezer, clothes washer, or room air conditioner, check that it has the Energy Star logo on it, which signifies that it is exempt from Provincial Sales Tax in several Canadian provinces. Ontario exempts these appliances from the Retail Sales Tax. Buyers in the U.S. are able to use the link below to determine which appliances have sales tax exemptions, credits or rebates in their area.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator

Beware of computer repair rip-offs

I am extremely fortunate to be acquainted with an honest computer repair person. A few days ago I detected an odor of what appeared to be burning electrical wires coming from my computer. I called Ken and he suggested that perhaps the power supply had burned out, and that it would be a minor repair, roughly $50. I left the machine with him for a day.
Ken called back and reported that he had checked over my computer and it had been running for several hours with no problem. When I picked up the machine, I was overjoyed to learn that there would be no charge. He advised me to monitor the other components I had plugged in, such as the monitor, modem, and power bar to determine the source of the odor.

Before you call someone to repair your computer, ask around for the names of reliable, trustworthy repair people. Don’t take your computer to a stranger as the people did in the CBC TV Marketplace video at the link below:

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/getting_gouged_by_geeks/

This meter locates the power thieves in your home

With the rising cost of electricity, it has become more important than ever to save energy. Today just about every wall socket in the home has something plugged into it. The trick is determining which appliances and electronic devices should be unplugged or possibly replaced. Now you can do this easily with a gadget called Kill- A -Watt.
Simply plug the Kill -A -Watt meter into the AC receptacle, plug the appliance into the meter and wait. The red button on the right side of the meter toggles back and forth between KWH and Hours and displays results on the LCD screen. The KWH number represents the kilowatt hours of power consumed by your appliance. For example, if you have a lamp with a 100-watt bulb in it and you run it for 10 hours, the meter will register 1.0 KWH, or 1000 watt-hours. The "hours" reading, of course, will register 10:00.
Take a look at one of your electricity bills. If your utility company charged 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, it would cost you 10 cents to operate your lamp for 10 hours. I tested the power transformer, which powers my cordless phone. I left the transformer plugged into the unit for 30 hours. The meter registered .09 kilowatt- hours. Over that period of 30 hours it cost .09 x 10 cents = .9 cents. So it uses roughly 1 cent per day worth of electricity. That doesn’t seem like much, but multiply 1 cent by all the little transformers a typical house contains and it can add up quickly.
Now you’re ready to calculate how much it costs to run that beer fridge out in the garage, or that old freezer in the basement. When you test a fridge, freezer or dehumidifier, appliances which cycle on and off during the day, be sure to leave the appliance plugged into the Kill -A -Watt unit for at least 24 hours, in order to get an accurate cost assessment. Some calculations will surprise you. You might be able to run your TV set for five hours for 5 cents. But that old freezer could cost you more than the value of the food you’re keeping in it, especially if it’s only half full.
The device has other functions, which are fully explained in the instruction sheet. One button will allow you to detect surges in power or brownout conditions, enabling you to unplug an electronic device in time to prevent damage to sensitive circuits.

Here is a link to the website of the manufacturer:

http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html

Speeding in New York State will cost you plenty

Here in Ontario, Canada, many drivers blissfully sail down Highway 401 at speeds in excess of 100 km/h. A few of us blast along doing 140 km/h and more. It doesn’t appear that there is much fear of being caught. Perhaps that’s because we don’t expect a huge police presence on the 401. Many drivers are willing to take the risk. However, Canadian drivers speeding in New York State are in for a surprise. Ontario has a reciprocal agreement with The State of New York with regard to traffic offences. Speeding and other motor vehicle offences occurring in New York State will be treated as if they were committed in Ontario. In Ontario, speeding 50 km/h above the speed limit will get you six demerit points plus a fine. When you speed in New York State, you also get a speeding fine, but that is not the end of it. On November 18, 2004, New York State initiated a “Driver Responsibility Program”. One provision of this program stipulates that a driver who accumulates six demerit points within an 18-month period must pay $250 USD annually for three years on top of the speeding fine. How do you get six demerit points? They catch you going 31 mph above the speed limit. Unless you have a speedometer that displays your speed in miles per hour, you might have a problem keeping below that threshold. Maybe you're convinced you only went 25 mph above the limit. Are you going to argue with a New York State trooper at the side of the highway? No, you’ll probably just take the ticket and chalk it up to experience. About two weeks later, you will receive a letter in the mail advising you that your driving offence triggered your inclusion in the “Driver Responsibility Program”. They will want the $250.00 within thirty days. If you don’t pay, you could lose your Ontario Driver’s Licence. In addition, you will be getting two more annual bills for $250.00. The best thing to do is avoid the problem in the first place. Watch your speedometer. If it does not display speed in mph, just multiply by six and drop the last number. For example, at 100 km/h, you are going a bit over 60 mph. At 40 km/h, you are travelling at about 24 mph. Don’t be afraid—be prepared.

Free greeting and business card printing projects

Hewlett-Packard, the people who make HP printers, have an impressive creative printing section on their website, http://www.hp.com/united-states/ideahouse/?jumpid=ex_R602_go/ideahouse. Here are some examples of the projects you’ll be able to print: greeting cards for all occasions, business cards, envelope forms, invoice and letterhead templates; calendars; album, quilting and scrapbook templates; iron-on templates; labels and covers; invitations, stationery; CD and DVD labels; flyers; pet-sitting forms; a disaster preparedness kit, and a child safety identity kit. Another section of the site with more projects is located at http://www.hp.ca/portal/hho/. Click on the Creative Projects tab when you reach that page. It’s free and you don’t have to sign up. Happy printing!

Patio doors are cold in the winter

The patio door in the kitchen gets extremely cold in the winter. Turning up the heat has no noticeable effect. Curtains are not enough. The thin plastic film that people shrink into place using heat from a hairdryer gives little insulation value. I purchased two 2x8’ sheets of 5/8” plastic foam insulation and duct-taped them into place against the patio glass panes, on the outside surface. Using them on the inside surface of the glass would have created a toxic smoke and fire hazard, according to the label on the board. During cold snaps, the change in the temperature of the kitchen has been dramatic. It is now quite comfortable near the patio door. The furnace runs less frequently. The plastic foam boards don’t look pretty, but they’ll come off in the spring.

Your old dimmer switch may be wasting electricity

Older dimmer switches lowered the intensity of lighting, but were inefficient, throwing off excessive energy in the form of heat. Feel the panel on your dimmer switch. If it’s warm, replace it with a cool-running solid state dimmer switch.

Are you paying too much for auto insurance?

Insurance Hotline is a website that searches for the best rate for your car, based on your location and driving profile. Rates are available for Canada, the United States, and United Kingdom. Insurance companies are regulated by law and are obligated to sell policies with standard wording. Paying a higher rate will not get you a better policy. The leading insurance companies report their claims satisfaction at between 75-85 per cent. Paying a higher rate doesn’t get you better claims service. What surprised me was that rates can vary by up to $4000 among different companies.

The site also searches for quotes on other types of insurance, e.g. house, condo or tenant, ATV, motorcycle, boat, and pet.

Click here to learn more: http://www.insurancehotline.com/

It pays to be firm when you’re dealing with service providers

In November of 2004, I purchased a new furnace from a local heating company. The deal included three free cleaning/tune-ups. When I called in November of 2005, they told me that the new furnace would not need the first tune-up until January 2006, which made sense since the unit was brand new. The second tune-up occurred in February of 2007. Through an error in their scheduling, they did another tune-up in October of 2007. I did not notice the scheduling error until after the work had been completed and I had filed the technician’s report.

When I contacted the company, the scheduler informed me that, even though they had made an error, the work had been done and would count as the third free tune-up. I insisted that I had not realized the error until I had filed the technician’s report and should not be penalized for their error. The scheduler told me that she would have to speak with the manager and would get back to me. I calmly told her that if the manager did not make a decision fair to me, I would be canceling the new three-year service contract which the technician had arranged with me, and looking elsewhere for service. An hour later, I received a call from the scheduler informing me that they would be doing the third free tune-up in October of 2008 and extending the service contract until November of 2011. Polite insistence when you’ve been treated unfairly will usually get a positive resolution to your complaint.

Save money on buying books

Here are some ideas for saving money on books:

1. Buy books at Costco. People I know who buy several books a month claim to save many times the price of their store membership.

2. Submit titles of books you require to your local librarian. One avid reader I know has had almost all of her suggestions for titles purchased by the library.

3. Look for books at garage sales. I bought two books with a $9.95 cover price for 50¢ each, and they were in excellent shape.

4. Stores like Zellers and Sears often have “bargain bins”. I have seen beautifully-illustrated books with a cover price of $25.99 go for $7.95.

5. Online books stores, like Amazon.com, often sell used books for considerably less than new books.

6. Sometimes you see a non-fiction book that you’re interested in, but know that there are only two or three chapters out of thirty that you want to read. Find a Chapters or Indigo book store, sit in a comfortable chair and do your reading on the spot. But don’t do this too often—writers need to eat, too.

Sensible gift-giving hints

1. Often gifts that people give on occasions like birthdays and Christmas end up in rummage sales, stored for years in closets, or re-gifted to someone else. Avoid this situation by asking for a ten-item wish list from the person concerned. Suggest a dollar limit where possible.

2. At Christmas time, rather than each person in the family having to buy gifts for everyone else, draw names, set a cost ceiling and buy for one person. This will reduce financial pressure on everyone.

New street-racing law in Ontario, Canada proving costly for violators

Ontario has a new street-racing law which gives police more power to deal with speeding and other unsafe driving practices. The law will likely apply to drivers from other provinces and U.S. states where reciprocity agreements exist.

If you drive 50 kilometres over the speed limit, police have the power to impound your car for seven days (at your expense, roughly $1000), issue a minimum $2000 fine, and suspend your driver’s licence for seven days, with no right of appeal. The law covers other driving offences, such as unsafe lane changes, tailgating and not driving to suit the conditions, such as going over the speed limit in a snowstorm. Infractions also include any kind of "stunt" driving, such as popping wheelies or doing "doughnuts" by spinning your vehicles. Drivers who cut off other cars will fall under this law.

Judging by the number of drivers already caught by the new law, the upcoming Thanksgiving Day weekend could lead to an estimated 300 vehicles being impounded.
Police will have special “ghost” cars and aircraft to help spot violators. They will be watching for obvious street-racing and even “unintentional” speeding by drivers who fail to slow down through small towns and cities after leaving a 400 series highway.

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_070455_e.htm is a link to the new legislation.

Credit card security tips

1. Take a good look at the credit card receipt you receive from a merchant. Many now show only the last four digits of your card number. Others will show your entire card number as well as your expiry date. Be careful not to lose these on the street or discard them in your garbage or paper recycling box. Fraud artists would love to find them.

2. When you pay with your credit card in a restaurant, do the transaction at the register to avoid problems. If you hand your card to the server, be sure that you get your own card back. Once the card is out of your sight, someone could swipe it twice or run it through a copying device. This is especially important when you’re on vacation far from home.

Auto insurance money-saving tips

An article titled Top 5 auto insurance money-saving tips, supplied by News Canada, suggests the following ways to save:

1. Insure all your cars on the same policy in order to qualify for a “multi-car discount” which could be up to 10 per cent.
2. Insure your home and car with the same insurer to get a “multi-line” discount up to 10 per cent.
3. Increase the deductible from $500 to $1000, for example, to save from 5-10 percent on premiums. If you rarely make a claim, this would be a reasonable strategy.
4. When you’re shopping for a new car, choose a car that costs less to insure. Cars that are more likely to be stolen, involved in an accident, or more expensive to repair will cost more to insure. Get quotes from various insurance companies for the car that you prefer.
5. Shop around. Auto insurance premiums can differ by hundreds of dollars for the same car.