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.