Also: the best-ever personal finance books, and tips for saving on everything from weddings to the latest gadgets.
utilities
164 Money Tips: Least Evil Banks, Frugal Household Must-Haves, and Whether $1 Foods Are Good or Gross
Also: What can the Miami Heat’s three-headed monster experiment teach you about getting your finances under control?
Incense as Energy-Conservation Tool
Turns out a stinky incense stick is useful for reasons other than masking the smell of marijuana.
UNC College Kids School Everybody on How to Save Energy (and Money)
In a national competition organized by the Environmental Protection Agency, buildings around the country were challenged to decrease energy use over the course of a year. The winning building was a dorm at UNC-Chapel Hill, which reduced energy use by 35.7% and saved more than $250,000 on energy costs.
Going on a Hunger Strike to Dispute a $3,400 Water Bill
Desperate economic situations sometimes call for desperate, over-the-top, borderline-crazy measures. Rather than see his home taken in foreclosure proceedings, one Ohio man bulldozed the property before the bank could seize it. Rather than bite the bullet and somehow figure out a way to get her torn rotator cuff treated by a doctor, one …
261 Bits of Advice for Saving Money, Avoiding Financial Problems, and Picking Liquor That’s Cheap But Not Cheap-Tasting
This humungous roundup includes healthy foods that cost under $1 a pound, retirement myths, websites for free TV viewing, most annoying things about grocery stores, stuff marketed to kids that kids simply don’t need, bargain booze picks from bar experts, and wedding dresses that you’ll wear more than once—and not only if you get …
In Praise of Small Homes
The median home size is now a bit over 2,000 square feet, which is down from 2,309 square feet in 2007. But even 2,000 square feet is more space than most families need, and homeowners should understand that size matters: You obviously pay more upfront for a bigger home, and huge, sprawling houses are also more expensive to heat, cool, …
The Ceiling Fan as Energy (and Money) Saver
The fan is often thought of as the poor man’s air conditioner. But you might want to use a ceiling fan even in rooms that have A/C, and you might want to turn the fan on even in the winter.
Save on Electricity: Have Dinner in the Afternoon, Do Laundry after Midnight
Some utilities have introduced “smart” meters, which monitor how much electricity is being used in the community at all hours of the day—and which, because of supply and demand, use tiered pricing structures to charge more during certain “peak” hours. The new pricing also obviously charges less during non-peak hours, so by going …
How to Get Someone Else to Pay for Installing Solar Panels on Your Home
A woman renovating a 1902 farmhouse and barn in Connecticut explains how, thanks to various government incentives, she can have solar panels installed for $0 upfront and monthly lease payments that are lower than her current electric bills.
Why People Aren’t Sold on Energy Efficiency in their Homes
How many residents of Boulder, Colorado, does it take to screw in a light bulb? 100,000: Taxpayers foot the bill for teams of techies to go door-to-door and caulk windows, swap old light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones, and install programmable thermostats, all in the name of energy efficiency. Should saving energy—and money—be …
Housing Market: Buyer Really Beware
It’s no secret that home sellers are having difficulty enticing buyers to step up with decent offers, or any offers for that matter. And in a market where buyers are in the driver’s seat, desperate sellers are more likely than ever to lie to make the home seem more desirable.
