Archive for Uncategorized
15-year mortgages up by 7.5% from last year
From January through June of this year, 26% of homeowners who refinanced opted for a 15-year mortgage, up from 18.5 % in 2009. The significant spike may be the result of historically low interest rates, but Amy Crews Cutts, deputy chief economist for Freddie Mac, believes that people are starting to think differently about debt ( Amy Hoak, “Paying Off the House in 15 years,” WSJ ).
Rubber tires and bathroom sinks
Can trash be recycled into bathroom sinks?
How To Maintain Your Lawn In The Fall – Lowes.com
If You Can Not View This Video Click Here or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSprGZi8nIQ&feature=player_embedded
The “Screen Invasion”
Technology is touted as a gift of the 21st century. NPR’s Fresh Air interview (”Digital Overload: Your Brain On Gadgets”) with Matt Richtel, Technology Reporter for The New York Times , encourages us to think about technology and information in a more balanced way. The average person today consumes about 3 times the amount of information as somebody living in 1960
The pressure assisted toilet
How many gallons of water does your toilet need for one flush? If your toilet was purchased before 1992, that number is likely 3 – 5 gallons. If purchased in 1992 or later, it would be 1.6 gallons
Save Money, Rent Goats
Gwendolyn Bounds of the Wall Street Journal reports that goats are officially for hire! Goats spent four months eating weeds and other unwanted plants on the grounds of the Vanderbilt Mansion in New York. The project cost $9,000. A human-powered job would have cost about $15K. Next time you have to clear the weeds, consider one eco-friendly option and hire goats.
How To Conserve Water At Home – Home Depot
If You Can Not View This Video Click Here or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqqbUSvd06s
10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget
If you’re looking for practical advice on how to live large within your means, check out 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget , written by WiseBread.com contributors. The book will help you navigate the areas of gastronomics, travel, health and beauty, entertainment, shopping, green living, education, budgeting, and more
Net-zero energy homes are the new norm
In some areas of the United States, net-zero energy homes are becoming the norm of new construction. California, for example, has set a goal that by 2020 all new construction properties will be of the net-zero kind ( The Wall Street Journal , “Houses That Make Their Own Energy” ). http://online.wsj.com/video/houses-that-make-their-own-energy/7C802338-F8DB-45F9-B693-7528288804FC.html According to Market Watch’s Amy Hoak, these homes may cost more upfront, but they will save in energy bills over time
Who’s driving the big yellow bus?
It’s the last month of summer, and school buses are not scheduled for the roads for another few weeks. That’s not the case in Croton, Ohio, where bus drivers, truckers, and hairdressers find an outlet at the Hartford Fair race course. http://online.wsj.com/video/heavy-metal-meets-road-rage/C6880ABF-B01F-43E0-BD94-797B8AC80C11.html
