Five Energy Saving Ideas For Renters and Owners

SavvySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:00:18 -0700

The weather turned ch-ch-ch-chilly this weekend, and while the season change gets us in the mood for Halloween it also means we can expect higher energy bills sooner than later. Right on time, Consumer Reports came up with a list of 25 ways to save on utilities when the weather is cold. They are all great tips but these five ideas can appeal to both renters and homeowners alike.

Save $25 to $75 each year by using the system standby or hibernating feature on your computer.
Don't overload the dryer. Clothes will take longer to dry — and they'll come out wrinkled.
Open blinds and shades on cold days. Solar heat gain can raise interior temperature significantly. But close them at night to minimize heat loss.
Dust off the slow cooker. You'll use a lot less energy than cooking a meal across several burners and in the oven.
Lower the temperature a degree or two before guests arrive. A house full of people generates a lot of body heat.

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Five Energy Saving Ideas For Renters and Owners originally appeared on SavvySugar on Tue, 10/21/2008 - 7:00am Please see SavvySugar for terms for use of feeds.

Three Credit Cards to Avoid

SavvySugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:30:13 -0700

While it may give you a temporary headache, reading the fine print on credit card offers does pay off. Consumer Reports composed research to narrow down the best credit cards available, and in the process it found a few so bad it had to warn us to stay away in its October issue. Here are the three cards they say are the pits; if you come across other cards with similar terms, steer clear.

First Premier Bank Card: Its 9.9 fixed APR is fine, but the card comes with first-year fees up to $276! There's a $29 account-setup fee, a $95 program fee, $48 annual fee, a $7 monthly servicing fee, and sometimes a $20 additional annual fee.
American Dream Card from HSBC: Each time you charge something you're entered into a lottery for prizes up to $25,000 and you'll be prompted to fill out surveys for chances to win additional prizes. The card comes with a 15 to 22 percent APR.
New Millennium Visa or MasterCard: There's a $59 annual fee, $100 processing fee, a 19.5 percent APR, and no grace period before your balance begins incurring interest.

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Three Credit Cards to Avoid originally appeared on SavvySugar on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 8:30am Please see SavvySugar for terms for use of feeds.