ENERGY: Light Bulbs

Edison invented the light bulb back in 1879.

It was a completely different era back then. The concept of saving energy or being environmentally conscious did not exist then. In the current era of global warming, there is a need for more efficient style of light bulb than the traditional incandescent one.

Interestingly, the modern Compact Flourescent light bulb (CFL) was created at GE in response to the 1973 oil crisis. It was shelved back then, however, due to the immense costs associated with manufacturing.

These new CFL bulbs use about 75% less energy than the standard incandescent bulb and can last up to 10 times longer. Yes, the upfront costs are higher than the standard bulb, but given the higher energy efficiency and longer duration you should end up saving money in the long run. Also, since they last longer you'll spend less time changing your bulbs.

You can buy these light bulbs at any major store (KMart, Walmart, Sears, etc). Check out Amazon for its CFL lighting store.
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Pro: Energy efficiency means decreased electricty bill. Good environmental impact.
Con: Greater up-front cost.



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GREEN LIVING: Don't buy water!

Water, the basic building block of life.

It's everywhere. 70% of our body is water. Oceans, lakes, rain. There are endless sources of water.

Lately, I've thinking about drinking water. Out at Sam's Club or Costco, I see many people buying these huge cases of bottled water. It just doesn't make sense to me for multiple reasons.

I think you should save your money on that bottled water!

• It's expensive to buy
  
• Water is free!
• It adds plastic to the environment

People say tap water is "dirty". Are there toxins or carcinogens in tap water that haven't been detected? Maybe, but I doubt it. In my spare time when I'm not researching deals, I'm a doctor. The healthy human body has an amazing capacity to deal with whatever the environment can throw at it. I don't know, before Evian and Poland Spring came along weren't we all just drinking tap water (or worse)?

People say that tap water "tastes funny". Well, your taste buds will get used to it. Sure, if there is some foul stench coming from your tap water then you might want to check your pipes or look into it. But otherwise after several days you won't notice it.

Another reason to drink tap water is that it has flouride, which is good for the teeth (especially young ones).

Don't get me wrong, I won't be drinking water straight out of the faucet. I like the idea of water filtration although I'm not convinced it really does anything. It's really for my peace-of-mind. I'm a big fan of Brita (and other similar products). Sure, you have to pay upfront for the filter (and replacement filters) but it'll be worth it in the end.

So do your part. Sit back and watch An Inconvenient Truthone last time for that extra motivation. Buy one of these filtration systems and you will end up saving money and helping the environment.

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DEAL: Amazon Prime

Amazon is probably one of my prime destinations for purchasing.

Not only do I save tax, get free shipping, access great customer reviews, but I also have thousands of dollars in Amazon gift cards that I procured at 80% value.

Let me tell you how Amazon Prime makes for a better buying experience. Plus for a limited time you can save $20!

One of things that sucks about buying on the internet is that you have to wait for things to ship to you. There is something to be said about going to a store, buying something and taking it home. Instant gratification.

Normally, Amazon gives you free shipping for orders over $25. They used to have pretty fast free shipping. Nowadays, they are VERY slow. I've found that my orders are "in process" for up to a week, then they use the slowest shipping method to get it to you. Maybe it's deliberate to make people join the Amazon Prime program.

With Amazon Prime, you get free shipping for everything! And it's fast 2 day shipping. If you want it even faster you upgrade to 1-day shipping for $3.99. Want to buy that $0.99 item? No problem you'll get it shipped to you in 2 days with no added shipping fee.

Usually the service costs $79/yr, but they temporarily have a promotion of $59 for 1 year.

If you are heavy Amazon user and need instant gratification, it is a no brainer to sign up for Amazon Prime

Expires 12/30/2008

Tip: Set the membership to NOT auto-renew. This way you won't ne paying for days you aren't using.

HIDDEN BONUS: You can designate 4 family members to use your Prime shipping. Each family member, once they accept the email invitation, can ship wherever they want.
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Pro: free 2-day Amazon shipping, with cheap shipping upgrades (1-day for $3.99)
Con: $59 for 1 year Read more!

DEAL: New Apple Headphones

The new Apple headphones are out after a long delay!

It's tough to find them in stock but Amazon has them right now with a special promotion. $79 but you will save on tax compared to the Apple store.

Plus if you purchase before 12/25, you will get a $5 credit for the Amazon MP3 store.

Preliminary reviews indicate that they are a big step up from the stock headphones. A little short on bass but good mid-range.

Reviews

• Gizmodo
• Engadget
• AppleInsider
• iLounge
• MyDigitalLife
  
• Apple Store user reviews

It WILL work with your iPhone just like the stock ones do. However, the volume control will NOT work. You'd have to adjust the volume using the iPhone controls.

Pro:

• Save on sales tax
• $5 in free Amazon MP3 (these are DRM free)

Con: May have to wait to receive it


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REVIEW: Carex Cast Protector

I recently had some surgery on my wrist and am required to wear a cast for 6 weeks.

I never realized how wearing a cast absolutely sucks. For one thing, when you take a shower you have to somehow cover the thing.

Sure, you could try a garbage bag over and try to somehow seal the opening. An easier option is to buy one of the many cast covers that are offered.

There aren't many reviews for cast protectors. Some protectors i looked at locally looked ineffective, with poor sealing mechanisms.

Looking online, I went with the Carex brand mostly based on price. There are more expensive ones with great reviews, but I didn't want to spend that much.




It works great though! It forms a great seal, getting nothing wet. Plastic seems strong and durable. The way the seal works: rubber lining with a small hole through which you put your arm. It's a bit of a tight fit but once you get your arm in, water ain't getting in!

Very functional.

They also have ones for legs and children's arm. Read more!

GREEN LIVING: Rid yourself of power drains

Like me, you probably have lots of electronic equipment: TV, stereo, monitors, etc. Did you know that even if you shut all off, it still keeps sucking down small amounts of power 24/7?

Yep, it needs that electricity to power internal clocks, internal states, or small displays. Sure, it's a small amount but over years it can sure add to your electricity bill. So what can you do about it?

I came across this cool surge protector from Belkin that will eliminate these power suckers. And it looks pretty chic too!

It has 2 outlets for devices that need to be always on (i.e. cable modem, router, etc). The other 6 outlets for those devices that can be shut off at night. Before going to sleep, just flip the switch (which you can mount next to your light switch), and it will wirelessly shut off all power to the non-essential equipment (stereo, tv, monitors, etc).

It's a great idea and I don't know why someone didn't think of it before. Over many years, I'm sure that this product will pay for itself.



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