Managing Home Maintenance Costs

We all worry about residential crime and break ins into our homes. Reports suggest they are increasing, however it really depends on the city you live in. Even where you live in the city and published reports for your city. Having had personal experience with a break in, we can also tell you that the police take reports and do little else. They know you will get your items replaced by your insurance, so why do anything. They also have more important crimes to deal with and cannot be bothered chasing some minor crooks who are burglarizing homes. It is important to invest in Burglar Deterrants.

Visit the Pawn Shops

Our policeman, who visited our home, basically told us to visit the pawn shops to see if some of the family heirlooms had been pawned. If we find them, they will have to file a report and the police will pick them up, file another report and then we get the item back. They made it clear that they were not going to do very much investigation! Not even checking for finger prints.

Single family homes are twice as likely to be burglarized than apartments.The most likely things to be stolen in a burglary are items that can be disposed of quickly and are in demand. Items such as cash, small electronic equipment, home computers, cameras, jewelry, furs, tools and hand guns.

Burglar Deterrants – Security of Your Home

Most people don’t worry too much about security other than the basics.  The things a burglar fears most are being seen by someone and having to taking too much time to complete the crime. They want to get in and out quickly!

Most of the time burglars will break into a home that is vacant, while people are at work or when they are on vacation.  If you happen to be home at the time, it can be a very stressful event. Make sure you have pepper spray at home within easy reach.  Best thing is get out or lock yourself into a room and call 911.  Many people, while they feel that their home is secure, do not really have any idea how secure their home is.

Survey Your Home for Security Week Points

One approach is to have a professional conduct a survey of your home. Local police sometimes will do this as a service to the community. They may also conduct workshops for the neighborhood so that you can do your own survey.

You can identify all potential trouble spots and determine what steps can be implemented to improve the overall security of your home. If you have a third party conduct one of these surveys for you, make sure you check their credentials and get references. Also recognize that most third party companies will try to sell you their products as well. Locksmiths will sell locks, alarm companies will sell alarm systems and so on. Common sense is in order here.

Imagine that you are the Burglar Planning a Break into Your Home

Begin outside and review how you would  break in? Sometimes it is a good idea to have a friend or neighbor to go with you and give their opinion as well. You can then do the same thing for them at their home. Look for Burglar Deterrants.

Ask yourself how you would know when you are not at home? Lights are on a different schedule than normal, garbage has not been put out, driveway is not cleared of snow etc. These are all tell tale signs that the home is vacant.

Turn down the volume on phones before leaving so it can’t be heard from outside. Another dead giveaway nobody’s home, and never leave a message on your home indicating that you are away.

Burglar Deterrants that are Effective

Most burglars are looking for the easy score and the least risk situation. A dog barking, or signs of a dog will deter a lot of thieves from even trying. So will signs of an alarm system. Burglars are basically opportunists and are looking for an easy score that allows them to get in and out quickly. Anything that would delay them or attract attention such as a dog or an alarm will deter many burglars from attempting to break in. Even a sign indicating that there is an alarm system may scare off a few opportunists.

Experienced burglars may not be deterred by this type of deterrent, especially electronic barking dogs. They can tell the difference!

Outdoor lights that turn on based on motion sensors are another great idea. They must easily brighten the area and be also out of reach from someone who is standing beside them.

Every home is different and requires a different set of deterrents. In our next post about burglar deterrents we will add a burglar deterrent checklist or security checklist. You can use this list to check your homes security. Assess what changes you want to make your home more burglar proof.

For more home security articles, click here.

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This post is about iPhone Security, not the type of security were someone hacks into your iPhone and takes over your phone, although I guess that can happen. Instead this post is about the type of iPhone Security when someone steals your iPhone! Stolen iPhones and Security

A good friend of mine was walking down the street the other day reading her email or sending a text message. She was walking along, not really paying attention to what she was doing and suddenly a guy walked up beside her and grabbed the iPhone out of her hands. Easy to do since she was holding it loosely while pressing the screen as she was preparing to send a message. Lot’s of people do this. You see them every day walking down the sidewalk, through the mall, or even walking into traffic without paying attention to were they are going.

It happened in seconds and the guy started to run off to be joined by a number of friends. Now we discussed ways to limit the amount of financial damage losing your iPhone can do in the previous post, “Smart Phone Security”. Check that post out if you need more information about protecting yourself.

Stolen iPhones and Security – What She Did Next

This was not the smartest thing to do, but she yelled at the guy. She chased him down and demanded her iPhone back. She used a lot of expletives and called him every name in the book. Next thing she knows she is surrounded by his buddies all taunting her as well as him. This situation could have gotten really bad, had she not thought quickly.

She yelled a lot of expletives , saw that was not working. Of course was surrounded by his friends with people walking by on a crowded sidewalk not paying attention.

Then she changed her tack and started yelling at the top of her lungs for help. She yelled that someone had stolen her iPhone and she was being surrounded.  This began to attract the attention of passers by. The gang realized that they were  dealing with a smart chick who was not intimidated by them. Of course anyone who steals like that is a bum and a coward. So as soon as you face them up in this manner they back off.

They handed her iPhone back and took off just as a few men were coming to her rescue. As a result she was very fortunate and lucky. If she had not been on a crowded street she would not have had a chance. It might have turned out much worse if she was surrounded on a quiet residential street!
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Many people are predicting  that gas prices could climb to $1.40 per liter this summer. As of writing this post on June 1st, prices are at $1.24. During the past week they have been as low as $1.17 and as high as $1.27 per liter of gas. During the spring of 2013, they climbed dramatically and approached $5.00 a gallon in the US in California. It is only a matter of time before they stay at that price, although they are now back to $4.29 a gallon. I really believe that the oil companies are just conditioning us for higher prices. The cost of gasoline for Canadians and Americans is a huge issue for those people who need to drive to get back and forth to work everyday. Improving Gas Mileage can make a difference to your pocket book.

Plan to Improving Gas Mileage

Many Canadians have no intention of cutting back on time behind the wheel. They have to get to work and they want to take their vacation. Some are cutting back on the distance they are traveling, but most are not planning to cancel their vacation according to a survey completed for  Canadian Tire.

Many are planning to find other ways to save dollars to compensate for the increased cost of gasoline. Gas prices have not yet risen far enough to cause major changes in driving habits and also car buying habits. People are looking for other ways to save money to compensate for the increased cost of gasoline.

According to the survey completed for Canadian Tire,  one-in-three drivers (36 per cent) revealed that they would rather give up vacation time than give up driving and more than half (56 per cent) said they will take on the role of do-it-yourself mechanic to save on car-related costs.

Many Canadians need to go back to basics with regards to maintaining an optimum speed to maximize their gas mileage as shown on the chart on the right.

Canadians take a shine to D-I-Y( Do It Yourself)

Many drivers plan to roll up their sleeves this spring to take on ambitious tasks with their cars, that they might have otherwise paid for if not for the hike in gas prices, including:

• 44 per cent said they would check and replace air filters themselves
• 33 per cent would attempt to remove their snow tires and install summer tires
• 73 per cent plan to take on monitoring and topping up their vehicle’s fluids
• 58 per cent will inspect and replace vehicle light bulbs

The top do-it-yourself job Canadians will take on this summer is cleaning the car, as 90 per cent indicated that they don’t think it’s worth the money to have it professionally done.

While many  Canadian drivers are willing to take on more, the survey shows they draw the line at performing other automotive work such as brake repairs  or oil changes with 81 per cent indicating they would prefer to leave it to the professionals.

Whether performed by a service professional or at home by do-it-yourself drivers, Canadian Tire experts recommend that Canadians and US motorists perform the following spring maintenance tips to help drivers maintain and improve fuel efficiency and to avoid more costly repairs in future:

• Get rid of winter: Remove winter tires and wash away winter grime and salt build-up
• Roll on: Check tire tread and ensure proper tire inflation at least once a month
• Check under the hood: Replenish all essential fluids (automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid and coolant) and get regular oil changes
• See clearly: Replace worn or damaged wiper blades and burned out light bulbs to maintain good visibility and safety

Other survey findings:

• 26 per cent of Quebec drivers said they would change their own oil to save money
• 73 per cent of Ontario drivers said they would rather drive to work than take public transit
• 97 per cent of BC drivers agree that checking and adjusting tire pressure will help to improve their fuel economy; 59 per cent said they would take on more do-it-yourself car maintenance to offset high gas prices
• 62 per cent of Alberta car owners said that although it’s not their favorite thing to do, they would prefer to wash their own car to save money
• 56 per cent of drivers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan said they would detail the interior of their car to help save money

For more posts about improving gas mileage, click here.

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This was a big cost reduction that we just came across and it personally saved us $20 a month on our mobile cell phone costs. That is $240 a year that we saved just by making a call to our service provider!  This site is about saving the average consumer money and this is an easy one to follow up on.

Here is how we reduced our cell phone charges.

My cell phone was pretty old and about to die due to a failing battery. It was time to renew my old cell phone and as always for me at least this is a complicated task. What phone do I get, how much will I pay, how much talk time is there, how much standby time and what features should I get. Do I want a smart phone or just a regular phone? You can see were this is going, I try to avoid making this decision.

New Cell Phone Plans, New Smart Phone Features

Also when you do call  the mobile company , they always want to review your plan to see if they can sell you more features or a more expensive phone.  I dread this because really what I want to do is to decrease my costs nor increase them.

This time was different. I started by telling them that I was thinking of moving to another carrier which immediately got their attention. They send you to the RETENTION desk at this point and this is really who you want to talk to. They can make decisions and offer discounts to help you make a decision to renew your service contract with them.
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The beauty and durability of hardwood floors often lures home owners into replacing old carpet  flooring. They replace it with something that is far more durable and better looking than carpet. Hardwood Floor Installation can be a great investment which will improve the value of your home as well as make it much easier to sell. Most buyers are  looking for homes that do not have carpet in them.  Consumers who have allergies also want hardwood floors and no rugs at all to avoid and reduce their reaction to dust etc.

If you are looking into hardwood floor installation for your home there are a few things you will need to know, even if you plan to hire someone to do the work for you. This article features some tips and directions to ensure your hardwood floor installation goes smoothly.

Planning Hardwood Floor Installation is Key To your Success

Planning is an essential step in the hardwood floor installation process. A little organization goes a long way. First of all, all wood including hardwood flooring needs some adjustment time before you can install them.

Storing the wood indoors for a few days in your home will allow the wood to expand and  will give you time to prepare the area were the hard wood flooring will be installed. Make sure you have all the necessary tools including a hardwood floor nailer, miter saw and jamb saw before you get started. Some consumers will purchase this equipment, while others will simply rent it for the time they need it.

Be sure that the sub-floor is properly cleaned and level. This is the time to make sure that the sub floor is well nailed to the joists. Some people will add a second sub floor on top while others will screw nail the sub floor to the joists to avoid any squeaks in the floor later after the hardwood is installed. You can also cover the sub-floor with asphalt felt. On the felt you may want to make a few helpful markings that will really help you out later.

At the starting wall you should mark a straight line about a half inch from the wall. Also, a chalk center line should be made by making a few measurements at various points in the room.

Installing Your Hardwood Flooring

When you begin the hardwood floor installation, choose the longest boards or widest planks. You then should pre-drill some pilot holes in a place where the 1 ½ inch finishing nails will be hidden when the molding is replaced and face nail the first boards into the floor joists.

For the following row you should drill pilot holes at 45 degree angles into the tongue every 10 inches. Also, nail at the floor joists and the ends of the board. Use the floor nailer for the following rows until there is no more room and finish the room in the same manner it began by hand.

Hardwood floor installation requires some carpentry skills, however with some planning and the right tools it should go smoothly. Seeing the finished product is satisfying and will be rewarding for many years.

Take your time. If you feel that it is not going well, stop, take a breather and consult an expert. Personally when I am doing work of this sort. I know it is time to stop and take a breather when I get tired or I get frustrated. This is when mistakes are made. Which only makes the situation worse. Stop for the day, go for a walk, whatever you need to do to relax a bit and gain a new perspective. This way you will have that perfect floor that everyone wants. I also like to work in a steady manner whenever I am doing work of this sort. I make less mistakes and I get more done.

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