Archive for September 21st, 2011

Wireless Phone Contracts

Wireless Phone ContractsWireless phone contracts are being used to tie down consumers as more and more people are starting to use wireless phones. Negotiating your Wireless Phone Contract is so important since you can literally save hundreds of dollars if not thousands depending on your usage. They are just plain convenient and consumers love to get their calls instantly, rather than miss a call when they are out. Having just negotiated my own wireless phone contract recently I wanted to pass along some of the factors that I believed helped me get a good deal.

Be Prepared to Negotiate Your Wireless Phone Contracts details

The first rule of negotiating any contract, but even more importantly a wireless phone contract. You have only one chance to get a great deal. Once you agree and sign on the dotted line, your done. There is no adding something that you might have forgotten or would have liked. Be prepared and have all of your needs identified so that you can tick them off as you discuss each item. I will talk a little about how I missed something, although I still feel that I received a great deal.

US Wireless Carriers

For US readers, the concepts still apply, however the prices may seem high to you due to our lack of competition in Canada. However the concepts still apply especially since you have a lot of competition for wireless services in the US. Even so we noticed that Verizon and other carriers are moving from unlimited data to limited data. They want to control the amount of data that is being transmitted on their network.

What services and Features Do you Want or Need

Knowing what you want to have with your contract is the first start. Local minutes, text, long distance, voice mail, call display, data plans, style of phone and how much you want to pay are the basics for your list. A good start is to look at your current contract and either add to your list or take away the features that you want to change.

Review what you are currently paying for the services that you have.

Check with other carriers for the same basket  of services and features. This will give  you a base to work from when you are negotiating with your current carrier.

There is nothing better than to be able to explain that you have an offer for a better deal from another carrier that is “REAL”.

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Monitoring Daily Electrical Usage

Monitoring Daily Electrical UsageAs mentioned in the previous post, “Reduce Electricity First”, we are talking about our current electrical usage. We want to learn how we can reduce the electricity usage to help us save money. We want to reduce the impact of our usage on the environment. Additionally reduce the need or load on any alternate energy systems. There are a couple of charts that will help to illustrate how the impact of rates, time of day and the day of the week can affect your total electrical usage. More importantly the final bill. Monitoring Daily Electrical Usage is a good way to begin.

Monitoring Daily Electrical Usage

We thought it would be helpful to illustrate the hourly usage from, Monday Monitoring Daily Electrical Usage, June 27th, 2011. This should help understand the impact of various systems and devices that consume electricity in the home. The colors indicate off peak (green – 7pm to 7am and weekends). Mid peak (yellow – 7am to 11am, 5pm to 7pm) and Peak usage (red – 11pm to 5pm). This comes from a web site that is provided by our electricity provider. It is Monitoring Daily Electrical Usage for our home.

The cost for each hour is also illustrated for reference to show how much power was consumed for each hour.  Over night from 12 am to 6 am, all that is running are security lights, the fridge and various devices that are turned off , but plugged in.

At 6 am, the pool pump is turned on, the coffee is being made and the TV is on. There is a corresponding jump in electrical usage. Around 10:15, the pool pump is turned off and again the only thing running is the odd light. The TV is on as well as devices plugged in but not turned on. At 6:30, the evening meal is being cooked, the pool pump is on and some lights are being turned on. After 10:30, everything is turned off. Except for  the security lights and devices that are plugged in but not turned on.  This really shows the dramatic impact that managing your electrical usage can have on usage and the associated costs.

Using Smart Meters

Although some people are very upset about being forced to use smart meters they really do provide a lot more information. You can learn about how you are using electrical power and when you use this power. With the exception of reducing the time that the pool pump is running we are not really limiting ourselves in any way. Instead we are just managing when we use power to take advantage of the lower rates. For example peak rates are 18.7 cents per KW, while off peak rates are only 8.9 per KW. This is a significant difference when you add it up for every hour of the day, the week and the year. These rates were updated for Nov 2016.

If you are not on a smart meter system, you really only need to be concerned about how much power you use and how you can reduce it. With a smart meter system that measures electrical usage on an hourly basis, you now have a tool that you can use. Take advantage of lower rates in the evening and reduce your power consumption even more.

Smart Thermostat

Some consumers have also adopted the smart thermostat. This allows the power company to turn your thermostat up to reduce the cost of air conditioning during peak times. This has the dual impact of reducing your power consumption and lowering your bill. While at the same reducing the load on the system which will avoid what is called a brown out or failure of the electrical system.

While you are doing this you are not only saving money, you are also transferring usage from peak times to low peak times, which means that the utilities can delay construction of additional capacity. Obviously if only one person does this, there will be little overall impact. On the other hand if millions of consumers follow this approach we can have a serious impact on the construction plans that the utilities must pursue.
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Bathroom Remodeling- Mirror Removal

Bathroom Remodeling- Mirror RemovalMany consumers are doing their own remodeling to save money and to reap the enjoyment of doing it themselves. As a general rule of thumb, if you spend $100 on materials for Bathroom Remodeling, the labor is going to cost you at least double that. Bathrooms can be even higher. This is due to the small spaces and the extra time it takes to work around toilets and vanities. Depending on what renovations you plan you might also qualify for a tax refund as well.

The big decision is whether you take on this work yourself or you hire someone to do the work for you. Bathrooms are very expensive projects for many people and also some of the most complex projects as well. This is probably the main reason why many people either do not do any remodeling or hire someone to do it for them at a great expense.

Bathroom Remodeling – Removing the Old Mirror

I recently took on the task of updating what is called the powder room in our home. This is the bathroom on the main level with a toilet and sinks with a mirror over the sink. We replaced the toilet, the towel rack, the toilet paper holder, the faucet, the lights, and of course the mirror. It is the removal of the mirror that I want to write about in this post. This mirror was about 30 inches wide and about the same high. It was a flat mirror and it was glued to the wall. The question was how was I going to get it off the wall intact without glass shards all over the floor and on me when I took it off.

I was concerned that as soon as I started to pry it off the wall it would break and I would have broken glass everywhere. In fact, it might even damage the sink which we had decided not to replace. It was fine and in perfect condition. So how would you remove this mirror that is glued to the wall without breaking it?

Well, it turns out that the job was actually quite simple. All you need to do is to first of all, use masking tape as shown in the picture. This gives the glass extra strength and if it does break, it will stay together and not fall because the tape will hold it in place.

Protect your Vanity

Next place a towel or something on your vanity that can protect your vanity in case the mirror does break. You do not want any unnecessary scratches on the vanity. You can see there is a green towel in the picture reflected in the mirror. This was used to protect the vanity.

Using a thin long blade, you then insert the blade between the wall and the back of the mirror and slowly cut through the glue and drywall surface until you can lift the edge of the mirror away from the wall. Continue with this approach until the mirror can be safely pried away from the wall without any breakage. You may find that some of the paper from the drywall is going to come with the mirror due to the glue.

This is not a problem. All you need to do is apply some drywall compound in a thin layer afterward. Allow it to dry and give it a light sanding. You may need to repeat this process several times until it is smooth enough to paint. If you do use drywall compound, you really should prime this area with a primer if you are going to paint the wall. This will ensure that you have a satisfactory job when you are finished painting.

Once we had the mirror off the wall we painted the ceiling and the walls, installed a new oval mirror and new lights and we were done. An easy job as it turned out and we save a great deal of money doing this bathroom remodeling ourselves.

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When to Refinish a Hardwood Floor

Refinish a Hardwood FloorAnyone planning to install a hardwood floor should also understand what is needed refinish a hardwood floor and even whether you can refinish the floor at some future point. This applies to consumers who are planning to install the hardwood floor themselves. Also those consumers who will hire a contractor to do the installation. Some hardwood floors are very thin, almost laminate style. These floors generally cannot withstand re-sanding and refinishing. There is just not enough wood to work with.

A traditional hardwood floor is more than thick enough for re-sanding and refinishing several times. Before you buy, confirm that the wood you are using can be refinished at least once.

Refinish a Hardwood Floor

Most people will not need to refinish floors for many years. It really depends on the amount of traffic and the type of traffic on your floor. People who wear their shoes inside are going to have to refinish their floor more often compared to socks and slippers. Small pieces of grit are tracked in on your shoes. The grit works almost like sandpaper to wear off the finish from your wood.

Many flooring companies provide classes and experts to train those consumers who plan to install their own floors. Also if you plan to complete finishing of a hardwood floor. Most hardwood floors these days are pre-finished. They only need to be installed without any sanding or major cleanup.

Tips to Decide When to Redo Your Floor

After your floor has been installed for many years, there are tell tale signs to look for that will indicate whether your floor needs to be refinished. Here are a few tips  to help you decide if your hardwood floor needs to be refinished.

  • In high traffic areas, the finish tends to wear off . Leaving a dull looking floor compared to other areas of the floor.
  • If you take a teaspoon of water and drop it on the floor, the water will form beads if the floor is still properly sealed. When you have this situation then at most all you need to do is cleaning and the odd stain removal.
  • If the water soaks right in, as well as leaves a dark spot, then you definitely need to refinish the hardwood floor.
  • Don’t wait too long since the longer you wait, the more the damage will be to the hardwood floor.

Once you decide to refinish your hardwood floor, it is important to sand the floor to remove any damage. Also any existing stain and protective coatings so that you will end up with a uniform looking floor.
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ATV Tires and Accessories

ATV Tires and AccessoriesATV tires and accessories fit ATV’s,  or All Terrain Vehicles that are small motor vehicles with large tires. They are used for transportation or racing in conditions usually not suitable for cars and trucks. All Terrain Vehicles are usually controlled with motorcycle hand controls. While some have a combination of hand and foot controls.

ATV’s are a fun and exciting way to experience the wilderness. They can be a useful means of transportation in rural settings. They have gained a lot of popularity as work horses to transport materials in difficult conditions. As well as off road sport activity in deserts, swamp and just about any condition you can imagine.

ATV Tires and Accessories – ATV Popularity

The ATV has gained huge popularity with hunters, with farmers and weekend warriors because of its versatility. There are many different types of ATV’s nowadays. Companies such as Honda, Polaris, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Arctic Cat sell them. There is a variety of specialized models and varying engine sizes. They come with various cargo capabilities for the different outdoor activities like racing, hunting and camping.

If you are about to  purchase your all terrain vehicle you  now may need some ATV accessories. The first thing to consider are the tires that you want to have on your ATV. There are many different types of 4 wheeler tires to choose from, such as the ITP ATV tire, ATV sand tire, Gator ATV tire, Maxxis ATV tire, Goodyear ATV tire, and many others. Select the right tires for the conditions that you expect to spend the most time in, as there are tires for mud, sand, racing and trails.

Safety Considerations While Driving an ATV

ATV’s operators have a reputation for doing silly things and as a result the machine and the sport have a reputation for being dangerous. You should really consider protective equipment. The very first thing should be to get a proper helmet and be sure to wear proper eye protection too. Flying stones, branches etc can do a lot of damage and many operators have flipped their machines as well so get those helmets and eye protection.

The next thing to think about is protective clothing , so be sure to wear boots and gloves to protect your hands and feet while operating the ATV – it’s an absolute must for any rider and passenger.

Another great accessory for your ATV could be saddle bags,  which will allow you to carry all your cargo while you take your ATV on hunting trips or just to have some outdoor fun. You may want to have specialized cargo bags depending on your activities.

Most off-road riders will eventually get stuck in the mud or need to provide  help for another driver . For a serious ATV owner a winch is a necessity. The winch cable can be fastened around a nearby tree, and used to pull the vehicle out of the muck were it is stuck.

Racing ATV’s

Racing ATVs are configured differently from conventional ATVs. They are usually customized with different wheels, shocks and exhaust systems. There are many lines of 4 wheeler tires to choose from, such as the ITP ATV tire, ATV sand tire, Gator ATV tire, Maxxis ATV tire, Goodyear ATV tire, and many others.

When it comes to tires, the most important attribute is the tread. Different tires have different types of tread that make the ATV appropriate for navigating different types of terrain. For those spending time in the mud, it is strongly recommended that you purchase mud tires. Mud tires also work well on different types of terrain , but due to the tire tread, the ride is not so smooth.On the other hand narrow tires tend to sink in mud, but may provide you more stability on hard packed ground.

The shocks need to give enough to absorb impact with minimal speed loss and also must be must be stiff enough. The exhaust is simply made up of a more free flowing muffler and intake to move air through the engine much quicker. This altered exhaust results in more noise , but it can raise the torque of your ATV. Bumpers and skid plates protect the ATV from damage due to rough terrain or racing. These are just a few of the ATV Tires and Accessories for consideration. For more information about tire safety and tire performance, click here.

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Burglar Deterrent Tips

Home Security ChecklistPart of property management in our opinion is helping homeowners and consumers avoid being robed. Or at least decrease the chance that you will be robbed. In the previous post we touched on burglar deterrent signs. This post is going to focus on a number of tips that consumers and homeowners can apply to their situation to help avoid break-ins and robberies. There are no guarantees, however why not decrease your chances of being robbed. Why would you not take advantage of these opportunities and protect yourself?

Burglar Deterrent Tips

Many people do not give home invasion or burglary a seconds thought. Until they experience  it or perhaps a family member or close neighbor.  They they start looking for information about how to prevent burglaries. They realize that there are things they could have done to decreases the chances of someone breaking into their home. Why not start now to decrease the probability by following these burglar deterrent tips.

There are many things you can do yourself which will help to prevent burglaries. While installing more complex alarm systems may need an expert to complete the installation.  The first step is really an evaluation of your home from a burglars point of view. How they might enter your home or break in to your home.

Pretend you are breaking Into Your Home

Even though burglars have more experience at break-ins, put yourself in their shoes regarding how you would break into your home. If you can figure it out, then the burglars sure ca as well.  You may want to look at how you would do it quietly without making a lot of noise, however if haste is required, they will not worry about damaging your property.

There are also resources in your neighborhood that you can turn to for both ideas on how to improve the security as well as the steps you can take to improve security.

Tips to Help Avoid Burglars

Here is a list of tips that may help you in deciding what things you can do to make your home more burglar deterrent.

Secure doors and windows and that means locking them when you are away. Two-thirds of all intruders enter by a door and a third by a window, so just having them closed and locked with a good lock goes a long way.

Refit locks if necessary on all doors and windows if you are in doubt at all.

Weak doors, glass windows are easy to break. Have them inspected and strengthened were necessary. All it took for a burglar to get into our neighbors house was a quick boot to the door to break the lock and they were in! Took less than 5 seconds!

Locks on doors should be the five-lever mortise deadlock variety, while patio doors should have special locking systems and/or anti-lift devices to prevent them being removed from their frames. At the very least place a solid bar to prevent the door from being slid open.

More Tips

Even if you are home, it pays to keep doors locked. Would you know if someone came in an open unlocked door if you are in another part of the house?

Automatic deadlocks that immediately lock the door securely from the inside when the door is closed and must be opened with a key.

Mortise bolts can be fitted at the top and bottom of the door for extra security.

A sturdy chain will prevent someone from pushing though and a door viewer is also handy to check out whoever is standing on the other side.

Store keys were you can find them in an emergency, but away from prying eyes.

Movement sensitive lighting, well lighted front doors and side doors will help to discourage many opportunistic burglars.
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