Saving on Household Utilities

If I had to pick a favorite bill, my choice by far would be my ConEdison electricity bill.

I love flipping to the chart that shows how my electricity usage had compared to each of the last 12 months, including the same month of the previous year. When that bar gets shorter and shorter (as it often did during the mild summer months, when I rarely ran the air conditioner), it's nice to know I'm helping my wallet and the world.

But my water usage? I have no idea. That's why I found this article on reducing your "water footprint" especially interesting.

According to Good Magazine, UNICEF says every person needs about five gallons of water per day to survive.

Americans use 151 gallons. Per day.

That includes an average of 3.5 to 6 gallons per toilet flush and 2.5 to 4 gallons per minute of your shower. See the article for a more complete list ... and tips on how to cut back.

First up for me? Something my parents asked me to do 15 years ago (with little results): Cutting my time in the shower. Besides, I can get on board with any environmental cause that also results in a few extra minutes of shut-eye in the morning.

Have a DVR? Cancel Netflix.

I don't have Netflix.

But I do have at least a half dozen movies ready to watch at all times ... all at the press of a button.

Once every week or two I browse the movie channels that come with my cable plan-- AMC, TCM and IFC are usually the best, but even Comedy Central and the Disney Channel play some good flicks once in awhile. Then I DVR anything and everything that looks interesting.

Then when I'm in the mood for a movie, or my husband and I want to kick back on the weekends, we always have a large selection no matter what our mood.

The selection of movies is surprisingly large on these channels. Admittedly, you're not going to find many recently released selections like you would on HBO and Showtime, but you'll greatly increase your knowledge of classic movies. Jack Lemmon has become one of my favorite actors of all time because of my propensity to record his movies, and I'm slowly making my way through all of Woody Allen's works.

So cancel your Netflix subscription. Spend your extra cash on popcorn instead.

Do-It-Yourself Extra Long Shower Curtain Liner

I measured the windows, I measured the walls.

Before we moved to a new place 500 miles away, I measured nearly everything-- except the distance from the shower rod to the base of the tub.

A shower curtain liner certainly qualifies as one of those things you need on your first day in a new apartment. So I went to the store and took my chances. I bought a new shower curtain liner of the standard length.

Unfortunately, it was about three inches two short. Water from the shower blew the bottom of the liner up over the tub, soaking the bathroom floor.

My solution? A clear plastic tablecloth from the nearest dollar store.

The tablecloth was about a foot too long, but I simply folded over the top until the "liner" was of the desired length, and then I poked holes at the top for the hooks. Voila! An extra long shower curtain liner that's less than 2 bucks -- and is easily replaceable.

Wall Art That Starts Conversations

The last thing the world needs is another reprint of "Starry Night."

Instead, turn to your digital photos to decorate your walls.

For a fraction of the cost of the framed pictures you can get in any old store, I ordered 8 x 12 prints of a few of my favorite photos taken by either my husband or me, like the one above of the Brandenburg Gate at dusk. Then I bought simple glass frames at Ikea for just a couple of bucks apiece.

Now my hallway is lined with seven prints that not only are pretty, but also bring up good memories whenever I stroll to the living room. I visit Austria, France, Mexico and even Disney World in a few steps, if only for a few moments.

This is a great way to decorate your own home, or a thoughtful gift for a friend or family member with whom you've shared a vacation. They're also perfect conversation starters-- visitors always want to learn where the pictures were taken once they learn we snapped them ourselves.

Save Money, Save Energy When You Cook

Usually the ads on the subway are just white noise for the eyes. I might try and decipher a Spanish ad now and then, but my eyes glaze over when it comes to yet another sign for a doctor or lawyer.

But an ad directly above where I was standing on a New York City N-train caught the eyes of my husband, Paul. Con Edison, our local electric company, has a series of ads highlighting specific ways to save energy, money, or often both. Take the tip Paul noticed:

If you use glass or ceramic in the oven, you can lower the temperature by 25 degrees and still get the same results.

Who knew? Not me. But if it's good for the environment and my pocketbook, it's good by me.

Stop the Home Fires Burning

Item: Fire Extinguisher

Price: $19.99

Where to Buy: Amazon.com

Review: It's not the flashiest gift, but a fire extinguisher may be the best gift you'll ever give.

My husband and I got a small fire extinguisher as a housewarming gift from a friend, and I thought it was a great idea. It's one of those things you just never seem to get around to buying. We had lived in separate apartments for several years, and neither of us had a fire extinguisher.

This is one of the the few gifts you hope never to use. And luckily, we haven't. No, a fire extinguisher is not a romantic gift. But it's one that the newlyweds or new homeowners just might thank you for one day.

Image from: Amazon.com

A Good Gift with a Cord: Immersion Blender

Item: Immersion Blender

Price: $39.99

Where to Buy: Sears

Review: An immersion blender might be the best gift my husband has ever bought himself.

He loves to cook, so he considers it a toy. I love to eat, so I get to enjoy the butternut squash bisque, fruit smoothies and other concoctions he whips up.

Immersion blenders come in different styles and price ranges, so do a little research to find the best for you or the recipient. Our immersion blender is easy to store and easy to clean-- I love kitchen gadgets that are dishwasher-safe!

Image from: Sears

How I Got My New Coffee Table

I'm no dumpster diver. I swear.

But when I saw a nice long coffee table on the sidewalk not even a block from our apartment, I did a double-take.

I wasn't the only one. Another woman stopped at nearly the same time, but luckily her eye was on another table that was sitting with the trash. She wheeled that one (yes, it had wheels) to her place while I called Paul.

In a few minutes he had the table in our living room while our old "coffee table" (really just a wooden trunk, filled mostly with our financial papers) was dismissed to the corner of the room.

It's not the best table in the world-- it certainly has a few scratches, and the top is certainly not real wood. But the price was right for something I expect will be left behind whenever we move out of this apartment.

So to recap: Yes, I will take a coffee table from the side of the road. No, I will not pick through garbage. For anything.

Ste. Brighid with the Groundhog Throw Pillow

Item: Ste. Brighid with the Groundhog Throw Pillow

Price: $19.99

Where to Buy: CafePress

Review: At first glance, it looks like one lovely lady holding one ugly cat.

But that's no cat, ladies and gentlemen. That's a groundhog.

Today the pest that terrorized the farmland I grew up on gets his (or her) day in the sun. Scratch that. Hopefully he gets a day filled with clouds and no shadows, hearkening an early spring.

Even though I was terribly afraid of groundhogs as a child, this pillow with artwork by Thalia Took makes me want to adopt a groundhog as a pet and give him a loving home. Awww, look at those sweet paws!

But this pillow isn't just for Groundhog Day. I can guarantee it will be a conversation starter all year long.

Image from: CafePress