October 28, 2008
Our economy is running a bit slower than most of us are used to these days. Here are a few tips and tricks to help get every penny out of your dollar.
1. When you are doing your weekly grocery shopping buy raw ingredients instead of prepackaged goods, along with a good cookbook. Preparing your own food may take a bit longer but it is significantly healthier and also a great way to save money.
2. Bulk purchase those items that you use most often, maybe ask your neighbors and friends if they would like to split the purchase with you.
3. Farmers markets and road side stand generally offer better produce at a cheaper price. This also helps to support your local economy.
4. Use those leftovers, have a left over night.
5. Watch the price per pound of what you buy, many stores now include this information on the price tag of the products. This can be an excellent way to be more aware of the price you pay for food.
6. Your home can be a real drain on your budget. Be sure that your house is being as penny pinching as you are. Seal those doors and windows, lower the temperature on your hot water heater, bump the thermostat up a notch or two, water only when necessary.
7. Close off any unused rooms and shut the A/C vent in that room.
8. Using the oven? Plan to cook several meals at the same time and refrigerate the finished meals for future use.
9. Going out of town for a few days? Flip the breaker on your hot water heater while you are gone.
10. Replace your light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs (CCFL’s)
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October 24, 2008
For the 2008 School year, Citrus County has promoted new ways to do it’s part in energy conservation, and boy, has it paid off! For the month of July alone the school district used 323,864 less kilowatt-hours than July of last year and in August, 543,121 less than the year before. In terms of dollars, the school district has saved $67,531 during the first two months of school.
How are they doing it? By exercising energy awareness the same way that all of us, even at home, should be practicing.
Keeping the thermostat set between 74 and 78 degrees while the A/C is being used (at home keep the thermostat at 76 or 78).
Turning off lights in rooms that aren’t being used (at home, keep the doors shut, also).
Turning off copy machines and other office equipment at night (at home, make sure all your computers and T.V. boxes are shut off before you leave the house or go to sleep).
Making sure that all the energy-consuming equipment is working correctly.
These little changes can add up to huge savings in both energy consumption and money! The maintenance workers at the school district, the administrators and the staff members of the school are all working together to reduce the energy consumption to reach their goal, and it appears to be working!
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June 30, 2008
During the Summer months here in the heat of West Central Florida, keeping your electric bill down can be quite a task. One good way to keep the bill down is to try and keep your house cooler, this will keep the A/C from running constantly. Your dryer is a big heat producer inside of the home. If you run your dryer for ten minutes and then hang your clothes out to dry on a line, you create less heat in the home and your clothes won’t be as stiff as they are when you don’t use your dryer at all. When washing your clothes, use more cold water. This will also save on the electric bill by reducing the heat and not using the hot water heater.
Your oven is another big producer of heat. Cook out more. Using the grill will not only save on the electric bill but it tastes great and is healthier for you as well. You could also invest in a crockpot. These produce less heat and use up less electricity.
Keep your windows shaded. Try to keep your blinds or curtains closed as much as you can. Tinting or glazing your windows is another way to keep the rooms cooler. Close doors to the rooms that aren’t being used. Change your air filters to your A/C at least once a month, this will keep the A/C from over working itself by trying to push air through dirty filters.
Ceiling fans keep the air circulating which will also keep rooms cooler, especially in rooms where your computer is, as a computer puts out a lot of heat as well. Try to remember to turn off lights and TV’s when you leave rooms. All of the little things add up at the end of the month. Make a conscience note when leaving a room to turn off the light, the fan, and to shut the door. Soon it will become a habit.
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June 10, 2008
Converting a home to run on solar power has become much easier to afford than when it was first introduced. Solar energy can be captured and used to store enough energy to generate electricity, heat and cool your home and heat your water. The energy generated can lower your utility bill by quite a significant amount, in fact, in some cases homes that create more power than is needed and are still connected to the energy grid could actually put that extra energy back into the grid and receive a rebate check from your local electric company. Lets face it, there is plenty of solar energy that can be used here in Hernando and Citrus counties.
Start by reducing the need for electricity in your home by investing in energy efficient appliances, adding compact fluorescent lights and practicing energy conservation. By reducing your need for electricity, you’ll decrease the size of the solar power system that you will need.
Your next step is to figure out how much electricity you use. You can calculate this by checking your last years electric bills in KW, if you don’t have your bills you could contact your electric company. There are many rebates, subsidies and tax incentives that could lower the installation price by up to 50% from there the possibilities are endless. For place to start to look for those click here
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January 3, 2008
Progress Energy recommends that you set your temperature at 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 60 to 65 at night. Lowering your thermostat at night and when you leave your house can reduce your electric bill. Every degree above 70 costs an additional 7 percent to 10 percent.
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January 2, 2008
Pull out those warm blankets and heat up some old fashion soup its getting colder. Cold and windy! The cold weather has arrived, the temperature is dropping into the mid to low 20’s tonight in Hernando and Citrus counties. Cover those plants and don’t forget about your family pets, they get cold too.
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November 15, 2007
Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr
While you could make one without the other, Blue Ginger’s shrimp toasts go so well with this flavorful soup that the two recipes function as a pair. We think of the combination as an Asian twist on soup and a sandwich.
Servings: Makes 6 to 8 servings, or about 10 cups.
Ingredients:
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (3-lb) sugar or cheese pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 cup dry white wine
2 qt chicken stock, or 1 qt canned chicken broth and 1 qt water
6 lemongrass stalks (bottom 5 inches only), coarsely chopped
1 (1-inch) piece galangal (thawed if frozen), peeled and coarsely chopped
3 to 5 fresh (1 1/2-inch) Thai chiles or 2 fresh jalapeño chiles, trimmed and coarsely chopped (seed chiles if a milder flavor is desired)
4 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Accompaniment: shrimp toasts
Preparation:
Cook onion, garlic, and ginger in 1 tablespoon oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Add pumpkin and wine and boil, uncovered, until wine is reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Stir in stock and simmer, covered, until pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté lemongrass, galangal, and chiles to taste, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Purée pumpkin mixture in batches (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot. Stir in lemongrass mixture, lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Pour soup through a sieve, discarding solids, and season well with salt and pepper.
Cooks’ note:
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered.
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September 17, 2007
HERNANDO COUNTY (Bay News 9) — A new effort is underway to keep kids safe when they hit the trails on their dirt bikes and ATVs.
According to the Florida Division of Forestry, fatalities are on the rise.
Ken Barthelette, division of forestry supervisor, said riders need to play it safe.
“Hopefully, especially young people will look at that and it won’t go unnoticed,” Barthelette said. “That his death won’t just be something that happened in the paper.”
Saturday morning, forestry officials held their first kids day at the Croom motorcycle area in Hernando County.
The purpose of the event is to teach kids to be safe at an early age and a big part of that is the safety equipment like a helmet, eye goggles, shoulder pads, a chest pad and boots.
The Division of Forestry said parents should supervise their kids when they’re riding ATV’s or dirt bikes.
Parents should know exactly where their kids are riding, who they’re riding with and when when they’ll be back.
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