The Frugal Yankee - HOW TO...Special Reports - Comments

Electricity savings

bobobo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:16:22 -0400

Shut down your computer when not using it, and switch off the power-strip/surge suppressor. Those 12V transformers that some accessories come with draw power when not in use. Use the "hibernate" shut-down, to save on reboot time when you turn it on again. This saves everything to the hard disk. You can do this about 10x in a row before it begins to get buggy and you have to do a full shutdown. (On XP systems, hold down the shift key when you get the "Turn off computer" dialog box, and the "Stand by" button will turn into a "Hibernate" button.)
The same goes for home entertainment systems, only moreso. One estimate is that 75% of the power they use is drawn when allegedly turned off. Use a power strip and turn it off when you turn off the TV.

2 hard-to-find-inexpensively grocery items

bobobo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:03:38 -0400

WHOLE-BEAN COFFEE:
Caracolillo Coffee Mill
4419 North HesperidesTampa FL 33614
800-682-0023, 813-876-0302
https://www.ccmcoffee.com/
5 lbs of Colombian Supremo for $18.75 plus $7.76 shipping.
Just found this place, and haven't got the product yet.

RAW HONEY
A 40 oz. bottle of clover honey goes for $9.99 at the grocery store. Two reasonable raw-honey sites:
Hunter's Honey Farm in Martinsville IN
http://www.huntershoneyfarm.com/
12lb.(1 gal) $29.95+11.10sh = $41.05
30lb.(2-1/2gal) $64.25+$18.38sh.=$82.63
($7-14% & $37-31% off store prices respectively)
case of 6 12lb jugs is 154.75+$40.07=$194.82
($93-32% off)
or
Draper's Super Bee Apiaries in Millerton PA
http://www.draperbee.com/
60lb.(5 gal) $129+$24.61sh= $153.61 ($86/36% off)
Honey doesn't go bad, but it does crystallize, and it's good to transfer it into smaller containers when it arrives, to make it easier to immerse in warm (<120degF) water to re-liquify. 5 gallons fills 24 40oz. honey bottles.

Saving water

bobobo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:16:40 -0400

A very easy way to save on hot water is to play with the lever that switches the shower output to the tub spigot. As you move it part-way toward the tub-spigot setting, it will reduce the shower output before it begins to let water come out of the tub spigot. You can begin by cutting back the volume a little bit at a time, until you reach the minimum you find comfortable. If you only use your shower, you can set it once and forget about it.
It helps to have the right shower head, which is easy to replace if you don't. I find a small head with precise small holes the best, as it sends out reduced amounts of water with greater force than heads with larger holes sending out reduced amounts of water.

HOW TO...Special Reports

Garen Daly — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:33:20 -0400

Click on the Title...

CARNY GAMES Fairs and carnivals are a ton of fun, but winning a big stuffed kewpie for the main squeeze can be challenging. Here are some tips and cheats. (Downloadable .pdf file)

MEESES IN PIECES Mice are a problem in any house, but especially in the fall as they look for warm cozy places to bed down for the winter. This article has all you need to get rid of those pesky varmints. (Downloadable .pdf file)