Here's a fun fact designed to make your mornings more secure! Shower curtains are bad for you.yep, on top of everything else, now taking a shower for that squeaky clean, first thing in the morning feeling is bad, really bad. Here's the scoop. According to the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, vinyl shower curtains made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) releases all sorts of toxins in the air when showering. Ot f course it mixes with the shower's steam and gets into your lung. Yum! Oh, and these toxins linger for a months. (Source: The Week, June 27, 2008)

This falls into, "So, This is New"? dept. Belgian researchers have found that when men see a pretty woman in a bikini their ability to think logically goes south. Duh. It seems the process of delayed gratification erodes as biological imperatives gain ascendency. Men become singularly directed and one thing seems to dominate their mind. Gee, I wonder what that might be?

Be sure to check out our audio article on COUPONS REDEEMED. Smart Money's Kelli Grant tells us how to cash in and save on our grocery bills. Some places to find coupons where you can save money is those Sunday circulars, Coupons.com, CoolSavings.com and RedPlum.com. Be sure to check the stores you frequent web sites, sometimes they specials there.

Frugal Yankees are invariably organic gardeners. They recycle kitchen waste into compost which in turn is sued to feed their plant. On the flip side, consider this. 40 pounds of synthetic fertilzer is the equivalent of 2.5 gallons of gas. Synthetic fertilizers are used throughout the world. Just imagine if everyone went organic. Oh yeah, one other bit of info, synthetic fertilizers kills worms, and micro-organisms beneficial to the soil. (Source: Men's Journal, July 08).

With all of us being concerned with saving on energy, the Frugal Yankee just read this wee bit of info.When it comes to dishwashers, the old ones use an estimated $105 a year in energy. This is running it every day and using an electric water heater. The newer versions with the same constraints that number is reduced to $52.

Mechanics and automotive shops often use a book to determine how much they'll charge you for a repair job. It is called a 'flat manual'. It details specific jobs on specific cars and then provides a charge. Shops vary in experience and labor rates, but many of them use this to set their rates which is why you may find roughly the same price from shop to shop.
(Source: Consumers Checkbook June 2008) Listen to our podcast on finding mechanics, vetting vets and other savvy moves with Robert Krughoff, Consumer's Checkbook's big cheese.

Remember when you were chastised for chewing gum in school? Now evidence suggest the habit is good for you. First it will help relieve 'airplane ear', that sense of pressure while flying. There have also been reports that chewing gum just before a memory exercise or test can boost brain function nearly 10%. So everyone go out, buy some Double Bubble and chew and then blow a really big bubble. You'll be smarter and have fun at teh same time.