With the trend of energy conservation shooting to new heights along with our technology, occasional re-evaluation is necessary. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs for short) may last longer, be more energy efficient, but there are some things many people don't know about them.
Price versus Cost to Operate
CFLs are getting much more affordable as time goes on and the process becomes streamlined. At the time of this post, they cost about $2.50 or so for an average 13 watt bulb. Due to their low wattage, they are becoming much more popular. About 20-25% of a home's electricity usage comes from lighting, and when you go from 60 watts to 13 watts, that is a dramatic change to your electricity bill, which is about 21% difference in lighting alone.
Mercury
As wonderful as it sounds to have a much lower cost to operate, CFLs are notorious for containing mercury, a poisonous metal. Most CFLs also contain argon gas, phosphor, and titanium dioxide, none of which are nearly as bad as mercury. The mercury found in these bulbs are is often times vaporized, and when the glass breaks, it can be seen as a powder. They can contain as much as 5 milligrams of mercury per bulb.
Disposal
While the idea of cleaning up a poisonous mess of mercury can be daunting, it is doable. Many packages for CFLs do not include the necessary procedures to clean up. You need a pair of cleaning-grade gloves, duct-tape, plastic zipper baggies and a box. Put on the gloves, stick down the duct tape to the powder and glass, cut it off and drop it into the zipper baggy. Repeat as much as necessary, but do not use a broom - you will disburse the dust even more and possibly inhale it. Do NOT throw it away - take it to a local recycling center.
Other Options
If CFLs sound too dangerous to you, here are some other options for lighting, and while some may be too expensive, they are much safer alternatives.
Incandescent
The tried and true incandescent light bulb may not be cost effective in the long run, but they do not contain mercury. Unfortunately, they are to be phased out and may not be available in the future due to government mandates.
LED
LEDs are more expensive, but contain no mercury, and are also brighter, come in far more colors, and are cooler to the touch. They also use around 6 watts for the same light you would get out of a 40 watt bulb. This is less than even CFL bulbs, and the process of making LEDs has been around for much longer.
Halogen
These are more expensive than the LEDs. They are much brighter and have more power than all other lighting options, but are primarily used on vehicles, outdoor lighting and construction lighting. Halogens use similar wattages to their incandescent counterparts and also produce a lot more heat due to how they work.
What do you think of CFL bulbs?
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Committing to Saving Money (and Yourself!)
It can be difficult to find every nickle and dime, and sometimes it can be even harder to find the motivation to even try. Here are a few suggestions to make the attempt a little more endurable.
Being Grateful
Being aware of what you already have can make the draw of buying new things a lot less tempting. It is much harder to forget that you have tomatoes growing on the vine already when you're walking down the aisles of a grocery store and see them on sale for a few cents less than last week, because you're getting them for a much smaller cost, and often taste much better than anything at the store.
Pride is Not a Sin!
Did you manage to save a few extra dollars on groceries this week? Feel free to celebrate! Be proud of your accomplishment; tell neighbors, friends, family members or even the postal workers. Keeping up morale is incredibly important when it comes to making any lifestyle change, and knowing that you can step up and do the little things will help immensely when you start leaping the big hurdles.
Situational Awareness
A lot of times, we humans tend to lose perspective on important things in our lives. We sometimes also see the fact that we have a coupon and feel the need to use it right away, whether or not we need whatever it is that is begging to be purchased. Do you really need to try that new cereal so badly or are you getting it just because you have a coupon? Think before you act - it is one of the most important things to do, and that's why so few people do it.
Mindful Relationships
The draw of therapy is much smaller when you have deep friendships with those around you to whom you can confide in. Be aware of all those who don't care about your efforts or continually attempt to undermine them, and seek those who listen and try to help. Life is too short to waste on people who don't care.
Sweet, Sweet Green
Sometimes it can be difficult to really wrap your head around how much money you're saving. Try using cash when you pay for items so that you can physically see it and feel how much lighter your wallet gets when you go to the store. You could also go to the bank and check your savings account and ask to take it all out, roll in it, and put it back in, just for fun.
Have any feelings about saving money that you'd like to share?
Being Grateful
Being aware of what you already have can make the draw of buying new things a lot less tempting. It is much harder to forget that you have tomatoes growing on the vine already when you're walking down the aisles of a grocery store and see them on sale for a few cents less than last week, because you're getting them for a much smaller cost, and often taste much better than anything at the store.
Pride is Not a Sin!
Did you manage to save a few extra dollars on groceries this week? Feel free to celebrate! Be proud of your accomplishment; tell neighbors, friends, family members or even the postal workers. Keeping up morale is incredibly important when it comes to making any lifestyle change, and knowing that you can step up and do the little things will help immensely when you start leaping the big hurdles.
Situational Awareness
A lot of times, we humans tend to lose perspective on important things in our lives. We sometimes also see the fact that we have a coupon and feel the need to use it right away, whether or not we need whatever it is that is begging to be purchased. Do you really need to try that new cereal so badly or are you getting it just because you have a coupon? Think before you act - it is one of the most important things to do, and that's why so few people do it.
Mindful Relationships
The draw of therapy is much smaller when you have deep friendships with those around you to whom you can confide in. Be aware of all those who don't care about your efforts or continually attempt to undermine them, and seek those who listen and try to help. Life is too short to waste on people who don't care.
Sweet, Sweet Green
Sometimes it can be difficult to really wrap your head around how much money you're saving. Try using cash when you pay for items so that you can physically see it and feel how much lighter your wallet gets when you go to the store. You could also go to the bank and check your savings account and ask to take it all out, roll in it, and put it back in, just for fun.
Have any feelings about saving money that you'd like to share?
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
All 'Bottled' Up: Creative (And Cost-Effective) Uses for Pesky PETs
Concern for the environment is growing rapidly with the increased use of plastic worldwide. The production of the average plastic bottle uses up a third of its volume in petroleum. If we find ways to use the plastic around us that already exists, it's at least a little less that will end up in landfills.
Here are some ways we can use plastic bottles and save a little money along the way.
Planters
A few cuts can turn a bottle into a useful seed-starting device or even make a new home for a beloved house plant. Wash the bottle thoroughly and take off the cap. Cut the bottle in half a bit above the half-way mark, then make a few vertical cuts along the bottom cut to make the next step a little easier. Flip the top half upside-down and press it into the bottom half until the mouth of the bottle is just touching the bottom. Add soil, plants, water and you have yourself a new planter without the cost.
Pin Cushions
Remember the cap you took off in the previous project? You'll need it for this one. A few scraps of felt, thread, needle and scissors will make a cute little pincushion. Cut two circles of felt, one for the top and the other for the bottom. Cut a strip of felt about twice as wide as the cap and wrap it around the cap itself, making a loop around the rim. Trim the felt as close as possible, then stitch the edges together tightly. Stitch the bottom circle to the loop at the top of the cap, then stitch the other circle half way around the open end. Add stuffing, stitch it closed, and you're ready to pin.
Funnel
Bottles make fantastic make-shift funnels. Wash the bottle, cut the top off right after the curve, take off the cap and you're ready to pour. This works for almost every bottle type.
Flowers
There are a lot of creative ways to make flowers from bottles. Cutting the top off as you would for a funnel and making a few cuts toward the center and bending them out can yield a nice star-burst: round off the corners and you've got a flower. You can also use different cuts to make the petals pointy, wavy, or however you'd like - the possibilities are endless. This is a great craft to do with kids and painting them different colors can be a lot of fun.
Solar Still
Here is another fun project to do with kids: building a small solar still from trash. Wash two plastic bottles of similar sizes. Spray paint one a matte black and drill a hole large enough to put a bit of tubing through in both caps. Use a bit of plumber's putty to hold the tubing in place. Fill the black bottle about half-way with dirty water and screw both lids on. Put the black bottle in a sunny location and slightly higher than the clear bottle. If you can, keep the clear bottle in a shady location - this will help speed up the condensation process. In a few days, you should have clean water in the clear bottle.
Light Bulb
This is great for a garden shed: fill a two-liter bottle with water and add a cap full of bleach. Screw the cap back on and wrap duct tape around the lid to keep it safe from breaking down from sunlight. Cut a hole in the roof of your shed and use weather-resistant materials to hold it in place. Sunlight is now refracted through the bottle and brightens your shed.
Know of any other great ideas for using plastic bottles? Let me know in the comments!
Here are some ways we can use plastic bottles and save a little money along the way.
Planters
A few cuts can turn a bottle into a useful seed-starting device or even make a new home for a beloved house plant. Wash the bottle thoroughly and take off the cap. Cut the bottle in half a bit above the half-way mark, then make a few vertical cuts along the bottom cut to make the next step a little easier. Flip the top half upside-down and press it into the bottom half until the mouth of the bottle is just touching the bottom. Add soil, plants, water and you have yourself a new planter without the cost.
Pin Cushions
Remember the cap you took off in the previous project? You'll need it for this one. A few scraps of felt, thread, needle and scissors will make a cute little pincushion. Cut two circles of felt, one for the top and the other for the bottom. Cut a strip of felt about twice as wide as the cap and wrap it around the cap itself, making a loop around the rim. Trim the felt as close as possible, then stitch the edges together tightly. Stitch the bottom circle to the loop at the top of the cap, then stitch the other circle half way around the open end. Add stuffing, stitch it closed, and you're ready to pin.
Funnel
Bottles make fantastic make-shift funnels. Wash the bottle, cut the top off right after the curve, take off the cap and you're ready to pour. This works for almost every bottle type.
Flowers
There are a lot of creative ways to make flowers from bottles. Cutting the top off as you would for a funnel and making a few cuts toward the center and bending them out can yield a nice star-burst: round off the corners and you've got a flower. You can also use different cuts to make the petals pointy, wavy, or however you'd like - the possibilities are endless. This is a great craft to do with kids and painting them different colors can be a lot of fun.
Solar Still
Here is another fun project to do with kids: building a small solar still from trash. Wash two plastic bottles of similar sizes. Spray paint one a matte black and drill a hole large enough to put a bit of tubing through in both caps. Use a bit of plumber's putty to hold the tubing in place. Fill the black bottle about half-way with dirty water and screw both lids on. Put the black bottle in a sunny location and slightly higher than the clear bottle. If you can, keep the clear bottle in a shady location - this will help speed up the condensation process. In a few days, you should have clean water in the clear bottle.
Light Bulb
This is great for a garden shed: fill a two-liter bottle with water and add a cap full of bleach. Screw the cap back on and wrap duct tape around the lid to keep it safe from breaking down from sunlight. Cut a hole in the roof of your shed and use weather-resistant materials to hold it in place. Sunlight is now refracted through the bottle and brightens your shed.
Know of any other great ideas for using plastic bottles? Let me know in the comments!
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