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utility bills

Money Saving Tips

5 Ways To Conserve Energy And Save Money At Home

ways to go green and save moneyEven if you’re not necessarily interested in the plight of the environment, being naturally more concerned with your current personal problems, you are likely looking for a few good ways to lower your utility bills. And if you’re a card-carrying tree-hugger who wants to conserve and preserve, then the monetary savings associated with your efforts are no doubt the icing on the organic cake. But if you’re new to the concepts and practices of environmentalism, you might not even realize that you could be saving money even as you reduce your carbon footprint. And you probably don’t have the first idea of how to get started when it comes to planning and implementing conservation efforts on the home front. So if you’d like to save some money on your energy bill while simultaneously doing the environment a favor, here are just a few great ways to achieve both ends.

Energy-star solutions. You’re not the first person seeking products that help you to use less energy at home. And since most people are looking to save in the process, shelling out thousands of dollars for solar panels is out of the question. Luckily, you can find all kinds of options on www.energystar.gov. You might think that appliances are their only offerings, but they also have solutions for lighting, windows and doors, HVAC systems, water heaters, computers, electronics, and more. The energy-star website can clue you in to all kinds of energy-saving options, and raising awareness is the first step towards a greener tomorrow.

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Money Saving Tips

How We Saved $300 On Our Phone Bill By Using magicJack

We recently switched our phone company in order to save money.  In the past we have used Vonage, and for quite a while it worked really well for us and it was inexpensive compared to other phone companies offering service in our area.  Unfortunately, as time went on we found that the quality of our phone connection deteriorated and we also started paying more for our monthly phone bill.

So, we decided to try out magicJack.  We bought the device at Future Shop for $55 including tax.  It is really easy to set up, as all you have to do is plug the device into a USB port on your computer.  (You need a broadband Internet connection to use the service.)  Then you can either just talk through your computer, or, you can connect the phone cord directly to your regular phone.  We found that we get a better quality connection using the phone, and of course, it’s way more convenient, too.  However, when we are on the road, if we bring our laptop along, we could technically use our phone service, too, as long as we have access to the Internet.  This means we wouldn’t have to use our cell phone and we could avoid expensive roaming charges.

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