Taking the time to conserve water can help to reduce your monthly water bill and help the environment. The following will provide a few ideas to help you reduce home much water your family consumes monthly and your result may be a decrease in the cost of this utility bill.

Tips on How to Conserve Water

Tip 1: Turn off the water when brushing your teeth. This may seem like common sense, but typically people let the water run unnecessarily when brushing their teeth. You can save roughly 25 gallons of water a month for one person. This can really add up if you have more than one person living in your home.

Tip 2: Replace toilet fixtures at the first sign of leaks. Leaking toilets is a common problem especially if you are using harsh chemicals to keep the toilet clean. Drop in tablets can cause problems with rubber seals and gaskets. To test for leaks, place a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color appears in the bowl without flushing then you have a leak. Fixing leaks in a toilet  can save roughly 1,000 gallons of water every month.

Tip 3: Replace shower heads with water-efficient models. If you live in an older home or apartment chances are the shower head is not water-efficient. Home Depot, Meijer, and other home improvement stores carry a diverse line of shower heads to fit your needs.

Tip 4: Wash full loads of laundry and dishes. Don’t run your dish washer until it is full since the machine will use the same amount of water. The same goes with washing your clothes. Try to resist small loads throughout the week and save for larger loads to wash. This is more effective and can save an estimated 1,000 gallons each month.

Tip 5: Stop the leaking. Listen for any sounds of trickling water or drips. This can cost you up to 300 or more gallons a month. Reduce leaks by tightening fixtures or replacing broken items.

Other tips include watering plants with leftover drinking water, catching rain water in barrels to water your plants and gardens, and reduce the use of your garbage disposal by starting a compost pile. Small changes can make your cost of water each month drop providing you with a little extra savings each month.

Do you have any suggestions on how to conserve water? Feel free to start a discussion or provide our readers with more money saving tips.

Ordering “Free” CFLs from First Energy, Corp.

Step 1: Review your bill from First Energy, Corp. to determine if you are eligible. You should receive your bill from Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company or Toledo Edison–all are First Energy’s Ohio utilities.

Step 2: Locate your account number on your electric bill.

Step 3: Call 1-888-846-2235 to order your CFLs from First Energy, Corp.

Step 4: Provide required information to the customer service representative to place the order for your CFLs. You will need your account number, name on the account, and mailing address.

Step 5: Wait for the CFLs to arrive in the mail.

Step 6: Install the CFLs.

First Energy, Corp. will provide customers with 6 “sample” light bulbs to use in their home. The CFLs provided are 23 watt white light CFLs designed to replace 100 watt incandescent bulbs. The bulbs use 75% less energy and are expected to last 10,000 hours lighted reducing the amount of times consumers need to replace the bulbs.

If you are a customer of First Energy, Corp. and you live in Ohio, you need to claim the CFLs. You are paying for them through the company’s efficiency program even if you don’t claim them. You can also purchase CFLs at local stores where the cost has been reduced to $0.50 for each CFL. Participating Retail Locations include The Andersons (Maumee, Sylvania, Northwood, and Toledo), Marc’s (all locations in Northern Ohio), Goodwill (Alliance, Eastlake, Cleveland, Fulton, Hartville, Middleburg Heights, and North Olmsted), Discount DrugMart (of Northern Ohio), and Dollar Tree (of Northern Ohio).

Do you have any suggestions on reducing energy consumption? What have you implemented in your own home to help reduce your bill? Feel free to provide comments or suggestions below.

Saving with Meijer mPerks

Step 1: Log on to Meijer and create an account.

NOTE: Text-enabled mobile phone required to participate in the mPerks program and you must be at least 18 years old.  You will receive a text message with an activation code and weekly text messages from Meijer when you join the program.

Step 2: Clip all the digital coupons you want.

Step 3: Redeem your coupons instantly at the checkout by entering your mobile telephone number.

Shoppers can save instantly on various items from juice, fruit, candy, nuts, vegetable trays, produce, lawn and garden, cheese, lunch meats, home goods, school supplies, electronics and more. Printing off coupons at home cost money, but using digital coupons is a snap if you have unlimited text messaging on your mobile phone.

How do you save money at the grocery? Have you started buying more store brands compared to National brands? Feel free to comment below.

What to Expect When Selling Unwanted Gift Cards

For example, if you have an unwanted Home Depot (very popular) gift card worth $50 you could sell it to Plastic Jungle for 92% of the true value or $46. The company pays for shipping and verifies the amount on the card. Once the process is complete the company will mail you a check for the amount owed to you. If the card you own is for a less popular merchant, you may not get top dollar. The companies may also pass on buying small merchant cards because not many customers will have access to use the cards.

Other Options for Unwanted Gift Cards

• Exchange

Some companies offer exchange programs for gift cards. You can exchange unwanted cards for cards of retailers you want or need for a small fee.

• Donations

You can donate unwanted gift cards to charity and use the donation for a tax deduction. Confirm with the online company that you will receive a tax donation receipt with each donated card. Use the receipt as verification of your donation on your next tax return.  Keep track of the donation using the online Turbo Tax program, It’s Deductible!

Alternative for Cash

Some companies have deals with Amazon.com or PayPal to give you a higher rate of return if you exchange your unwanted gift card and take a credit at one of the merchants in lieu of cash.  This may be to your benefit if you were planning on purchasing an item online. You will get more for your card and still be able to choose where the money is placed.

Don’t simply hang on to unwanted gift cards with the thought of using them someday. You may lose them, forget you have them, or they may eventually expire. Sell your gift cards for cash or a more useful merchant.

Do you have any suggestions for trading in unwanted gift cards? What other options do people have? Feel free to post questions, comments, or personal experiences below.

How Does It Work

The online companies such as Plastic Jungle buys unwanted gift cards for cash at a reduced price (around 92% of the true value of the card) then sells them to customers at a discount. The discount is anywhere from 3% up to 40% off the actual value of the gift card depending on the site and the popularity of the product.

For example, if a gift card is worth $64.38 then the company would sell it to you for $59.23 for an 8% cost reduction. It is a sale before you hit the stores.

Best Way to Save

If you are planning a large shopping trip to Home Depot, JCPenny, or any other retailer the best way to save is to purchase a discounted gift card in advance and save a certain percentage. For example, Cardpool offers Home Depot at a 7% reduction. If you purchase the cards early then take them to make your purchases at Home Depot during a sale you will save the additional money from the sale. This type of reduction on the gift card covers most of the taxes on your sale at the store.

This approach can be used prior to home renovations, for school shopping, grocery shopping, or prior to a vacation when you know you will be dining out at a specific restaurant.

Additional Savings

Sites such as Cardpool allows customers to pay using a credit card. If your credit card has a cash back promotion then your purchase of the gift card on your credit card can earn you cash back.
Example: Purchased Home Depot Gift Card at 7% reduction $105.99 gift card cost $98.57. Charge the $98.57 on credit card offering 2% cash back and earn $1.97 back. Total savings is $9.39! If this process is repeated 10 times at the same rate consumers can save almost $100. The savings will continue to add up as the process is repeated.

Drawbacks

The major drawback for this program is tying your money up in gift cards. If you purchase an item at a specific store using one of the discounted gift cards the store will only refund your purchase on a gift card or for a store credit. This is ok if you shop at a location frequently, but if the project or shopping is a one time or very infrequent occurrence you may be left holding an unwanted gift card.

Planning in advance can help save money by using coupons, purchasing discounted gift cards, or using discount books such as an Entertainment Book. Know what you want to buy and how much you can afford to spend before tying up your cash in gift cards.

Do you have any money savings ideas? Have you tried buying discounted gift cards? Did you think it was a good deal? Feel free to post comments or suggestions about saving money.

Nothing in life is free…right? Well, someone has to pay for everything, but if you don’t have to pay then it seems free to you. So why not get a Starbucks Coffee on the house? Typically the company will have a freebie give-away for the general public on Earth Day, tax day, or other special event days, but this one is just for you. See below and try it out for yourself.

Getting a Free Starbucks

Step 1: Purchase or receive a gift card from Starbucks. Starbucks gift cards make great birthday gifts, holiday gifts, or thank you gifts for friends, coworkers, and family members.

Step 2: Register the card on Starbucks.

Step 3: During registration opt in for emails and include your date of birth and mailing address.

Step 4: Use your gift card and enjoy some great coffee.

Step 5: Wait for your birth month to arrive and you’ll receive a postcard for a free drink from Starbucks–any type, any size, on the house.

NOTE: Don’t forget to update your information if you relocate or start using a different gift card.

Registering your re-loadable gift card also allows you to become part of the Starbucks Rewards program. You can earn more free things every time you make a purchase. So even if you aren’t a big drinker of Starbucks you can still enjoy a free one on your birthday. Enjoy!

Do you have any birthday freebies to share? Feel free to let our readers know what they can get during their celebration month.

Purchasing a season pass to a museum can be a large monetary commitment for many families, but the returns can outweigh the cost when the year comes to an end. If you live close to a metropolitan area where you have access to museums then an annual membership can provide your family with hours of fun and learning. As with other memberships, purchasing a museum membership can help you save money, preserve educational programs for the community, and provide you access to many opportunities throughout the year. The following will review a few pros and cons to purchasing an annual membership for a museum.

Good Points for Purchasing a Museum Membership

If you live relatively close to a museum you may want to consider an annual pass/membership. Many larger museums participate in reciprocal member networks providing  access to museums all over the nation. This access provides you with exceptional access to learning, cultural experiences, and quality family time. As you and your family take the time to experience and explore what your local museum has to offer, you can relax and take your time knowing you can return as often as you like. This can reduce the “rush” affect and your children might actual have the time to learn something new.

The membership with reciprocal member networks can also save you money as you travel. If you are traveling on business, you may want to take your family along, but worry about what they will do while you are working. Sitting in a hotel room is not a favorite activity for many families, so with a museum membership your family will have ample activities that won’t cost a fortune.

You can also use your membership when you are traveling into the city for other events such as a sporting event or evening concert. This will allow you to expand your activities without breaking your budget. The membership can also provide you with discounts for other local, cultural venues, tours, and attractions.

Annual memberships make great Christmas gifts! Rather than buying individual gifts for everyone in a family you can simply purchase a annual museum membership for the family and contribute to family time throughout the year–easy to purchase, easy to send, and hassle free gift giving.

Are there any Negatives to Museum Memberships?

Once you purchase the membership you may feel obligated to use it (as you should). But if you family is pressed for time, it may not always be optimal to work in a few hours to visit the museum. It this is the case, you may feel like you have wasted your money at the end of the year. Before you feel that way, reflect on how many times you did go to the Museum. Was it more than once? Did you enjoy the visits while you were there? Did your children learn anything from the experience? Answering these questions positively will make the membership worth it.

Even if you did not use your membership as much as you would have liked, the support you provided to local programs was worth the investment. You may also qualify for a discount on subsequent years’ memberships.

Joining any type of cultural or social venue comes with benefits and drawbacks. Being able to plan ahead and weigh the good versus the bad can help you determine if you should become a member.

If you’re like most people, you don’t have time to search through countless numbers of coupons every time you want to go out to do something. Trying to keep all of the advertisements from the local paper until you are going to go out can be a bother and can create unwanted clutter in your home. An easy solution is to purchase an Entertainment Book. This product is a book full of coupons customized to your location. You can save on food, shopping, entertainment, and travel with the easy to find, easy to transport coupon book.  The company is a trusted source and has been helping people save money for over 50 years!

Entertainment Book Benefits

Many of the books contain coupons for merchants you can find everywhere such as Sears and K-Mart along with airline companies, hotels, discounts for amusement parks, local movie theaters, and sports teams. Each book is filled with hundreds of savings opportunities and you will save more money than what you spend for the book. Since the book is all inclusive, you can keep it in your vehicle and take it with you everywhere you go. No hassle of newspapers, loose coupons, or searching your house before you leave.  The Entertainment Book can save you time and money!

Added benefits of purchasing an Entertainment Book often include bonus coupons, support of local schools or organizations during fund raisers, and endless savings at local merchants in your area. Each Entertainment Book purchase also provides you with access to online savings through local, printable coupons and incredible online shopping discounts.

Since the books run through November 1 of each year, the books go on sale after November 1. You can often get a discounted entertainment book around the holidays for great gifts or to save money while you shop.

What are you waiting for? Order yours today!!!

Enriching your child’s learning through a zoo and  botanical garden membership can provide your family with experiences that will last a lifetime. Many children enjoy an occasional visit to a local zoo, but a membership can turn those visits into adventures! The annual memberships also make great gifts for those families who seem to have everything or simply not enough room to take on any more. It is a gift that will be appreciated throughout the year. The following will review a few reasons why purchasing an annual membership is a great idea.

Botanical Garden and Zoos

Annual passes to zoos are typically the least expensive annual pass depending on what level of membership you choose and what zoo you become a member of. Zoos also participate in reciprocal programs expanding your access to zoos across the nation–many with free admissions. As you plan your year out, consider where you may be traveling and if the zoo and botanical garden membership would provide you with access to other locations. You can also use your memberships to fill up time during trips to the city. Spending an hour or so at the zoo is often plenty for small children before they become restless and worn out. Short trips will teach them to enjoy the attraction and then they can learn more from their experiences.

Top 10 Reasons To Become a Zoo Member

1. Your membership may support education programs and project funding often not covered by other funds.

2. Unlimited access during park hours.

3. Member only discounts for programs, classes, and tours.

4. Merchandise discounts in the gift shops.

5. Food discounts throughout the zoo.

6.  Access to special events and previews throughout the year.

7. Exceptional learning opportunities.

8. Magazine or zoo news letter subscription.

9. Free parking may be included.

10. Membership fees may be tax deductible!

Deciding to purchase an annual pass membership, tour, or attraction may take some planning. Knowing where you are going to be visiting throughout the year can set you on the right path to experience new things. Each year you can plan to purchase a different pass or encourage grandparents or other relatives to provide your children with the family pass instead of toys for Christmas or birthday presents. For example, you could purchase a zoo and botanical garden membership this year, visit it as much as your heart desires, travel to other reciprocal zoos, and then the following year you can plan to purchase an aquarium pass. This method can prevent boredom and allow your children to experience a greater variety of events in your area and across the nation.

Even if you do not choose to become a member, many money saving opportunities exist. Look for special money saving coupons in your Entertainment Book, through school and library educational discount programs, and by purchasing advance tickets at local stores like Meijer.

Purchasing a season pass to an amusement park, museum, or zoo can be a large monetary commitment for many families, but the returns can outweigh the cost when the year comes to an end. If you live close to an area where you have access to an amusement park, then a season pass can provide your family with recreational activities throughout the year. The following will review a few pros and cons to purchasing a season pass.

Amusement Parks

Many amusement parks fall under one entertainment company and a season pass can be purchased to access all of the parks under the company. These include companies such as Six Flags and Cedar Fair Entertainment. Purchasing a season pass for one park may be less expensive, but taking into account your travel plans over the summer may make the purchase of a “Platinum Pass” more appealing. Many companies also sponsor indoor water parks and the passes can be extended for use year round. Also, try looking for discounts in your Entertainment Coupon Book!

Cedar Fair Entertainment Platinum Pass

Advantages of purchasing a platinum pass include access to all Cedar Fair Entertainment venues, discount parking (or free parking), discount meal and lodging benefits, access to seasonal specials such as the Halloween Haunt, and early access to many rides and attractions. You can also receive discounts for select merchandise and games throughout the parks.

One downfall is the purchase price of a platinum pass for Cedar Fair is slightly more than a single park pass (Gold Pass), but the difference in cost can be viewed as part of your vacation cost. If your family enjoys spending time together at an amusement park, then you can take a trip to one or more of the other parks in the Cedar Fair Entertainment network and experience new rides and thrills. Purchasing a pass early in the year can decrease the total cost of your vacation expenses. When you plan a trip around the area where a park is located, you can spend a day at the park and then enjoy other activities in the surrounding area.

Other benefits include multiple visits for the price of two, 1-day park passes. In as little as two visits, your season pass will pay for itself. This can be a real advantage if you have small children who can not handle a sun-up to sun-down day at an amusement park. To save money, you can plan to visit the amusement parks early in the morning and leave at lunch time. You can avoid the over priced food many of the establishments sell, or you can use your pass to receive special discount pricing on some of the food at the parks. Either way, you will spend less with the season pass.

Many of the Cedar Fair Amusement parks such as Kings Island include all access to the Water Park. This can be an alternative entertainment venue for you and your family and saves over attending other water related resorts.

Six Flags Amusement Parks

The Six Flags season passes are good for all the Six Flag parks and include many discounts and holiday specials. This is a great advantage if you live near a Six Flags Amusement Park.

Purchasing your passes early allows you to access the park for the rest of the season along with the next summer. Six Flags runs end of the season sales on passes that can be used for the rest of the year and into next summer providing you access to Fright Fest (the parks Halloween Special Fall Events). Cedar Fair Amusement also runs many deals late in the season, so plan to buy early and gain access for a season and a half.

Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Even the world renowned Walt Disney World resort in Florida and Disneyland in California offer great pricing on annual passes. The passes offer special discount pricing on resorts, food, and merchandise. You can also take advantage of special passholder-only events, access to multiple Disney Theme parks on the same day (WDW), newsletters, and waterparks. If you live near one of these great resorts, it can be to your advantage to purchase an annual pass. And the best part is that these magical places are open year round providing you with 365 days of fun and enjoyment!

Doing a little research can help you take advantage of what a season or annual pass has to offer. Spending time with your family and friends can be a rewarding outcome from the purchase of a pass.

Take the time to review your options prior to making a purchase. Once you purchase a pass, make sure to take advantage of it, use it monthly or as often as you can to get the full benefit of being a member.

Do you participate in annual or season passes for an amusement or water park? What are the advantages you find having your pass? We would love to hear from you.