Are high gas prices getting to you? Do something about it!

It costs a lot to live in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent study released in  2012 showed that the average household in San Francisco spends 39.5% of their income on housing and transportation. Those that lived in the suburbs spent even more, probably because they had to drive longer distances. People that lived in Marin County spent 56.3% on housing and transportation, while those lived in San Mateo County spent 53.3%. Finding ways to reduce our transportation costs is very important.

How to Save Money on Your Car

Read the rest of this entry »

Introduction

Anyone interested in taking the plunge with an electric car or Plug-in Electric Vehicles (EV’s) needs to investigate their charging options. Adding a charger to your garage can become a several hundred dollar project or several thousand dollar home improvement project. Each vehicle needs a different type of charger system and each house has a different electrical system.

Read the rest of this entry »

New TXU Energy rebates have been added.

Utility Company TXU Energy has a bunch of programs and incentives to help save energy, go green, and save money. They serve the Texas area and are the Number 1 Electricity Provider in the State.

• Save $50 on select smart Thermostats
• Sign up for renewable energy in Texas

Questions, call TXU Energy at 1-800-883-6060.

Read the rest of this entry »

New rebates have been added.

Utility Company Florida Power and Light has a bunch of cash rebates and ways to go green.

• Energy efficient air conditioners
  – new A/C system that has a minimum SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) of 14
• Save up to $137 a year with the On Call® Savings Program
• Save up to $190 on a new insulation
• Smart Home Thermostat Discount up to $60
• Photovoltaic solar panels.
• Buildsmart

Questions, call 1-800-226-3545.

Read the rest of this entry »

New rebates have been added for 2021.

San Diego’s power utility San Diego Gas and Electric rebates are here.  SDGE or SDG&E has a bunch of money saving SDGE rebates and ways to go green and save money.

• $500 instant rebate Electric Heat Pump Water Heaters
• $100 instant rebate Gas Water heaters
• $200 instant rebate variable speed pool pump
• These are Instant rebates at specific stores.

Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I found a friend who was using Chinese Miraculous Insecticide Chalk otherwise known as Pretty Baby Chalk, Ant Chalk, Roach Chalk and Chinese Chalk.  Tres Pasitos is a Spanish name for this product.

The product is illegal and dangerous. The EPA has a warning on it too. We tried it in the past and found that it didn’t really work. I found this stuff being sold all over San Francisco’s Chinatown and it is for sale on eBay.

A check on amazon in 2022 found no insecticide chalk.

Read the rest of this entry »

Having an Eco Friendly Green Halloween is more and more desirable these days. How can you green your  Halloween?

• Buy your pumpkins, squash, and other vegetables from a local farmers market or from local sources
• Rent or buy your costume from used clothing stores like Goodwill. Reusing items that you already have is even better. Consider donating or giving away your costumes after Halloween. Trade with other families.
• Utilize reusable bags to hold treats
• Trick-or-treat in your own neighborhood or carpool to your destination
• Compost the pumpkin, squash, leftovers, etc.
• Give out green oriented treats like organic fruit, repurposed trinkets not sugar
• Donate extra candy, food to local shelters

Read the rest of this entry »

Last Update: 1/13/2023

Is this Okay to Eat?

Every year it seems that a new study comes up telling us that another popular food is unhealthy or causes cancer. The latest controversy in 2015 was over processed meats and the WHO declaring that bacon, hot dogs, etc cause colorectal cancer. It seems what is good this year, is bad the next.  Is Kale next?

Everyone knows about the major food groups, eating a balanced diet, and following USDA’s My Plate. Here are some healthy  food options that we have read about that help people avoid harmful chemicals.

Plant Based Diets

Read the rest of this entry »

Method has a new way of packaging refill products such as their foaming hand wash refill and their laundry detergent, and dish soap. They use a pouch with easy pour spout that they claim uses 83% less footprint than a rigid plastic bottle.  It uses less plastic, energy, and water. Refills are in widespread use in Europe, where they are more green and landfills are as plentiful.

The pouch itself is a stock pouch from Winpack International, so more vendors may start using this packaging. Consumers can save money by purchasing refills, while companies can actually make more money. Less fuel is utilized transporting packaging and essentially water. Concentrated refills save even more money, and just require the addition of water.

It will take some time for consumers to accept refilling. Hand pump soaps are one area in which refills have gained acceptance.

Read the rest of this entry »

Zojirushi VE Hybrid Water Boiler & Warmer is an energy efficient device that we recently purchased.  We have found it consumes far less power than using a microwave to boil water for beverages, instant noodles, etc.  It is also far handier than boiling water on the stove.

We had a 6 year old model that needed replacement. This unit is Vacuum-insulated to keep water warm. It provides maximum energy efficiency with 195 degree water falling slowly to 150 degrees 8 hours later.

Read the rest of this entry »