Hundreds of ways to save money!!
In these times we need to find ways to make ends meet.
Here is a list of hundreds of ways to save money.
Grocery
Re-use plastic shopping bags (or paper bags) as trash bags
Use a water filter, bottled water is for suckers
Use coupons
Buy generic
Do not buy things from vending machines
Buy in bulk
Don’t buy pre-packaged foods
Make your lunch, brown bag it, fast food is for rich people
Cook for multiple days
Serve smaller meal portions
Grocery shop with a list
Make your own coffee at home
Take note of unit prices on items
Don’t grocery shop at convenience stores
Plan a few meatless meals per week
Walk off the beaten path at stores, you will find deals
Grow your own vegetables
Home
No cable, if anything get satillite
Wash dishes by hand
Don’t use disposible plates or silverware
Use candles, or just turn off the lights when not needed
install solar tubes, they bring in free sunlight
Turn off or unplug unused appliances
Use Compact Fluorescent bulbs
Use natural light
Open the windows, do you really need the air running 24-7?
Insulate your water heater
Turn down the heat
Use the cold setting on your washer
Check for drafts in your openings
Use a programmable thermostat
Low-Flow toilets
Fix leaky faucets
Run full loads of clothes
Run full loads of dishes
Don’t water your lawn, Mother Nature takes care of that
Collect rain runoff with a cistern
Bundle services
Cancel your home phone if you have a cell
Buy appliances from scratch and dent retailers
Throw away (or recycle) retail catalogs
Buy refurbished computers
Limit magazine subscriptions to ones you actually read
Shut vents in unused rooms
Pass on extended warranties
Buy energy efficient appliances
Use drapes over windows
Caulk and weatherstrip
Insulate your walls and ceilings
Wash your clothes less often
Keep your refrigerator full
Shorten your showers
Turn the water off when brushing your teeth
Use craigslist
Use cloth napkins
Research how to fix things yourself
Plant a tree in your yard
Change your furnace filters
Buy generic ink cartridges or buy a refill kit
Sell old unused items
Have a garage sale
Check out yard sales
Stop by the Salvation Army
Finance
Use paypal for purchases
Keep extra money in high yield savings instead of checking
Automatic savings plan
Pay bills online
Reduce interest rates
Pick up pennies
Open a money market account for your savings for higher interest rate
Don’t use debit cards or atm cards that charge you fees
Don’t pay late fees, ever!
Send in manufacturers rebates
Take advantage of a work sponsored 401K plan
Use rebate or cash back credit cards
Pay off your credit card balance, every month!
Pay attention to your credit report
Make a personal budget
Make a larger down payment when taking out a loan
Don’t take out home equity loans
Don’t take out interest only loans
try going a couple days without spending money
Avoid going into stores
Make sure your work W-4 is up to date
Transportation
Take the bus or walk
Buy a used car
Buy a sipper not guzzler
Call your car insurance company to find ways to cut your premium
Drive safely and don’t get tickets
Be a defensive driver
Don’t overpay for gas, shop around
Combine errands into a single trip
Car pool
Don’t lease vehicles you can’t afford to buy
Properly inflate your car tires
Try and live close to work
Buy new tires from warehouse clubs
Don’t drive with a lead foot
Don’t rabbit start after a red light
Don’t carry things in your car you don’t need
Travel
Shop around for the best travel deals
Use a bargaining site to get hotels
Travel out of the busy season
Vacation closer to home
Try camping
Join a frequent flyer program
Purchase tickets in advance
Do you need the car rental insurance?
Personal
Get organized
Make lists…and stick to them
Use the library
Order free samples online
don’t smoke, or if you have to roll your own
Don’t drink alcohol, or at least cut back
Use community centers, you already pay for them in taxes
Play outside, its free
Do your homework, there is plenty of information out there for everything
Use generic prescription drugs when possible
Shop around online before heading out to the store
Use craigslist
less stuff = less maintenance
Posted in Sustainable and tagged easy, efficiency, free, frugal, green, guide, lifestyle, money, penny pincher, review, save, Sustainable by Studio Render with 28 comments.
An Architect’s Guide To…..
An Architect’s Guide To Choosing The Right Drafting Stool
A standard component of any office’s design is a comfortable office chair The average work day is 8 hours, and while you have a lunch break and a couple of coffee breaks spread out intermittently throughout your day, the majority of your time is probably spent crouched over your desk. Given the amount of time spent down sitting down, making sure you have a chair that properly and comfortably supports you is absolutely essential. For architects, having the proper seating in your studio is equally important.
Sure, most standard office chairs are height adjustable, but they really don’t offer enough height for use with a drafting table or a counter-height work surface. Not only does a drafting chair/stool provide more in the way of height, it lends itself better for use with the large width and depth of angled drafting table surface. Here is a basic guide on choosing the right drafting chair for your home studio or office space.
Height Matters:
The first thing you need to consider is the height of your main work surface. While a normal office chair might work best if you use a standard size desk with a flat, horizontal work surface, if your work surface is angled in any way you might want to consider a drafting chair.
A drafting chair should put the lowest edge of your work surface at about elbow height. The seat height should be adjustable (most drafting chairs today have this feature), allowing you to work comfortably anywhere on your work surface. If you work in a shared office space, it’s imperative that you search for a drafting chair that has a larger height adjustment range.
Turn Me Right Round…:
A swivel feature is absolutely essential component to any drafting chair. The swivel function helps to encourage proper posture, keeping you from twisting and turning your upper body when you get up or turn around in your chair. Having a drafting chair with a swivel function also makes working in a collaborative environment easier, giving you additional freedom of movement.
Other Essential Features:
Other important features to look for in a drafting chair include a foot ring, an ergonomically-contoured design and comfortable seating.
- Foot Ring: Since you are sitting higher up off the ground, your feet need somewhere to go. Having a foot ring is therefore a necessity! Your best bet is to purchase a drafting chair with a 360 degree adjustable foot ring. Positioned above the base of the chair, the foot ring allows you to rest your feet flat since you can’t likely reach the ground. Helping to maintain proper posture, a circular foot ring will support your feet whichever way you swivel in your chair.
- Ergonomics & Comfortability: Don’t skimp and purchase a cheap drafting chair if you plan on using it for hours upon hours. Working all day in a chair with little to no back support is a bad idea all around. You risk serious injury, not to mention general to severe discomfort. Your drafting chair needs to have both lower and upper back support.
Chair backs need to be adjustable as well to account for all heights and body types. Backless drafting chairs are not recommended for extended periods. Perhaps a model with adjustable arm rests is a good idea as well, depending on your preference. Arm rests do provide additional support, but sometimes get in the way of your arm movement. Certain models like Herman Miller’s Aeron Work Stool feature a tilt system that actually keeps the sitter’s feet, arms and back support in place whether he is reclining or leaning forward, providing for a seamless transition between postures.
A high quality drafting chair could cost you between $300 and $1,000 so it’s definitely an investment. Whether or not you decide to purchase one should be based on personal preference. You also need to take into consideration your current studio’s layout. If you’re planning on purchasing a new drafting table, it’s definitely time to upgrade your chair as well. Look at it this way – the more comfortable you are sitting down, the more productive you are likely going to be. If you are suffering, then your work is most likely suffering as well.
Posted in Product Review and tagged architect, architecture, chair, desk, furniture, guide, Marketing, office, seat, seating by Studio Render with 28 comments.
