Wasting Water

By Kelly McCool
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Those four utility bills come every month - without failing.
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Comcast is usually pretty standard, depending if I got a little bored and ordered a movie or not.
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PPL--not too bad, but it might get that way soon when the rate freeze stops.
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UGI is always a problem in the winter as it is with everyone else.
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Then there is the water bill. I never thought my water bill was a problem. It ranges from $30-$40 a month. Not too shabby for a two bedroom apartment.
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The problem is that my bathtub constantly drips. I wouldn't have even noticed it if it weren't for the metal drain that echos in the bathroom every time a drop drips. It's so frustrating that no matter how tight I squeeze the nobs, or how much I try to get it tight....it drips.
After learning from Susan Turcmanovich of the Pennsylvania American Water company that my drip could be wasting about 14,256 gallons each year, I was mortified. I couldn't believe how much water I was wasting. Not to mention, how much money I was literally letting down the drain.
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Needless to say, I think fixing my leaky bathtub has become top priority on my list.
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On a sidebar. We received a press release about a Rain Barrel Workshop in Lackawanna County. I've included the information below, but what's cool about this event is that your can actually reduce your water use by reusing mother nature's storm water. It's and idea I was hesitant about at first, but now I think it may be an option to explore.
Check it out and let me know what you think!

• RAIN BARREL WORKSHOPS IN LACKAWANNA COUNTY
• April 6 7 PM Kesytone College
• April 8 7PM St. Rose Academy, Mayfield
• April 13 7:30PM Thornhurst Twp Bldg.
• Lackawanna County Conservation District
  

Valentine's Day or Dooms Day?

By Kelly McCool

Valentine's Day is great for couples, awful for singles and not so hot for those out of work. But there are alternatives to giving the gift of love without loading a lot of loot from your wallet. A story we are working on for this week's edition of the Power to Save is about one day care that is using old stuff laying around their facility and making something worthwhile from it. Now, you may be thinking: What could a pre-school kid make that anyone would want? or How can you not dish out the dough but still make it look nice?
The answer is simple: be creative. As cliche as it may sound, memorable gifts are the ones that last the longest maybe phsyically or just in our memory. One year I got a chocolate rose wrapped in red tinfoil from my father. To this day, it still sits atop my dresser. The card that came alongside a dozen roses from a boyfriend is still hanging on my bedroom wall. The message is always more important than the tangible gift.
Making memories is the cheapest alternative to spending a lot of dough. Make a dinner for your sweetheart that includes his or her favorite dish, like a banana split or heart shaped cookies or even a piece of jewelry made from something of yours. Gift giving is all about what goes on behind the scenes. Proof in a job well done? Well that is literally in the eyes of the beholder.

Christmas Gift Giving Goes $Green$

by Jacqueline Lewandoski

I am one of those people who love a bargain and enjoy going to tag/yard sales. My car seems to pull over by itself when I approach one. I must say I have struck many bargains in my journeys and am quite proud. So you know where I am going with this. I was thinking of purchasing Christmas gifts for family and friends at yard sales, collectible shops and flea markets. I would love to buy my girlfriends some great vintage jewelry. You can buy electronics, books, and DVDs, the possibilities are endless. It becomes a challenge to hunt for the perfect item. I once found this dachshund mail holder that was too cute to pass up, a great gift for that hard to buy for person.

If you are going to go this route, you need to get over the fact that it's used stuff. Some people are grossed out by "used" stuff. But yet some will go to lovely antique shop and drop a fortune on an antique piece, which of course, is very used. I think the "used item" stigma is really dwindling, with eBay pulling in millions.

Buying yard sale gifts will save me a bundle this holiday season, plus it saves landfill space.
And taking care of mother earth is truly in the spirit of the season.

Fluorescent FYI

by Jacqueline Lewandoski

I recently did a story on how to tighten up your home to be more energy efficient. (Look for this story on Home and Backyard at it's new time Sundays at 12:30 pm in October.) I spoke to an energy expert and we briefly talked about florescent light bulbs. There's no doubt that fluorescent bulbs save energy and dollars. However, the cost of your electricity bill is something like ten percent of your total energy costs. But that doesn't' diminish the fact that you'll still save. He just wanted to let people know that their monthly bill will not be drastically lower because of changing your bulbs. But if you really want to impact how much you save, you need to stop heat from escaping. This is done through insulation, finding the places where heat is escaping and making your heating unit more efficient. I'll chat about this at another time. One other thing I learned about fluorescent bulbs. My brother recently bought fluorescent bulbs for a new motion detector outdoor spot light. As an FYI many of these spot lights with timer options will not work properly without incandescent bulbs.

Kudos to the Clean Up

by Jacqueline Lewandoski

When getting off the Scranton expressway, you can take the left lane into the business area, or the right lane near the Historic Iron Furnaces. At the end of the right lane there is a stop sign, and the area around the sign was invaded with litter. There was so much garbage over the sewer grate that it wasn't even visible. But today, I noticed that it has been cleaned up. The weeds have been cleared, the cigarette butts are gone and the sewer grate can now do its job.

Kudos to those who have spruced up this area. It looks so much better now. It is nice to get off the expressway with a litter free welcome into the city of Scranton.

Talkin' Trash

by Jackie Lewandoski

I have to preface any further writing by admitting that I am sort of obsessive compulsive about litter. With that said, litter truly drives me crazy. It is the one major negative thing that stands out in my mind about the northeast. Don't get me wrong, I love this area. I was born and raised here and the mountains and countryside are gorgeous. However, mostly every corner, near every stop sign, exit ramp and business area sidewalks are filled with litter. I don't understand why people feel the need to chuck soda cans out the window or flick cigarette butts out when at a stop sign. I swear some folks even empty ashtrays when waiting for a light to turn green. I find my eyes drawn to the trash along the roads. Good grief, some one actually threw a mattress on the side of the road. That is pathetic. When traveling we always seem to notice how clean and manicured other areas are. The trash seems to hit you right in the face as soon as you enter the northeast.

It is upsetting to see parents and children walking along the sidewalks dodging trash and sharing the path with the overgrown weeds that grow out from the curbs and the street signs. Can you say weed wacker?

When I am cycling and enjoying nature, I am always distracted by the occasional plastic bottles and bags along the paths and roads. When I hike, I usually like to bring a plastic bag to collect some of the trash along the way.

I am thankful for the great volunteers adopting highways across Pennsylvania. I love when I see those white bags lined up like soldiers along the guard rails waiting to be collected. If it weren't for those fine folks the highways would be a mess. The sad part is that it takes a week for the trash to accumulate all over again.

In my opinion the whole litter thing shows a lack respect. If you throw it out the window or on the ground, it somehow becomes someone else's problem. Showing respect for property reflects family values. It just makes me wonder. Wouldn't it be great if everyone tried to be more respectful and stop littering? Also, picking up trash and keeping the front of one's property clean just takes a few minutes. There are other folks who feel the same way. They are trying to improve their neighborhoods. What happened to posting fines and enforcing them when someone litters? Hopefully, with the focus on the environment there will be a renewed interest in teaching our children not to litter and reminding adults of how they can set an example.

Gardening is cool, can ya dig it?

by Jackie Lewandoski
Growing your own vegetables is obviously a way to save money and stay healthy, especially if you grow an organic garden. I've met several folks who have begun community gardens. I visited the one in the Abingtons. It's such a great idea because you don't have to have a yard. You simply rent a plot, plant, cultivate and harvest. Of course it's not THAT simple. But once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun, and it brings people together. The water is provided and a solar powered fence to keep out the hungry critters. They even help the local food pantry by offering excess vegetables grown. Barbara, the garden coordinator, took me on a tour of the garden. Some of the plots had fancy posts and raised beds, some were very simple but all the plants were lush and healthy. There were beans, corn, squash, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes to name a few. Can you believe one potato plant can yield 5 pounds of potatoes? Talk about saving money! If you are interested in more information and taking a look at the Abington Community Garden go to http://www.aajrb.com/.