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.