Someone is about to become very rich

Hopefully you have heard along the way that the appliances that we keep plugged into power outlets are still sucking power, even when we don't have them turned on. They have also been referred to as "vampire power", since they "suck away your power" and it turns up on your electric bill. Around 10% of our electric bills represent electronics that are what we think are off and really they are not. To solve this issue, power strips have been a common solution since you can turn the whole strip off by flipping the on-off button. What about for the lazy person in us? I am expected to do this every TIME I leave the room?

Have no fear, you have no excuses now, because Monster Cable has come up with a "green" power strip, that automatically turns off power to electronic items that are on offline or stand-by mode. This works for computers, TVs, computer modems, and other electronic energy sucking items. When you need them back on, the power center recognizes this and gives the power back when you need it. While they are a bit pricey (ranging from $70-$130), they are an investment for sure. You get the quality surge protection for electronics, and you'll save a big chunk of change on your electric bill. I also don't have to mention you are doing something great for the environment by CONSERVING ENERGY. :)

I know what will go on my Christmas List this year!

Pandora: Radio of the Future?

So either I found out I must not be around my friends enough (which could be true), or I am behind the times, because I have finally discovered Pandora Internet Radio (www.pandora.com)! Now that I am back at school, I find myself sitting in offices for long periods of time, and Pandora has been helpful in making life less dull. At Pandora, you can create your own internet radio station, and you can rate songs as you like (and they will look for similar ones in the future) or you can say you don't like it and they will take the song out. Commercials are minimal, however, you can even pay for a membership if you want all the benefits, including no commercials.

Radio stations are created by you entering the song title or an artist you like. If you create a profile, you can save all of the radio stations you have created. There are also "shared stations" which run different genres or decades of music.

I am big into music, so this has been a really refreshing experience for me. Its great to hear new songs, or ones that you haven't heard in a while. Nowadays, you don't have to own every piece of music you like to hear it, you can just make your own radio station! I am pretty convinced this is the future of music as we know it, in terms of radio. Pandora even has compatible devices so you do not have to listen on a computer, but your own home stereo, table-top radios, or other products, like the iPhone. If you're stuck at a computer a lot, like myself, consider giving Pandora a try, its free awesomeness!

Winners of Book Giveaway!

Through a drawing of random numbers, readers Marie and Kim will be receiving their free copies of "The Penny Pincher's Club" by Sarah Strohmeyer. Thanks to all of you who entered the drawing.

Well, I know it has been a while for me, I was on vacation for a while, and still try to settle into our new house. In the meantime, there have been a couple of new websites that I have found helpful, and I would encourage you to check them out.

Mr. Rebates - This is a great website where you can find cash-back rebates at many popular online stores. If you shop online, you probably go to these stores already. Right now, there are also some popular back to school specials. You can also sign up to receive emails (which they are giving $5 bonus for right now), which will provide you with weekly announcements regarding the great deals for this week.

Another great website, FortePromo.com, which distributes bulk gift items (which logos or images can also be put on) has some great environmentally-friendly products out there. If you are in charge of getting a small gift for a massive amount of people, Fortepromo.com is a great provider for items that can be biodegradable, sustainable, or recycled. You can get bamboo covered flash drives for your group rather than getting ones covered in plastic. Even if you are considering something small like office pens with a company logo, they even have biodegradable pens! No kidding! I had never heard of such a thing before either. You can see a list of their eco-friendly products here.

Love books? If you are like me, and cannot stop collecting books, you know they can be a big hit to your wallet. On Frugal Green Girl and numerous other experts in frugal living, advocate for buying used first, and always if possible. If the same books keep showing up in your local used books stores, try looking at Booksalemanager.com. Libraries have book sales all the time, and with this website you can find out about book sales in your area. Support your local library and buy a couple (usually ungodly cheap) books!

Vacation Time

I am currently in my home state of Wisconsin right now, on a 2 week vacation before classes and jobs begin once more.

First off, I want to say only 2 people have entered in the drawing for a copy of "The Penny Pincher's Club", so please enter with your email address to frugalgreengirl@gmail.com, otherwise there will be no drawing, simply a giveaway to the two people who replied.

We have finally gotten all moved into our new home, which still remains mostly unpacked because we are out somewhere else for a while. During our first week in our new house, we decided to begin leaving our dog out of his kennel, as planned. However, the second time we left him out, he decided to have a massive diarrhea spell all over our dining room (which is carpeted). After scrubbing as much as I could, however, there was still a couple of stains which I know have simply been rubbed into the carpet, I went to the store and ended up leaving with the Bissell Pet Spot Bot. I was debating between that and the Bissell Little Green Cleaner, which was similar but the Spot Bot had a mechanism where you could put the machine over a section of carpet and would wash out fresh or set-in stain within a 6 minute time frame. Just set it over the spot and leave it work its magic. Needless to say, the stains came out wonderfully! While the product was a bit expensive, however, I think that if you have a dog or a child, or a husband for that matter, you are bound to use this again and again, whether its mud, food, or even feces.

Be back in a little while, but in the meantime, keep the entries for "The Penny Pincher's Club" coming!