Energy Saving In The Kitchen

The most important first step in making this place is greener world is energy effiency. Whether it be heating, cooling or any other form of power the secret is either to avoid using it or make sure it is not wasted. With many energy efficiency technologies now about, ranging from insulation to more efficient electrical devices, sometimes we still need to look closer at home to compliment this trend. The kitchen is an ideal place to start and finding energy efficiency solutions that you can achieve and save you money of course is a good incentive.

Cooking nowadays doesn't take up much time, but when it happens it is one of those things you can easily adjust to saving energy. It’s not difficult to forget how much energy you waste when you’re cooking.

The first step is to ask yourself whether you in fact need to cook, what about eating more salads and foods that don't need heating up?

Just boil as much water as you need, don't fill the kettle up to the brim each time.

Don't defrost things in the microwave, put them in the fridge the night before this will also help reduce the fridge power consumption.

Onto actual cooking and a simple method of putting a lid on the pan when you’re cooking it means your meals will cook faster. Easy isn't it. I do it all the time plus it helps to keep your food at the right temperature. Your hob will need to be turned down to a much lower level and heat loss is minimised.

Another habit of mine is not to preheat your oven. It doesn't take long reach the correct temperature and all that energy under normal circumstances will be totally wasted. Most foods can cope quite easily from being cooked in an oven that starts off cold. Bread and cakes are an exception but even then I usually cook something else alongside in order to not waste the heating up energy.

A pressure cooker went out of fashion a number of years ago but nowadays is would be considered the most economical forms of cooking. It is well worth investing in one, as not only is it economical, but cooks many meals quicker than a microwave oven!

On the other side of the coin is the slow cooker; it can use less energy than most ovens and like ovens, more than one course can be cooked in one go.

The Chinese are clever, not only in their healthy diets but in the way they use very little energy to cook. Stir-fry is a classic example. It may take a little longer preparing with finely chopped ingredients but they smaller they are the quicker they cook and to make it even more economical and prevent burning, turn the heat down and as already mentionedm put the lid on.

A microwave has its uses in energy saving in the kitchen, but for reheating leftovers or giving vegetables a burst of steam, the use in mainstream cooking with a microwave is a false economy.

Cooking habits an the use of energy in a more efficient way in the kitchen just takes a little thought and planning, but over time you will see that you are doing something that saves you both money and time.

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Credit Cards Better than Cash?

Are credit cards better than cash?

That is a question that can now be answered as I found out some interesting facts this week.

Many credit cards now have a cash back system they offer. This means if you pay for something with these credit cards you will effectively get money back so the goods of services will be less than you originally pay with this system in place. In other words it is more expensive to pay with cash.

Some cards are giving an excellent deal with a staggering 5% cash back. Imagine, whatever you buy you will be getting 5% off the price you pay. A card that is giving this rate at the moment is American Express with their Amex Platinum Card with a limit of up to £4,000 spending during the first three months. This means if you use the full cash back credit you will be getting £200 back! The rate goes down to 1.5% after this initial three month period, but you can get another 3 months if your partner applies for the card after your first three months has expired. You will then get six months and potentially up to £400 cash back.

Don't forget, there are other credit card companies that also have these schemes, but not with such an attractive introduction offer. But any form of cash back is well worth considering as ironically the paying by cash alternative means you will be throwing away money.

So, with cash back offers now firmly established with many credit card companies as pulling power to entice customers, they has a genuine claim in credit cards being better than cash.

As will all credit, it is only cost effective if you pay your monthly bills on time. It is well worth getting a direct debit facility to pay the credit card bills automatically. This way you will always get the benefits of cheaper money.

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Holiday Savings

The amount people pay for their holiday is criminal sometimes. The worse part of it is that last minute deals that seem to be the fashion don't always work out cheaper. Leaving it too late can mean you pay over the odds as you are in a very vulnerable position and the travel businesses know this.

So, the first tip is to book early. The best bargains are to be had at the beginning of January. This is the month when tour operators offer the best deals.

Another side to this is having to pay in one lump sum on last minute deals and this often means credit card payments. More cost. If you book early you will have a greater choice of holiday and can pay interest free in instalments. This will save you even more money in effect a free loan.

Brochure are great, I remember many an evening sifting through these lovely places, Whatever you do don't buy your holiday through the brochures, just use it for ideas and places to go then book your holiday online. It is a fact that the prices for the exact same holidays are infinitely cheaper.

There is no reason why you can't insure your holiday is a good experience by doing a little research beforehand. Take advice from others who have been there. Use your network of friend and relatives who have been on holiday to place you might consider and get some feedback. There are online forums and international English speaking forums where you can ask and give good and bad experiences in many holiday destinations.

If you look for bargains regularly in January tour operators change their booking initiatives on a daily basis to get you to look in, this is enough reason to keep checking as often as you can.

Big names don't always mean big bargains more like bigger profits for them, as their overheads are far bigger. Thomas Cook often ends up as Thomas Crook! Don’t let the security factor fool you into thinking that safely in numbers is an insurance of a good deal, it just means that thousands are conned into paying more! Check out the smaller tour operators, as they will be trying to build up their business by impressing new customers.

Don't always think you have to fly from the Capital's airports. There are many other airports around with a comprehensive worldwide destination choice. You will also save on parking fees, time, fuel and stress by using the local airports. In fact I'd go as far to say that you should try to avoid the main airports on that cost basis.

Finally, and this is not good coming from an ex primary schoolteacher, try and get you holiday booked out of school holiday weeks, this is where you will get the best savings ever!

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