Drew’s Daily Deliberations

I really liked this list done up by The Simple Dollar. Below I list the items and my thoughts, but go to the website to get the full details.

1. Filtered Water Bottle – Neh, not my cup of tea.
2. Battery Charger – Absolutely a wise investment. Consider buying high capacity batteries off of eBay and saving even more. Also, make sure others do not throw out the batteries when they are in need of a charge. I have lost many a rechargable battery because of this.
3. “Smart” Power Strips – Never knew about them, but I did know about the phantom power issue, so they seem like a great idea.
4. Blender – I have the Vita Mix myself. Expensive (very) but we use it nearly every day, and they last for a very long time. Just think, if my wife and I were to buy a Booster Juice every day, $5, in 6 months we would have spent nearly $1000. Instead I make my very own Better Than Booster Juice in mere moments.
5. Electricity Usage Monitor – I actually have always wanted something similar. A device that would do the whole house would be ideal, but doing a wall outlet at a time would work too.
6. Flash Drive – I don’t agree it really saves money, but darn useful.
7. High End Solar Calculator – Are you kidding? With the calculator feature of nearly every cell phone, pda, etc, I don’t think an actual calculator is needed by many folks. But the idea of using it to comparison shop is a good one.
8. Efficient Power Supply – Got one of these in the HTPC. If you are gonna use electricity, might as well use it wisely.
9. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs – A definite must have. Except if you have those motion sensing wall switches. I learned the hard way that  CFL bulbs and those switches are not a good match, and have to replace my switch as a result.
10. Efficient Shower Heads – Shh, don’t tell, but I am getting this for the wife as a Christmas present.
11. Fuel-Efficient Scooter – For some, it may work.
12. Solar Outdoor Lighting – In landscaped yards, this looks sharp.
13. Dance Dance Revolution – Or how about the new Wii?
14. Self-Cleaning Electric Shaver – And this is what the wifey is thinking of getting me.
15. Espresso / Cappuccino Machine — DEFINITELY not my cup of tea
16. Programmable Thermostat – Have one. Love it. A must have.
17. Coin Sorter – If you go through lots of coins. Me, I just keep saving them up. Maybe one day I’ll roll enough to pay for one of these. But then I won’t have any coins left to roll?!?
18. Efficient Space Heater – I have recently heard how these are a good way to save money. Certainly a good idea for a morning shower.
19. Solar Christmas Lights – I like this idea solely on principles.
20. Remote Control Power Strips – Very handy.
21. High Efficiency Washing Machine – Have one. Good idea. No worth replacing a relatively new washing machine, but if you have an old one, or are shopping for a new one, do a bit of research and get the most efficient possible.
22. A Laptop – Unless you steal a lot of power from other people, I don’t think this will save you money!
23. TiVo – While it does let you watch TV with out commercials, it also promotes watching more TV, and it requires additional power compared to a TV alone. That said, I love my HTPC.
24. A Hybrid Car – Got it. Love it. Unless you drive a lot more then the national average, it won’t save you money. But it is better on the environment, and thats why I have one.
25. A Residential Windmill – This is just cool. As is solar panels for your house.

Again, remember to check out The Simple Dollar for the original article.

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