Situational Awareness

Being continually aware of your immediate surroundings and your present situation is something that could easily save your life. Learning to be observant and to continually assess is something that takes constant practice, but it may be one of the most important aspects to finding your way out of a bad situation, or for avoiding one altogether.

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Defensive Driving

Many of us spend much of our time behind the wheel. It is important to keep this in mind when planning for the unexpected, since you should incorporate all of the places you spend your time.

The emergency supplies you keep in your vehicle are important, but so is how you drive, and like so many other skills it should become a practiced habit.

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Boosting the Efficiency of Your Clothes Dryer

I am constantly looking at ways to save money. Increasing energy efficiency is a win-win, so long as it does not cost me more than it saves in energy costs.

A modern clothes dryer is one thing that has always bugged me, especially in the cold winter months. First there is the obvious waste of energy in that all of the heat it generates is getting ducted directly outside. And the primary cost of running a clothes dryer is the large amount of heat it requires, and that heat energy goes literally out the window after just a quick pass though the clothes.

But it gets even worse than that. The dryer also acts as a large fan blower, and since the interior air being sucked into the dryer is being pumped outside it is as bad for your homes efficiency as leaving a window wide open. Any air that exists the home must be immediately replaced with outside air leaking back in, or else your house would be under vacuum. So not only are you wasting your energy on all the heat the dryer actually generates, you are also drawing cold air in from outside, just like leaving the window wide open. In the middle of the winter, that’s not good. Continue reading Boosting the Efficiency of Your Clothes Dryer