Under Pressure, Tire Pressure

My fiance is the one who corrected my idiotic way of checking tires. I would just look at them and if none of them looked "low", I'd shrug and move on.

So, many of you probably already know this info, but since it escaped me for so many years, I will assume nothing.

Checking your tire pressure can get you better gas mileage and save you some $$$.

I know for us, our MPG jumped around 15% when our tires are inflated correctly. Not only that, but making sure your tires are properly inflated will allow them to last longer.

Under-inflated and over-inflated tires can cause them to wear out prematurely.

First off, your tires need to be cool when checking the pressure. Your tires will appear to be more inflated when warm aka having been driven. I would suggest checking them in the morning before you use your vehicle.

Find out what the proper tire pressure is for your car. You will find a sticker on the driver side door jam that has the info.




Our vehicle is 32 psi.


Take a tire gauge and press it into the valve. If you hear the air hissing then you haven't attached the gauge properly. Once properly on the valve, take the reading.

Let's say the reading is 29 psi. You have to add air until the gauge reads 32.

Do this for all 4 tires and check about once a month or when you notices your mpg dropping.

NOTE: The psi reading on your actual tire is the MAXIMUM pressure your tire can take. Unless your are hauling a heavy load somewhere, avoid the max psi

Also, don't forget to check your spare tire. The psi reading for it is on the same sticker inside the door.

I know this may be a "duh" blog post, but like I said, I never used to check properly and then I filled my tires according to the psi on the tire.

It's a simple fix that can save you some $$$ and help your car run more efficiently.

Watch and Learn.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
- Mahatma Gandi


There's this feeling out there that people think that just by watching a documentary they have made a difference.

Our society so often has a feeling of laziness. We figure someone else will solve that problem or if we just make people "aware" then, well, we've done our job.

People must make the change, must make the choices to do things differently. The little things count.

Whether you decide to stop buying bottled water and use a filter on your faucet or ever create 2 recycling bins for your house.

Here are 2 films. One we have seen and found informative and changed how we do things at the house and the 2nd, we really can't wait to see.

It's not enough to just be aware of problems. Once info is presented to you, you either act or you don't. We've decided to act and hope you do to.


Film Number 1



Film Number 2



Enjoy....

Dryer sheets are laced with what?

Don't you just love to open up the dryer, grab that first article of clothing, bury your nose in it and rejoice in that fresh, clean, carcinogen?

Fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain things like the following, usually in untested combinations:

Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders.
Chloroform: Neurotoxin, anesthetic and carcinogenic.
Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders.
Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled.
Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer.
Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant.
Ethanol: On the EPA's Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders.
Limonene: Known carcinogen.
A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage.
Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list.


That smell good aroma you get from dryer sheets is put there to mask the list above. Why do you think dryer sheets have that weird texture, that greasy feeling.

You may think all that comes out of the dryer with your clothes is the smell, not exactly. All the harmful chemicals are now in your clothing.

You will inhale them over time as well as absorb them in your skin.

Another high risk of dryer sheets is a fire.

Dryer sheets can cause a waxy build up on lint filters. Once there is enough build up air will no longer pass through so the heating unit can possibly overheat and burn out.

Such a stoppage can also cause the dryer to catch fire.

There's a simple way to test this theory. Take your lint filter out and run some water on it. If you have build up, the water won't pass through or might drip slowly and could also beed up like it does on grease. Most people think they are cleaning it simply by dumping the lint off.

Either way, good idea to clean off that lint filter.

As for an alternative.

If you have a space, you can always air dry your clothes on clothes line.

You can add a quarter cup of baking soda to the wash cycle to soften fabric or even a quarter cup of white vinegar. (you can also use these to make your own household cleaners, but that's another blog)

There are also earth friendly fabric softeners out there made by companies like seventh generation.


We don't use any dryer sheets and I can't really recall us going through an epidemic of static clothing. Yeah, during the winter, you might catch a shock or two pulling out those sweaters, but that's no big deal to me.

Paper towels are great at soaking up things like... say.. your money.

I've written about this subject before on my personal blog, but it's something that can be done easily.

Paper towels.

Around 90% of US households use paper towels which rings up a total of 3000 tons of waste EACH DAY.

Look, we have ALL been guilty of using way too many paper towels. You see a spot or mess the size of a dime on your counter and you yank at the paper towel roll like you might be spinning the showcase wheel on the Price is Right. It's silly and quite a waste.

Think about what you consume in paper towels per week. 1 roll? 2 rolls? 3 rolls? We MIGHT use 1 roll per month at our house. We sometimes have to dust the roll off, because of its inactivity. How much do you spend on paper towels a month?

Instead of spending X amount of $$ on paper towels each month, why not go to your linen closet, take out a towel or two and cut it up into small rags. Everyone has a few less than desirable towels in the home. Give them a second life. Now you have a number of rags to clean, wipe up, do whatever with, that you just simply put in the washer and re-use.

Don't want to cut up a towel? Head to a dollar store or Big Lots and find some cheap towels. Either way, you will cut down on your waste and save money in the long run.

Think about it, why continually pay money for paper that you will roll up and throw away?

What we're all about...

First off, if you're reading this, thank you. You could be doing a bunch of other important things like watching people fall down on youtube or playing mafia wars on facebook. So, again, thanks!

We're a family just like any other. We don't have a lot of money and are being stretched to stay afloat. It sucks, but hey, it is what it is.

We're also a family that is environmentally aware. We recycle a ton, kitchen compost, use energy efficient light bulbs, went from 2 cars to 1 and bought a hybrid, etc. Course, maybe you don't believe in global warming. While we strongly disagree, we do think we should all be striving to be self-sustaining.

That's what this blog is for. As a family we have found a number of ways to live without killing the environment and our wallets. It's not that hard, really. Yeah, it takes a bit more work, a little less glamour, and in some cases having to deal with some smelly things, but in the end we think it's worth it.

Some of this stuff you can find all over the web. We're not exactly re-inventing the wheel, but we find that most people are skeptical until they see someone else do something. We want to share with people how these things fall into our everyday lives.

You don't have to buy and waste the things that we have been told we should buy and waste for decades. You can clean your home with products YOU make and don't have chemicals in them with names as long as your arm.

We're not going to try and force these things down your throat. We just want to show you all these options out there for better living. Whether you use these tips or not is up to you. We hope you do.