A travel card is going to be a little different than an airline card. What makes them so different? An airline card will basically focus on that particular airline and you’re only going to see savings while flying. A travel card will not only let you save on airline travel but you’ll also be able to save on hotels, rental cars, etc. If you find yourself buying a lot of these services, you may want to consider getting a travel card instead of an airline card.

How do I find the best card on the market?

Finding the best card on the market isn’t hard at all. Instead, you need to take time to do your research to find what kind of travel card will benefit you when you fly across the globe. Instead of using your debit card of simply cash, why not get rewarded? A travel card is going to be able to give you back rewards like free airline tickets, rebates on airline, hotel and rental card services and so much more.

When you’re looking for the perfect card, here are some things that you want to look out for when doing your search.

Find as many companies as possible: As I already mentioned, you’re going to want to find a card that caters to not only airline discounts but discounts on rental cars, hotels and more. The more discounts you get on the other services, the more you’re going to get back on your vacations. When it comes to an airline card like I said above, you’re not going to get that much back in the hotel and rental car department.

Look at the rates: Every card is going to be different when it comes to rates. You’ll want to get the best rate possible. Usually, the best rate you can find on the market is about 5%. If you can find anything higher than that, make sure it’s not an introductory rate. An intro rate only lasts for a certain period of time. This time is usually no longer than 12 months.

Are there restrictions? Never get a card that has restrictions or blackout dates. You’re going to find that this is going to be a big pain in the butt in the future. Instead, let’s concentrate on getting a card that has no expiration dates or restrictions. This is going to make it a lot easier for you to cash in your rewards when you earn enough points.

With so many travel credit cards on the market, it’s hard to choose one that fits your needs. Do your research and apply for one that fits your needs. Don’t just apply for the first one you see. Once you start using it, you’ll be amazed at how much you can save with travel!

Find airline miles credit cards and more of Tom’s work all at FINDairlinecards.com.

You need the right card – Before you start swiping that card, make sure that you have a “travel based credit card”. If you don’t have a card that’s travel based, you’re probably not getting the rewards you deserve. Sure, there are cash back cards out there that will give you 1-2% back on everything but there are travel cards out there that will give you 5% back. If you want to maximize your rewards on travel, look into this niche based card. Other than that, sure you may save but how much will you save?

Use it properly – if you don’t use your card the right way, you’re not going to take advantage of the rewards and let me explain. Let’s say your interest rate is 13% and you have a $500 balance. Let’s say you only pay off $250 for that month. Now, you’re going to have that APR tacked onto that leftover $250. In the long haul, you’re going to pay more toward that interest rate than you would the rewards. It’s important that you pay your card off in full each month and never miss a payment. This way, you won’t have to worry about any fees at all.

Watch your rewards – This one goes alongside with picking out the right card. If you’re getting a card where you only get 5 times the points on airline A and you fly airline B all the time, I think you picked out the wrong card. You’re going to want to pick out the card where you can maximize on airline B. This is why it’s important to be loyal to an airline. When you find yourself loyal to an airline, you’re going to get more rewards and some high perks like boarding early, getting gifts or even getting upgrades on your next flight. Airlines love it when people continue to fly their airlines only.

It’s not hard to pick out the right card. Usually when someone asks me about a travel card, I will tell them to look for an airline that offers a card that they fly through. While I think it’s important to be loyal to an airline, I can understand why some people want to find a cheap flight and they don’t care about loyalty. What they don’t understand is that in the long run, the gifts and rewards might outbalance the savings that they have occurred just by going the cheap route. The next time you fly, try out a card. If you like it, keep using it, if not, just shred and cancel, it’s that easy!

Find great articles like this and more of Tom’s work all on his travel blog.

Have you ever wondered where you find these coveted coupon codes? When you find yourself codeless at that crucial moment, you can’t help but feel like you’re on the outside of an inside joke. They’ve dangled the discount carrot in front of your face, but you failed to seize it.

Believe it or not, there is a way to ensure you always have a pods coupon code to type in those little boxes. Taking advantage of online pods coupon codes can lead to great savings and excellent discounts. Typically saving you 5 to 10%, pods coupon codes are worth a little bit of time and effort to seek them out. You just need to know how to find them.

Pods coupon codes aren’t listed on the site for which the discount is offered. That would just be too easy, right? Because of this, you have to go elsewhere to find the desired code. However, to find one, simply do a search for the desired pods code in your favorite search engine.

For example, if you’re looking for a Pods coupon code, simply search for “Pods coupon code”. If you’re looking for a Pack Rat coupon code, search for “Pack Rat coupon code”. However, you may have to sort through the listings to find the most up-to-date coupon codes.

However, the best way to maximize the savings you can enjoy from using pods coupon codes is to search for them before you begin your shopping. These days, there are many sites that exist merely to document and update the most current coupon codes. By searching these sites before you begin your shopping, you can seek out items and vendors that offer the most substantial discounts.

Also, always sign up for newsletters from your favorite vendors and coupon sites. Coupon sites will keep you updated on the latest discounts and retailer newsletters often include limited time coupon codes. These subscriptions will keep you in the loop on the latest coupon codes delivered right to your inbox. No searching required.

When you reach the point in the check out process when you’re asked for a pods coupon code, simply enter the code into the field. From there, the discount should be automatically applied to your order. You’ll receive instant savings on moving and/or storage using these super convenient portable boxes.

It’s easy to be inside the discount loop when you know how to find pods coupon codes. They are easy to find and readily available. With just a few minutes of shopping for codes, you can enjoy fantastic discounts when shopping online.

Jason Kay recommends finding the latest pods coupon code at PodsPromoCode.com. Savings on Pods portable storage units will be from 5-10%.

That’s one reason that meal planning is often overlooked in favor of fast foods. While little ones generally like frozen pizzas and microwavable items, they are usually low on nutritional value. If we plan meals in advance, we can reduce the amount of convenience foods our families eat and increase the amounts of important vitamins and minerals they get. So why not make meal planning one of your New Year’s resolutions?

How Do I Go About Planning Meals?

Meal planning does take a certain amount of time and thought, but it makes things much easier when it is time to prepare the meal. When you plan ahead you know that you’ll have all of the ingredients you need, and you can plan simple meals for days when you know you are lacking time. Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin your meal plan the day before you plan to go to the food store. You don’t have to plan by calendar weeks, but planning for 7 days at a time makes it easier to keep up with.

2. Choose what you are going to make for breakfast, lunch, and supper each day. Be sure to include at least one of everyone’s favorite foods each week. You could make a separate list of favorites for easy reference. You could delegate this task to the little ones so they feel like they are a vital part of the meal planning process.

3. Don’t forget to incorporate some variety every now and then. Trying new things is good for us. And it’s a great behavior to role model to little ones.

4. Make sure that each meal is nutritionally balanced. If you’re not a health expert, get a food pyramid chart to refer to for the proper number of servings per day of each food group. You may not be able to hit a perfect balance every day, but you should be able to come reasonably close.

5. Once you’ve planned the meals for the week, make a grocery list. Go through your menu plan and figure out what ingredients you need to buy for each meal.

6. When you go to the grocery store, don’t forget to pick up some healthy snack options. Fresh fruits are a popular type of nutritious snack among little ones, and they are loaded with beneficial vitamins.

There are many benefits that go along with planning meals. It allows us to feed our little ones nutritious food with minimal fuss and stress. It saves us time in the long run. And it lets us keep everyone happy by having their favorite foods on a regular basis. Planning meals is an excellent way to start off the New Year.

If you would like more help with your meal planning, and a sample one week menu and grocery shopping list, check out http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com

Build your future – When you think of your future, do you think of a house, a car payment or even a loan? Well, without a credit history, you’re not going to be able to get these types of things. This is why it’s important to start using your card today in order to build your credit history. Just by using your card a few times a month and paying it off will show an increase in your score over a few years. As long as you’re responsible enough, you’ll see a nice increase.

Safer than cash – Rather than carrying around $200 in your wallet, why not just carry a credit card? In today’s era, you’re able to use your credit card just about any place. From a fast food joint to your local super market, you’ll find that just about everyone accepts it. It never hurts to carry a few dollars in your pockets for something but if you find that your wallet gets stolen, you’re never going to get that money back. With a credit card, it will depend on your card company but you’ll never owe more than $50 on those unauthorized charges.

Buy things online – If you’re going to college in today’s world, you’ll find that you can save a lot of money by buying things online like textbooks, electronics, etc. Well I hate to break it to you but you’re not going to be able to buy things online with cash but when you use your card, you’ll be able to buy those things. It’s safe and very secure.

Get rewards – When you spend your cash, it just leaves your hand and you don’t get benefits from it. Instead of doing that, why not get points every time you swipe your card? There are many student cards out there that will give you rewards just for using your card. Let’s say you spend $500 and get 1 point for every dollar you spend. You have already earned 500 points and with that total, that’s enough for a gift card at some credit card companies. You get this for just using your card, it’s that easy!

As long as you pay your card off in full each month and you’re good with your money, you’re going to take advantage of them and have a bright future when it comes to credit. If you don’t have a card now, I suggest you look into one and get one as soon as you can.

Find student credit cards and more of Tom’s work all at FINDcollegecards.com.

Another great advantage of online casinos is, not having to worry about getting robbed while on your way to the casino. There is no need to walk around with a wad of cash in your pocket hoping and praying that you won’t get mugged. All financial transactions such as payments and payouts are conducted over the internet through secure electronic money transfer systems; via Credit and Debit Cards, Western Union Money transfer, Money Gram, PayPal and other secure internet based money transfer systems.

With online casinos there are no dress codes to follow, you can play in your favorite t-shirt or butt naked if you wish and no one would be none the wiser, and for you smokers out there you can breathe a sigh or relief, smoke as much as you want too wherever you want to, there are no rules to follow except the ones you make for yourself. You can even listen to your favorite music and have a little bar going on the side with your favorite brew. It’s all up to you to set the scene for your online casino experience.

Unlike its counterpart brick and mortar casinos, online casinos offer free games for newbies to try as an incentive to entice them to become a part of the online gambling community. This is a great advantage because you can play as many games as you want before even spending a dime. Asides from free games online casinos also offer many types of bonuses to their members. These bonuses include sign up bonus, free bonus, referral bonuses etc, and can either be either cash or gifts such as airline tickets, hotel tickets, dinners and so on. Another advantage for the new gambler in addition to being able to play some of the games for free is that you build up a knowledge base on what works and what doesn’t without feeling foolish in front of more experienced players when you make a bad bet as there’s no one around and no one looking over your shoulder waiting on your spot at the table.

Finally when you play at an online casino you can jump from one game to the other without having to move a muscle, well except for your fingers. One minute you are playing the slot machine and the next you are at the roulette table; it’s as simple as that. Let me see you do that at a real casino.

Sarah Harrigan is a professional casino player and reviewer. For straight talking honest advice on online gambling casinos be sure to visit her website for comprehensive reviews on the best online casinos and winning casino strategies.

You may notice you are saying to your partner or in your head

a lot of “you should of done.”

Lot of criticism

Giving a lot of criticism about what you expect from your partner is creating confusion, anxious and is pushing your partner away from you then maybe trying a new strategy is worth doing if you want to continue your relationship.

Another way in saying what you want is to control the relationship to have what you want and when you want it, and if you do not get it you may take vengeance to little things that bothers you but never about the real thing.

You may find yourself as a fault finder and no matter what your partner does it is never good enough.

Becoming aware that the feelings are coming from you and your partner changing for you will not stop the feeling within you because it belongs to you.

Expense of your partner

If you both in the relationship are constantly seeking to have control and are into scoring points, or putting down each other it is difficult to love the other person.

Harmony in the relationship cannot be obtained at the expense of your partner.

If you are doing things in the relationship to score points in case you do something wrong later then you are doing it for the wrong reason.

Getting the upper hand so you may control your partner is not the way to go for your relationship.

If you feel that opening up yourself to share what is going on with you and you are afraid that it will be use against you later on as leverage with your partner then it stops the relationship from getting closer.

Another tell tale sign of you feeling dissatisfy is when you notice that you or your partner is defensive or resist constructive criticisms that can help you both improve.

This will push you both further away in having good cooperation and communication.

Feeling less love

The feelings when you first meet and became close together was maybe exciting with lots of passion and as the relationship build with years sometimes the love changes and some people have difficult changing and renewing their love and wish it could be as it was in the beginning.

Looking for love in the wrong places hoping to capture your youth by stepping out the relationship keeps you more away from your partner and does not solve the problems in the relationship.

Approaching your relationship with rigidity stops you from learning new ways of communication and learning a new language that can help you have a quality relationship.

Get back

When you want to get back at your partner with vengeance hoping they will feel how you feel, you have less a place inside of you to forgive your partner and you may create a wall around you.

Bitterness, resentment calling of names is some of the signs that may enter into your relationship and may cause you to pull away either emotionally or physically.

Changing the behavior

You have create the behavior, feelings and the environment that lead you to the relationship you have now somehow you have been gaining something from it and that can be more attention, control, confidence, feeling needed or important, that is why the behavior has been around.

Changing the behavior you do not want by understanding and removing what you have been gaining and the relationship changes.

Taking responsibility to make it work and not wait for your partner to do so may take some time to rebuild that trust you once had between you both.

When you first got together you became friends and you learn to listen, share and supported each other and laugh at each other jokes and that maybe need again.

Conclusion : Feeling dissatisfy with your relationship can be an opportunity to create newness and a better relationship full of joy and happiness.

The author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article so long as its contents remain unchanged, and the author’s byline remains in place. Francis is the owner of http://trans-formers.com if you want more information on free relationship advice in your life you can find at:http://www.trans-formers.com/free-relationship-advice.html

While there are numerous clubs and tourist attractions that offer the recreational prospector an opportunity to look for gold on their properties, if you have a serious case of “gold fever” you will want to purchase or locate your own claim.

Some people mistakenly believe that they can access any public land area and start prospecting just because it’s listed as public land. Think twice, because if you start mining on someone else’s claim, it’s claim jumping. Avoid legal complications, stiff fines and a lot of grief by always verifying claim ownership first.

Owning ones own claims saves a lot of complications. The 1872 Law allows prospectors to buy or stake a claim; an opportunity to create a “real property” asset that you can use yourself to mine gold or lease it to someone else to work the claim for you.

The Mining Law of 1872 directs the federal government’s land management policy. The law grants free access to individuals to prospect for minerals in public domain lands, and allows them, upon making a discovery, to stake a claim on that deposit. One must be a United States citizen to file a claim.

The 1872 Mining Law provides that “The locators of all mining locations made on any mineral vein, lode, or ledge, situated on the public domain, their heirs and assigns, where no adverse claim existed on the 10th day of May 1872, so long as they comply with the laws of the United States, and with State, territorial and local regulations not in conflict with the laws of the United States governing their possessory title, shall have the exclusive right of possession and enjoyment of all the surface included within the lines of their locations.”

Mining claims are in either of two classifications, patented or unpatented. Under the 1872 Mining Law an unpatented claim gives the claimant a property right interest to the minerals in/on the claim and the right to utilize as much of the surface and its resources as is needed to extract the minerals.

The Mining Law of 1872 also establishes a process by which the claimant may bring a claim to patent. When a claim is patented, actual ownership of the minerals and the surface resources pass from the United States Government to the claimant. The 1872 Law states that once a claimed mineral deposit has been determined to be economically recoverable and a specified amount of work has been preformed, the claimant may then file a patent application to both the mineral and the surface rights.

In 1995 Congress enacted a moratorium on the issuance of patents. At the present time new patent applications are not being processed, however grand-fathered applications will be processed. Legislature to rescind the moratorium is presently in congress awaiting a vote and many are hopeful that the patent application process will once again be an option.

In the United States Supreme Court case of Wilbur v. U.S. (ex rel. Krushnic, 280 US 306) (1930). The Supreme Court ruled; “When the location of a mining claim is perfected under the law, it has the effect of a grant by the United States of the right of present and exclusive possession. The claim is property in the fullest sense of the term; and may be sold, transferred, mortgaged, and inherited without infringing any right or title of the United States.”

The right of the owner is taxable by the state; and is “real property”. (State laws vary and it is prudent to be familiar with the laws of the state in which a claim is located.) The claimant/owner is not required to purchase the claim or secure patent from the United States. If a claimant complies with the provisions of the mining laws, his/her possessor’s rights, for all practical purposes of ownership, are as secure as those granted by a patent. In essence, you own the mineral rights and may use as much of the surface as reasonably necessary for mining your property.

If you are the owner of a claim you may chose to mine or not. If you elect to actively prospect, explore, develop and produce the property the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must be notified and proper paperwork processed. If you are on federal or state managed lands, be sure to obtain all necessary permits prior to commencing operations. If you plan to actively mine or not, maintaining ownership of your mining claim also requires the filings of the applicable documents and payment of fees annually with the BLM.

Ownership of a mining claim comes with some restrictions. All structures, fences, signs, roads and any man-made changes on the mining claim, must be reasonably incident to mining and included in a Notice or Plan on file with the BLM. If you wish to park an RV, trailer or set up camp on the claim and stay longer than 14 days, this request must be included in your plan of operations. If you are actively working the claim there are no restrictions; however, if your usage is strictly recreational, the 14 day rule may be enforced. If one chooses to actively mine his/her claim, the claimant is allowed to live on the property and may build temporary (and in some cases…permanent) structures if application is made with and approved by the BLM.

The primary purpose of a mining claim is to mine; however, a claim may be used for off-time recreational purposes. You may hunt or fish on the claim; however, be sure to have a state license or permit. A mining claim can also be an excellent base camp for ATV, horseback or snowmobile explorations.

The BLM requires an annual maintenance fee to satisfy assessment requirements. Actual labor can be performed as well to meet the assessment requirements. There also exists a small miners waiver which applies to claimants owning less than 10 mining claims. Once approved the Small Miners Exemption must be filed annually.

Wishing you success in your quest and may your pan always glitter with gold.

Marlene Affeld has a passion for the environment and all things natural. A seasoned traveler, Marlene enjoys sharing her experiences with others. Visit Marlene’s site at Nandu Green for Eco-Friendly living options.

No matter which type of air you are exposed to, heat can affect your thinking ability, and makes everyday tasks that would have been easier in cooler weather, harder to perform. For those who live in hot, humid climates, summer heat can be oppressive. Often the only solution is to spend the day confined ito an air-conditioned room.

In these economic times, air conditioning may be a luxury few can afford. Running an air conditioning unit can be expensive. Add to that the purchase cost, maintenance, and the need for routine cleaning; air conditioning may not be an option for the poor or elderly. Fixed incomes may not be able to handle the cost of running an air conditioning unit on a regular basis.

If dealing with the heat doesn’t give you a headache, your monthly electric bill while using an air conditioner certainly will. A relatively inexpensive alternative to air conditioning is the use of electric fans. Fans are inexpensive to purchase, fairly easy to install, and easy to maintain. They are inexpensive to repair and replacement costs are low. During times of extreme heat, arranging your fans properly can help you bring in cool air and keep warm air out of the home.

Choosing the proper type of fan for your circumstances is important. There are 4 basic types of fans that you can choose to effectively cool your home.

A pedestal fan can be adjusted to various speeds and its height can also be controlled, so you can direct the air to the area where you are working.

A box fan is a smaller electric fan with a rotating face. This type fan is designed to push air and then circulate it into different parts of a room.

A ceiling fan, as its name implies, hangs from a ceiling and pushes cool air downwards.

The final type of fan is an exhaust fan that is built into a wall. This type fan helps air circulate, especially in closed surroundings such as warehouses, attics or garages.

All four of these types of electric fans can help lower your electric bill.

Air conditioning units operate by using cooling fluids and it takes much more energy to convert hot outside air to cool air and to remove water vapor from the air. Fans, on the other hand, just circulate air around the room and use much less electricity.

When shopping for a fan, choose a brand that is inexpensive but carries and energy star rating. This will give you a fan that gives you the most power, while using the least amount of energy.

In order to achieve maximum benefit from a fan, be sure they are properly located. You don’t want to bring additional warm air into the home where it is not wanted. Drawing air in from the sunny side of the home will only increase the discomfort level.

Tips to Cool Your Home Using Fans

The following tips will help you use your fans effectively to cool your home.

Use cross ventilation. You shouldn’t need a fan going in every room to cool your home. By placing a powerful fan in one room and then opening any adjoining doors, you can direct the fan to blow the air to the next rooms. Placing an exhaust fan high on the ceiling will also help to keep air in constant motion. To cross ventilate a home, open any windows that arent’ facing the sun to allow cool air to enter.

By closing windows that are facing the sun, and shielding them with curtains, you can lower the temperature of your room quicker. Position electric fans perpendicular to open windows, so any incoming air is circulated immediately. On calm, windless days, position the fan at the other end of the room, facing the window.

If it is very hot and humid, then an electric fan may do you little good on its own. If you have an air conditioning unit, turn it on low cool or fan mode, then use the electric fan to circulate the hot air. On its own, the air conditioning unit will take up more energy as the humid air will be difficult to cool. The electric fan, on its own, will use more energy, as it will have to be operated at higher, faster settings, and for a longer time, before it can finally cool the air.

Running fans in rooms that are not occupied is not an energy efficient way to use a fan. If a room is not use, close the door and turn off the fan. Remember to open the door in the evening when it is cooler to allow air circulation so a buildup of mold is not created, especially in humid conditions.

Beverly Saltonstall is an environmental writer. Visit http://sustainable-development-forecast.com for more information on why we need to conserve energy. Read Our Planet is in Danger. (available on website)

The great debate of the 21st century is whether or not you believe that global warming is occurring or whether you believe that the planet is cooling. No matter what side of the fence you are on, there is no doubt that the actions of humans are generating a tremendous amount of greenhouse gases. The burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas is having a negative effect on our planet. The long term environmental, social and economic effects that these greenhouse gasses cause will be catastrophic to our planet if not controlled.

It’s Everyone’s Problem.

In the highly industrialized nations, most people don’t want to give up their high standards of living in order to reduce greenhouse gasses. Developing countries feel it is their right to raise their standard of living, despite the cost. Underdeveloped countries are paying the price for high standards of living with polluted and contaminated ground water.

Until everyone realizes that the changes to this planet from pollution affect the entire planet, reversing the pollution problem will be difficult. Everyone needs to cooperate and learn ways to reduce energy consumption and to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they emit.

As a business owner, the benefits of these reductions are many. The biggest benefit is that they save money in the long run, adding to your profitability. More energy efficient practices can often increase productivity, and going “green” often generates more business from people wishing to help the environment.

Maintenance as a Way to Save Money

One of the most basic ways to save energy is by properly maintaining your equipment. Dirty equipment often uses more energy to run and results in higher operating costs. Simple acts such a vacuuming air vents on appliances and computers, and cleaning dust from light bulbs can save energy and money. Major cleaning, even if it needs to be contracted out, can save enough money to offset the cost.

Routine maintenance will also prolong the life of your equipment, help them operate more efficiently, be less likely to break down, and keep them out of landfills longer.

Staff Cooperation

If your business has employees, the better they understand how the business runs the better they are able to see how properly maintaining equipment can save energy and money. Getting employees involved in being “green” to help the planet, will ultimately help your bottom line. Have employees suggest ways in which energy and resources can be saved. Reward employees who demonstrate a willingness to participate in energy savings practices.

Suggested Maintenance Tasks

There are thousands of tips and tricks that can be implemented to reduce your businesses energy consumption. Listed here is a starting point of simple maintenance tasks the can be implemented at little or no cost.

Thermostats

One of the easiest ways to save money on heating and cooling costs is to install a programmable thermostat. Once installed, regularly check the adjustments to be sure they are properly set for the time of day, the season and for daylight savings time (if applicable.

Hot water heaters

For peak efficiency, hot water heaters should be cleaned and drained on a regular basis. Buildup of hard water minerals inside the hot water heater reduces efficiently. Replacing an old hot water heater with a modern Energy Star rated unit will pay for its self in a short amount of time.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems

Often neglected, the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system should be checked on a regular basis. Preventative maintenance is a way to keep the system in top operating condition and lowers the cost of operation. An added benefit is that clean duct work prevents the build-up of mold and allergens that can cause respiratory problems and lost days of work.

Water Leaks

Water Leaks can be costly. Toilets and faucets that leak can not only waste water, but add considerable costs to the water bill. Monitoring the water bill can often pick up increased water usage caused by a less obvious leak.

Refrigeration Units

Regular cleaning of refrigerator coils will allow refrigeration units to operate more efficiently. In dusty environments, this preventative maintenance should be done more frequently. Another area to check is the door seals. Place a piece of paper between the door and the gasket. If the paper slips out easily, it’s time to check the seal. Another energy saving tip is to leave space between the refrigerator and the wall to allow for adequate ventilation of the motor.

Mechanical Equipment

All mechanical equipment such as power tools, compressors, and any equipment that operates with a motor should be checked on a regular basis. Hoses, valves, drains, relief valves, drive belts, hoses and fittings should be under a routine maintenance schedule. Again this prolongs the life of the equipment, allows them to function at peak performance and may even prevent an injury that results in lost time from work.

Motor Vehicles

It goes without saying that motor vehicles should be serviced on a regular basis. In service vehicles, remove all unnecessary supplies. Added weight in a vehicle results in more fuel consumption.

The Bottom Line

“To keep business equipment well maintained, a comprehensive maintenance schedule should be established. Having an energy audit will be of significant help in determining ways to save energy.

“Regular maintenance will reduce operating expenses.

“Properly maintained equipment will result in a safer work environment and less time loss from work due to injury or ill health.

“Running a business in an energy efficient way will reduce operating expenses.

“Employees will be happier and more productive in a safe well maintained environment.

Beverly Saltonstall is an environmental writer. Visit http://sustainable-development-forecast.com for more information on why we need to conserve energy. Read Our Planet is in Danger. (available on website)