The Official Winter 2009/2010 Thread!
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
just a reminder to you...when you are driving and if you have your windshield wipper on...it is a "LAW" to turn on the headlights. Even in the Day....
just to check....i realise that over here, the cars' headlights get turn on automatically the minute you start the engine?? that's the case for our rental cars and the car that we just bought. -
Originally posted by lostintransition:
just to check....i realise that over here, the cars' headlights get turn on automatically the minute you start the engine?? that's the case for our rental cars and the car that we just bought.Some newer cars sold in the US come equipped with Daytime Running Lights (DRL) that illuminate automatically when the engine is operating. DRLs are intended as a safety measure to increase a vehicle's visibility on the road.
Just keep in mind that when the DRLs are operating, only the front lights are illuminated, and usually at reduced intensity. When you drive at night, you still have to switch the headlights on to get full intensity and activate the taillights.
(I've seen too many yahoos driving at night with just the insufficiently bright DRLs on and no taillights.)
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And if you are driving thru mountain passage way you too need to have the headlights turn on.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
thanks for the tips. yes, i've been wrapping myself in layers of throws on top of my layers of sweaters....hahaha!
finally decided to turn up the heat this week before i freeze to death alone at home.
ya...i'm not complaining 'cos i don't have to leave the house if i don't need to. my poor husband has to leave by 7.30am and it's usually very cold during that time of the day.
YES!! i just bought a whole lot of asian pastes/spices online which includes tomyum soup and curries. ohhhh, i think those will be perfect for the autumn/winter cold.
i remember reading somewhere that you can use the rice cooker for steamboat? is that true? and how does it work?
IF at somepoint you lost your heating equipment a quick way to warm up your place is to boil water on the stove. The Hot Steam would help to heat up the apartment that is why eating steamboat help in both way.....
Rice cooker --
i did that during my college days...it help...but you must boil the soup before pouring it into the rice cooker to heat. The thermostat in the rice cooker turn on/off by itself. It does take a longer time for the rice cooker to bring the soup to boil. once boil add what you want to eat...cover it. let it boil again.But i think these days you can get a portable stove with gas canister in asian market.
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I was outdoors all of last week. It was so, so cold. I think the temperate dropped below zero at once point in the night. I was, in a very rare moment, thinking about going to Singapore for a holiday.
I hugged my radiator as soon as I got back home.
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
IF at somepoint you lost your heating equipment a quick way to warm up your place is to boil water on the stove. The Hot Steam would help to heat up the apartment that is why eating steamboat help in both way.....
Rice cooker --
i did that during my college days...it help...but you must boil the soup before pouring it into the rice cooker to heat. The thermostat in the rice cooker turn on/off by itself. It does take a longer time for the rice cooker to bring the soup to boil. once boil add what you want to eat...cover it. let it boil again.But i think these days you can get a portable stove with gas canister in asian market.
good idea...although i'd need to bring a HUGE pot of water to boil just to heat up the entire kitchen.
we've been trying to keep heating to just one level of the house....and when i'm alone, instead of turning up the heat for the entire house, i'd just lug around a portable heater & hole myself up in the smallest room.
my neighbour who stays in a super tiny house in our yard told us that her gas bill is 200+/month during the cold months. i really can't imagine what my gas bill is gonna be like.....
my electricity bill for the first month is already 130 (and that's before i started using the space heater). thank god we need not pay for water which is supposedly very expensive in our town.
ya..i can go and buy one of those electric hotplate thingee...think i saw them at target selling for below 50bucks. *dreaming of tomyum steamboat*
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
good idea...although i'd need to bring a HUGE pot of water to boil just to heat up the entire kitchen.
we've been trying to keep heating to just one level of the house....and when i'm alone, instead of turning up the heat for the entire house, i'd just lug around a portable heater & hole myself up in the smallest room.
my neighbour who stays in a super tiny house in our yard told us that her gas bill is 200+/month during the cold months. i really can't imagine what my gas bill is gonna be like.....
my electricity bill for the first month is already 130 (and that's before i started using the space heater). thank god we need not pay for water which is supposedly very expensive in our town.
ya..i can go and buy one of those electric hotplate thingee...think i saw them at target selling for below 50bucks. *dreaming of tomyum steamboat*
Just a word of caution here.
If you are using a gas stove to do as Arapahoe suggests, please be aware that there is the danger of carbon monoxide (CO) accumulating to dangerous levels in your house.
CO is odorless and colorless, and unless you have a functioning CO detector in your residence, you will not be able to detect it until you are overcome by it. The danger of CO buildup is greater in the winter months as most people have the doors and windows closed to prevent heat loss, trapping any accumulated CO in house.
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
Just a word of caution here.
If you are using a gas stove to do as Arapahoe suggests, please be aware that there is the danger of carbon monoxide (CO) accumulating to dangerous levels in your house.
CO is odorless and colorless, and unless you have a functioning CO detector in your residence, you will not be able to detect it until you are overcome by it. The danger of CO buildup is greater in the winter months as most people have the doors and windows closed to prevent heat loss, trapping any accumulated CO in house.
thanks for the advice. luckily for us, tjhe stove is an electric one.
but i'd still need to be cautious of this CO poisoning 'cos the house uses gas heating right? would i be able to buy an affordable CO detector from Home Depot or something that i can install on my own or does such gadget cost an arm/leg?
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
thanks for the advice. luckily for us, tjhe stove is an electric one.
but i'd still need to be cautious of this CO poisoning 'cos the house uses gas heating right? would i be able to buy an affordable CO detector from Home Depot or something that i can install on my own or does such gadget cost an arm/leg?
The insidious cold air just lurves to seep in anywhere it can. Here are some easy tips that may help? Shut all room doors inside the house to contain the heat. If your electric outlets have no insulation pads, you can get some at Home Depot or Lowes for next to nothing. While you're at it, check and see if your front door has a good seal. If not, you can get weather stripping for next to nothing, also at HD. I hope your place has the newer dual pane vinyl windows. If not, check for air leaks too.
If you're a Costco member, you can get a heat lamp for cheap. I lurve heat lamps. HTHs.
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
Some newer cars sold in the US come equipped with Daytime Running Lights (DRL) that illuminate automatically when the engine is operating. DRLs are intended as a safety measure to increase a vehicle's visibility on the road.
Just keep in mind that when the DRLs are operating, only the front lights are illuminated, and usually at reduced intensity. When you drive at night, you still have to switch the headlights on to get full intensity and activate the taillights.
(I've seen too many yahoos driving at night with just the insufficiently bright DRLs on and no taillights.)
Another benefit of DRLs, they count towards a lower vehicle insurance premium.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
just to check....i realise that over here, the cars' headlights get turn on automatically the minute you start the engine?? that's the case for our rental cars and the car that we just bought.Point to note: you can get your sales tax back when you file your annual taxes in April. My mantra: Save all receipts!
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Originally posted by jetta:
Point to note: you can get your sales tax back when you file your annual taxes in April. My mantra: Save all receipts!
well...i'm glad i've been keeping all my receipts. do you mean i can claim for ALL types of sales tax?! -
Originally posted by lostintransition:
thanks for the advice. luckily for us, tjhe stove is an electric one.
but i'd still need to be cautious of this CO poisoning 'cos the house uses gas heating right? would i be able to buy an affordable CO detector from Home Depot or something that i can install on my own or does such gadget cost an arm/leg?
I'm pretty sure building codes in your neck of the woods mandate the installation of smoke detectors in residential dwellings, and I seem to recall that these same codes also require carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in newer houses and apartments. Your house might therefore already have a CO detector.Some smoke and CO detectors (usually the ones mounted high on the wall or on the ceiling) are similar in size and shape, so you'll have to look real closely at the label on the housing to determine what it is. There are also CO detectors that plug into a standard wall outlet. If your house doesn't already have a CO detector, it's usually a good idea to have one installed. They generally go for upwards of $20 at home improvement places like the Home Despot, Lowes, Menards, etc.
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Originally posted by jetta:
Point to note: you can get your sales tax back when you file your annual taxes in April. My mantra: Save all receipts!
This is news to me. Is this state-specific and/or for certain items only?
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
This is news to me. Is this state-specific and/or for certain items only?
Don't know if it's state specific, sorry MG. I do know that for vehicle purchases you can get the sales tax back because I've done it a few times.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
well...i'm glad i've been keeping all my receipts. do you mean i can claim for ALL types of sales tax?!No, you can't claim for ALL types of sales tax. Disclaimer, check with your state's rules and regs. Since you'll be filing your taxes for the first time next year, it would help if you sought the services of a CPA to help you understand and complete your first filing? My CPA here charges me by the hour and I can deduct his services from the following year's tax filing.
You can also deduct part of the cost of certain medicines and medical supplies, doctors' bills, dental bills, donations you make to charities... again, check with your state's local tax rules. Can you tell I'm an itemizer?
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Originally posted by Croningfool:
I was outdoors all of last week. It was so, so cold. I think the temperate dropped below zero at once point in the night. I was, in a very rare moment, thinking about going to Singapore for a holiday.
I hugged my radiator as soon as I got back home.
Where are you located? -
Originally posted by lostintransition:
good idea...although i'd need to bring a HUGE pot of water to boil just to heat up the entire kitchen.
we've been trying to keep heating to just one level of the house....and when i'm alone, instead of turning up the heat for the entire house, i'd just lug around a portable heater & hole myself up in the smallest room.
my neighbour who stays in a super tiny house in our yard told us that her gas bill is 200+/month during the cold months. i really can't imagine what my gas bill is gonna be like.....
my electricity bill for the first month is already 130 (and that's before i started using the space heater). thank god we need not pay for water which is supposedly very expensive in our town.
ya..i can go and buy one of those electric hotplate thingee...think i saw them at target selling for below 50bucks. *dreaming of tomyum steamboat*
my electric bill is $17 and my gas bill during winter is $59 higherest.
little thing you can do to keep warm and reduce heating cost.
I have a Gel Pack from my PT for muscle tension. So before I go to sleep i put into microwave for 2 minutes and put it inside the comforter. That generally keep the heat inside the comforter to let it radiate the heat when i sleep. (of course getting up in the morning is always tough)
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Originally posted by jetta:
Don't know if it's state specific, sorry MG. I do know that for vehicle purchases you can get the sales tax back because I've done it a few times.
still good to know...i'll check on that.
we actually purchased the car online when we were still in singapore...thinking that there won't be sales tax. but when the car was paid and delivered, we were still slapped with additional amount for sales tax
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Originally posted by jetta:
No, you can't claim for ALL types of sales tax. Disclaimer, check with your state's rules and regs. Since you'll be filing your taxes for the first time next year, it would help if you sought the services of a CPA to help you understand and complete your first filing? My CPA here charges me by the hour and I can deduct his services from the following year's tax filing.
You can also deduct part of the cost of certain medicines and medical supplies, doctors' bills, dental bills, donations you make to charities... again, check with your state's local tax rules. Can you tell I'm an itemizer?
most of the medicines/doctor bills are already covered by insurance apart from the small deductibles...i wonder if i can get deductions for medical insurance charges which is much more substantial? guess i will have to read up on that....is it really that complicated to file taxes over here? am really hoping to do it on my own since i've got time. how much does your CPA charge per hour? still have got to do our singapore taxes too =(
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Originally posted by Arapahoe:
my electric bill is $17 and my gas bill during winter is $59 higherest.
that is amazing!i'm also trying to do little things to keep the bills low...
like wearing more layers when indoor so that i don't have to turn on the heating unless absolutely necessary...
change less often (eeeks!)...'cos my laundry load has been huge (using much water/electricity) 'cos i've been wearing so many layers of clothes...and changing them everyday...figure i need only to change the layer in contact with body daily and not the other layers...
i'll have to figure out what to do with the drafty windows...i've already put up the storm windows and i think they help a little...i saw those fabric tapes that you can stick on the windows to prevent air from seeping through...maybe plastic sheet over some of the windows? AC?
i just bought 2 single electric blanket at a sale...think those could come in handy...
i'm a little scared to see my electric/gas bill for next month =(
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Originally posted by Meia Gisborn:
Just a word of caution here.
If you are using a gas stove to do as Arapahoe suggests, please be aware that there is the danger of carbon monoxide (CO) accumulating to dangerous levels in your house.
CO is odorless and colorless, and unless you have a functioning CO detector in your residence, you will not be able to detect it until you are overcome by it. The danger of CO buildup is greater in the winter months as most people have the doors and windows closed to prevent heat loss, trapping any accumulated CO in house.
we are not referring to the big propane tank....from BBQ stove. just one of those small canister i don't think the CO level will be at the level of putting people to sleep.
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
that is amazing!i'm also trying to do little things to keep the bills low...
like wearing more layers when indoor so that i don't have to turn on the heating unless absolutely necessary...
change less often (eeeks!)...'cos my laundry load has been huge (using much water/electricity) 'cos i've been wearing so many layers of clothes...and changing them everyday...figure i need only to change the layer in contact with body daily and not the other layers...
i'll have to figure out what to do with the drafty windows...i've already put up the storm windows and i think they help a little...i saw those fabric tapes that you can stick on the windows to prevent air from seeping through...maybe plastic sheet over some of the windows? AC?
i just bought 2 single electric blanket at a sale...think those could come in handy...
i'm a little scared to see my electric/gas bill for next month =(
well certainly insulate your living quarters helps. Stop those Cold Draft from Sipping thru they are killers. Changing diet helps to insulate heat as well.
You can start baking it helps to warm up the kitchen and cook at the same time....
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Originally posted by lostintransition:
most of the medicines/doctor bills are already covered by insurance apart from the small deductibles...i wonder if i can get deductions for medical insurance charges which is much more substantial? guess i will have to read up on that....is it really that complicated to file taxes over here? am really hoping to do it on my own since i've got time. how much does your CPA charge per hour? still have got to do our singapore taxes too =(
You know you've just started with single income earner. I don't think your lifestyle is that complicated to do itemized tax returns. Why don't you explored into 1040EZ. to see if it justified your tax rate...after all I presume there is payroll tax deducted on a monthly basis. -
Originally posted by Arapahoe:
we are not referring to the big propane tank....from BBQ stove. just one of those small canister i don't think the CO level will be at the level of putting people to sleep.
The buildup is cumulative, especially if the house is all sealed up in winter with no means of venting the CO to the outside. Here in the upper midwest, never a winter passes without news of some family succumbing to CO poisoning due to a leaky furnace exhaust or a gas stove that was left lit overnight.
But all this is quite irrelevant as LIT has an electric stove (though the furnace and water heater could still potentially be a source of CO contamination).