6.) I take out any useless things in my car. Less weight in the car.
I tried that once, but I found it kinda hard to drive when I was standing outside the car.
It also annoyed the other drivers because I couldn't go over 4 miles an hour.
Andre
Suspend all MRR purchases for at least 12 months.
I suspect that will save some people here significant money.
Autobus Prime wrote:Okay, now, I think we have won the "Spend A Dollar, Save A Dime" contest. :D I'm sure you bought that for performance/souping reasons, though. :)I've used these a bunch, but I note that not every light in the house is a good place for them. Lights that are turned on, used 2 min. or so, then shut off, aren't so good. The CFLs don't reachfull brightness. I really like standard fluorescents for closets, which are efficient too. I have also had trouble with CFLs overheating in fully enclosed fixtures, particularlywhen base-up. Also note that CFLs save little or no power when the heat is turned on (not something you Floridians have to worry about). The waste heat from incandescents actually reduces the furnace load by an equal amount.Good plan. I think air infiltration is actually more important, once some insulation has been added. There is a diminishing ROI on insulation that rarely gets talked about, but basically your stud wall is R3. Adding 1" fiberglass, R3, makes it R6, and cuts the heat loss by 50%. Adding 3", R9, cuts the heat loss by 75%. Adding 9", R27, would cut the heat loss by 90%, but cost 3x as much for that extra 15 percent, than the previous 75 percent improvement cost. Probably the real advantage of thick insulation is that it tends to squash together and fill voids better. I say "loss", though "gain" would be more what you're concerned with. Anyway, if money savings is the goal, this diminishing return should be kept in mind.And for those who think I'm just being an annoying schnook:http://www.acima.asn.au/papers/r_benefit.pdf(It's Australian, but you can adapt it to other countries by converting the currency and being sober while reading it.)
Yeah, I bought the carbon fiber hood more for aesthetic reasons. I bought it in Maryland, where there is snow in the winter. I hated getting rock chips and them rusting, so I bought the CF hood. It also saves weight, which is an added benefit.
About the CFLs. I lied there is only one light fixture that does not have a CFL, and that's my eight month old son's room. That light fixture is controlled by a remote control for when my wife and I are trying to feed him at night, and the light is still on. We can then shut it off while he's feeding and starting to drift off to sleep with the remote control.
MAbruce wrote: Suspend all MRR purchases for at least 12 months.I suspect that will save some people here significant money.
BLASPHEMEY!!
-Morgan
Flashwave wrote: MAbruce wrote: Suspend all MRR purchases for at least 12 months.I suspect that will save some people here significant money. BLASPHEMEY!!
Preform A Exorcism,Quick!
"Rust, whats not to love?"
I still see people walking around with their $5 Starbucks coffee... In fact, there's a place across from the lab I work in here at NC State that sells expensive fancy coffee.
Now, as an active duty guy in student status, I still get my regular paycheck. My lab mates are all on some sort of research or teaching assistantships. Yet they still go across the street for their fancy $5 coffee several times a week.
There's a coffee maker in the lab. Two, actually. One has a sign on it that says "free to a good home."
Say you buy a low-end 4 cup coffee maker. Say it's $25. That's about 6 or 7 Starbucks coffees. After that your only recurring expenses are filters and coffee (plus sweetener and creamer of you're so inclined). After a few weeks you're saving enough by brewing your own that you can absorb the gas hike.
Same goes for smoking. As if there were not enough reasons to quit, now think of the pack-a-day savings that could be re-directed to gas.
In terms of model railroading, I used to buy a lot of magazines. I get MR in the mail, but I used to often buy N Scale and N Scale Railroading and sometimes RMC, SL&NG Gazette, and even RMJ. But now if I have the choice between a magazine and something for the layout, I choose the layout item. In a perfect world I'd love all the magazines to stay in business, but the reality is that most of the info in the magazines is available for free online. Because of that, they're more "expendable" to my hobby budget than the layout items.
Fortunately, I have not had to constrain my hobby budget too terribly much. I recently sold my house for a decent profit (I know, I know... we were very lucky) so I may be able to splurge a little.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Consider a swap list, for instance, I have a Monon BL2 that does not fit into my B&M/New England scheme unless I re-letter it, but would swap for a New England RR item that I wanted.
That's a good idea regardless of the savings aspect-- do you know of any such list? I have stuff I'd like to have and stuff I'd trade to get it.
That made me laugh. Apparently your sightings are beginning to get rarer. I just heard this morning on NPR on the way into work that Starbucks is closing 600 of their stores, mostly the newer ones. The assumption in the report is people are feeling the crunch and forgoing those fancy coffee's. I still buy it when I'm on the road and can charge it to my expenses, but rarely do otherwise. The large red containers of Foldgers for about 7 dollars makes EXCELLENT coffee and better than most I get at work or hotels etc. Thats what I subsist on.
I simply don't see how people can smoke, both for health reasons and the very high cost. That is of course why those Indian Smoke Shops here in NY are so popular. But the habit if quit would make nice kitty to spend on the hobby!
Since the other similar topic got locked, I guess I"ll have to respond here about gas and cars..
Some have complained about the high cost of filling up their gas tanks. To be honest, I've never been able to understand for the past 10 years how people could afford to drive around in those large SUV's or pick up trucks which get 15 mpg or less and have huge gas tanks, even before the price of gas started shooting up above $2.50 or $3.00. Now those people are really starting to cry.
I grew up in Davis California where recycling and conservation was always a part of the mind set. Personally I have always driven cars which have decent fuel economy (71 Ford Pinto, 78 VW Rabbit, later model Rabbits etc) and more recently a 94 Ford Taurus Wagon which still go mid 20's highway MPG and Toyota Camry, low 30's and my newest car is the Toyota RAV4 which was rated at 29 highway MPG (really a little less). If the tank is on fumes, it takes about 13 gallons to fill it up. Even that, I am feeling a bit of a pinch like everyone and driving less.
I hate the $4.20/gallon prices as much as the next, but maybe the silver lining is it will finally force some of those gas guzzling monster cars out of favor, and get people back to cars that get better miliage. My co-worker just bought a Toyota Prius hybrid. It gets over 50 MPG. I think it is funny that back in the 1970's, you could buy a diesel VW Rabbit that was crude technology by comparison and get similar mileage as the latest "state of the art" Japanese hybrid car. Kind of sad really.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Dave Vollmer wrote: IIn terms of model railroading, I used to buy a lot of magazines. I get MR in the mail, but I used to often buy N Scale and N Scale Railroading and sometimes RMC, SL&NG Gazette, and even RMJ. But now if I have the choice between a magazine and something for the layout, I choose the layout item. In a perfect world I'd love all the magazines to stay in business, but the reality is that most of the info in the magazines is available for free online. Because of that, they're more "expendable" to my hobby budget than the layout items.
IIn terms of model railroading, I used to buy a lot of magazines. I get MR in the mail, but I used to often buy N Scale and N Scale Railroading and sometimes RMC, SL&NG Gazette, and even RMJ. But now if I have the choice between a magazine and something for the layout, I choose the layout item. In a perfect world I'd love all the magazines to stay in business, but the reality is that most of the info in the magazines is available for free online. Because of that, they're more "expendable" to my hobby budget than the layout items.
Subscribe to the ones you know you read regularly(No, I don't work for Kalmbach). Significant savings on the cover price, particularly if you pay for several years up front. You also save gas because they come straight to the house. Plus no sales tax. Not to mention you usually get them about 1 month before they hit the magazine racks.
Run red lights!
Red lights are the biggest waste of gasoline there is.
It's not just the idling, but also the kinetic energy wasted to stop at a red light and the energy wasted getting back up to speed once the light turns green.
Time to ditch the red lights and install roundabouts!
Obligatory train stuff: Stop at RR crossings, though. Roundabouts don't work so well there.
Craig
DMW
Dallas Model Works wrote:Run red lights!Red lights are the biggest waste of gasoline there is.It's not just the idling, but also the kinetic energy wasted to stop at a red light and the energy wasted getting back up to speed once the light turns green.Time to ditch the red lights and install roundabouts!Obligatory train stuff: Stop at RR crossings, though. Roundabouts don't work so well there.
It may save money if you run them without getting caught, but all those tickets will add up after a while...
BNSF agrees with the red light thing. They encourage engineers (and dispatchers) to time their meets so that the train does not have to stop in the siding. Takes a lot more fuel to start going again once you stop.
Also, don't accelerate to red lights. When you see the light in front of you is red, you don't get a prize for being the first one there.
Dallas Model Works wrote: Run red lights! Red lights are the biggest waste of gasoline there is.
Oh, thats right! Remove the red lights and lets see all the cost savings you have after a few accidents start to put a major "dent" (no pun intended) into whats left of you bank account.
Run the red lights and again, what little money you saved in gas gets totally whacked by the ticket you got from your friendly neighborhood patrolman. Lets see, a few dollars saved, $125 out the window for a traffic ticket. Oh yeah, that will pay nicely for the gas going into the police cars.
Oops. Did I inject a little reality into the idea of those nasty red lights?
We got one of those at Carrier Circle in Syracuse I drive through daily on the way to work. I wait much more time getting through that circle with no light than a normal intersection.
IIn terms of model railroading, I used to buy a lot of magazines.
I used to buy them too. Over time I found magazines less and less satisfying to read for some reason and after weeding out 3 or 4 boxes of them, I still have that many to eventually get rid of. I haven't bought a train magazine in years now and have found the money is better spent on a few good train books. I go to my local library now once or twice a month to get my MR and RMC fix. Twenty minutes or so and I'm done.
Tjsingle wrote: Flashwave wrote: MAbruce wrote: Suspend all MRR purchases for at least 12 months.I suspect that will save some people here significant money. BLASPHEMEY!! Preform A Exorcism,Quick!
Oops, I must have brought too much reality into this topic.
MAbruce wrote: Tjsingle wrote: Flashwave wrote: MAbruce wrote: Suspend all MRR purchases for at least 12 months.I suspect that will save some people here significant money. BLASPHEMEY!! Preform A Exorcism,Quick! Oops, I must have brought too much reality into this topic.
REALITY?! AHHH!!!!
Isn't the whole gig of a Roundabout to NOT have to stop and wait? (Course that;s assuming some peeps know how to work the things)
riogrande5761 wrote: My co-worker just bought a Toyota Prius hybrid. It gets over 50 MPG. I think it is funny that back in the 1970's, you could buy a diesel VW Rabbit that was crude technology by comparison and get similar mileage as the latest "state of the art" Japanese hybrid car. Kind of sad really.
My co-worker just bought a Toyota Prius hybrid. It gets over 50 MPG. I think it is funny that back in the 1970's, you could buy a diesel VW Rabbit that was crude technology by comparison and get similar mileage as the latest "state of the art" Japanese hybrid car. Kind of sad really.
Not just sad, but also it makes one wonder why all the hype about hybrids and fuel cells when conventional euro-diesel technology can do the same or better, right now, and for less money. You'd think the big manufacturers would be clambering over each other to put these powerplants into their existing pickup and SUV models in order to save them, their market share and their companies.
Chrysler, for example, could buy some Daimler diesels and keep their SUVs and trucks viable. Instead, they close plants and accept defeat against $4.00-plus-fuel prices, talking about future hybrid and other alternative powertrains... technology years away from production. Sure, lets keep bleeding and wringing our hands.
Oh, I forget, according to the industry "experts" American's dislike diesels. Yeah, they won't drive anything unconventional - like hibrids - when fuel is so expensive.
Makes you wonder about those that are in charge.
Back on topic, at least our models don't run on petroleum, unlike the prototype.
dmitzel wrote:why all the hype about hybrids and fuel cells when conventional euro-diesel technology can do the same or better, right now, and for less money.
I believe the current crop of Euro-diesels do not meet US standards for particulate & soot emissions.
MAbruce wrote: Tjsingle wrote: Flashwave wrote: MAbruce wrote: Suspend all MRR purchases for at least 12 months.I suspect that will save some people here significant money. BLASPHEMEY!! Preform A Exorcism,Quick!Oops, I must have brought too much reality into this topic.
IMHO, generally, you can save the most $$$ on model train stuff when you focus on one railroad and model a certain time period. Scratch building helps too, because you are only building certain structures that existed in the era or period you're modeling. I glance back when I was younger (and single) when I bought model train stuff on impulse.
Now, if it does not fit my road or era, I pass.
For my morning coffee, I warm up what is left in the pot from the day before. Some may turn their nose up at this, but I have saved a little money by not dumping day-old coffee down the drain, especially since I am not the only coffee drinker in my house. Besides, it really doesn't taste bad.
However, I won't reuse tea bags.
Another tip, for those with gas furnaces, turn off the pilot light during the summer months. A lot of money goes up in flames (no pun intended) by just keeping the pilot on during the summer. I have saved up to $80.00 per month.
Take care,
Russell
Actually, the Euro diesels they have are far superior to what we get in North America and they are extremely clean AFAIK. The problem has been that the diesel fuel in North America has too high a sulfur content for them.
David
DavidH wrote:Actually, the Euro diesels they have are far superior to what we get in North America and they are extremely clean AFAIK. The problem has been that the diesel fuel in North America has too high a sulfur content for them.
Hmm, this is turning into an episode of "Top Gear" (well, admittedly the whole thread has only a tenuous hold on Model Railroading).Anyway, no, I did more research the Euro V standard still does not meet California (and several other states) emission standards - the main problems being particulates, and also NOx emissions. There are several particulate filters ideas out there, and I believe Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel is becoming the US standard (Europe has higher Sulphur standards). That aside, one way of coping with the NOx emissions problem is urea-injection tanks (yep, that urea...a tank of p33 in your Mercedes!) - while other ideas use a catalyst to convert NOx to simple Nitrogen (78% of the atmosphere).I'm totally cool with the modern diesels, and definitely support research into this area
Flashwave wrote:Isn't the whole gig of a Roundabout to NOT have to stop and wait?
Isn't the whole gig of a Roundabout to NOT have to stop and wait?
Well, that's the idea... The problem is many of the ones up here in New England have many times more traffic than they were designed for...meaning they don't work as well as they should.
dmitzel wrote: I forget, according to the industry "experts" American's dislike diesels. Yeah, they won't drive anything unconventional - like hibrids - when fuel is so expensive.Makes you wonder about those that are in charge.
I forget, according to the industry "experts" American's dislike diesels. Yeah, they won't drive anything unconventional - like hibrids - when fuel is so expensive.
I suppose people don't like the loud rattle that even a small diesel engine can make. My cousins diesel VW rabbit sounded like a truck and it was a real dog on hills. But... it did get very good mileage.
I have noticed when I was visiting friends in Germany in 1997, they drove a diesel VW Passat wagon. It did NOT rattle loud like most diesels I've heard. It didn't sound like a gas engine but it was much quieter surprisingly and not bad at all. They do have an edge on the technology there and we ought to pursue it. Perhaps if more people drove diesels, the price of diesel fuel would again drop below gasoline like it used to be. Afterall, diesel is less refined and should be cheaper to produce.
IMHO, generally, you can save the most $$$ on model train stuff when you focus on one railroad and model a certain time period. Scratch building helps too, because you are only building certain structures that existed in the era or period you're modeling. I glance back when I was younger (and single) when I bought model train stuff on impulse. Now, if it does not fit my road or era, I pass.
Same here. Many have huge rosters because by ***, it's "my RR and I will buy and run what I want", on impulse. I have limited my self to two time periods and one RR with interchange but that is still a tall order.
To each his own. Preaching re-use old coffee from the day before seems like an example of penny wise and pound foolish. That is pennies vs where cost savings could really be made. At the price of gas, it's very easy to blow that extra cup of coffee in a few miles on an extra trip that didn't need to be made to the store, if you get my drive. Personally, I hate day old coffee or coffee that has sat much more than an hour on the burner. YUK! Just for the record, I make one travel mug at a time so no extra coffee in a pot to go to waste.
Another tip, for those with gas furnaces, turn off the pilot light during the summer months. A lot of money goes up in flames (no pun intended) by just keeping the pilot on during the summer. I have saved up to $80.00 per month.Take care,Russell
I pretty much figured everyone cut the pilot light on their furnace for the summer anymore. But for those who haven't had that light bulb go off, you might have given them a clue. My parents were doing this in the 1970's in California with gas stove, furnace and range top. We used matches to light the stove. Most modern gas stoves have spark start so no pilot light.
riogrande5761 wrote: trainnut484 wrote:For my morning coffee, I warm up what is left in the pot from the day before. Some may turn their nose up at this, but I have saved a little money by not dumping day-old coffee down the drain, especially since I am not the only coffee drinker in my house. Besides, it really doesn't taste bad.To each his own. Preaching re-use old coffee from the day before seems like an example of penny wise and pound foolish. That is pennies vs where cost savings could really be made. At the price of gas, it's very easy to blow that extra cup of coffee in a few miles on an extra trip that didn't need to be made to the store, if you get my drive. Personally, I hate day old coffee or coffee that has sat much more than an hour on the burner. YUK! Just for the record, I make one travel mug at a time so no extra coffee in a pot to go to waste.
trainnut484 wrote:For my morning coffee, I warm up what is left in the pot from the day before. Some may turn their nose up at this, but I have saved a little money by not dumping day-old coffee down the drain, especially since I am not the only coffee drinker in my house. Besides, it really doesn't taste bad.
Not entirely true. It depends on how much coffee is consumed. One travel mug does not cut it for me. I can drink more than a pot a day. Also, I am not the only coffee drinker in my home, so reusing day-old coffee does go a long way to saving monies in the long run.
I do use my pennies wisely--I glue them on the inside of my rolling stock as weights.
I've read just about every post on this thread and even the one that was locked out. The dependence on oil in the US is vital. Our ependence on it is in every aspect of our lives. The by products of oil make up nost of our hobby of model railroading, from the plactic ties on our track to the shells of our prized locomotives and our building structures, whether assembled from kits, pre built or scratch built. Most of the gears in our locomotives are nylon, the plastic coating on all the wiring, these are all by products of oil and I'm afraid will have a cost impact on the hobbyist as oil increase's in value.
You guys are very creative, the most and best information I received is just by lurking on these forums, I do a lot of searches on weathering and scratch building and in time I will be doing this. The pics I've seen are outstanding, the cars you weather look so real, every detail, you are artisits. You guys must have some cars you can weather, put on some decent trucks and wheels and couplers and sell them on an auction site or a train show and make some money to buy more of the stuff you need to work on your pikes.
I'm lucky in one aspect, I'm retired and live on a fixed income, I still drive my SUV, I need the four wheel drive and a heavy vehicle in these mountains of West Virginia and only use 1/2 tank per month. There are no hobby stores local, 60 miles away one way to my nearest. I mail order from a place in North Jersey, Model Railroad Post Office and of course eBay. I have sold almost all of my O gauge line on eBay last year and made about a thousand dolllars after all the fees. I model in HO.
I'm trying to cut this post short. I studied a little physcology in college. One text stands out in times like these, "Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer". Do not get a mind set on how bad things are! Think and do positive things with your families and friends and your hobby of Model Railroading put some time aside for it on purpose. Stop listening and watching the News, nothing on there but bad. Be prudent in your spending and don't use the card, only if you can pay it off when the bill comes in. Do some community service to help the needy, volunteer some time. In short don't get depressed. All this will pass, and this great country of ours will be stronger and better for everybody. Any body my age has been through times such as these before, 1973-1975 comes to mind. Have a Happy 4th don't forget to laugh at something today.
TrainManTy wrote: Flashwave wrote:Isn't the whole gig of a Roundabout to NOT have to stop and wait? Well, that's the idea... The problem is many of the ones up here in New England have many times more traffic than they were designed for...meaning they don't work as well as they should.
Of course, it's always hilarious when an out-of-towner, particularly with a New York plate, tries to use our roundabouts. See, the thing about us New Englanders is that we DO know how to use roundabouts, we have so many. Still, come up here and try the roundabout in Concord, MA on Route 2 at 8am or 5pm. The line to enter stretches upwards of 2 miles each way through 3 preceding traffic signals. But it's historic Concord, so it can't be changed (even though the roundabout is surrounded on every side by prison land).
Back on topic, and I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but consider reducing your use of A/C. We ourselves aren't under financial pressure, but we don't like paying high bills any more than the next guy. Around here, temps have averaged in the low-mid 80s with 65-70% humidity. We find most people around us have their A/C on everyday set in the low 70s. We haven't turned on the A/C in at least 3 weeks, and even when we do, we never put it below 78. Instead, we just open the windows, often making it feel cooler than it would've felt even with A/C. The key is to open windows at multiple points across the house so that you create cross-airflow, like you'd get if you open windows on both sides of your car. Since we started stopped using A/C frequently a few years back, our electric bill for a house of around 6,000 sq ft has dropped by over 1/2. I recognize that this won't always work, particularly in very hot climates, but it is something to consider.
andrechapelon wrote: loathar wrote: As I was standing at the kitchen sink waiting two minutes for the hot water to heat up I thought, Hmmm...One of those instant hot water heaters that mount under the sink would be a good idea. They only use energy on demand and your not wasting water waiting for it to heat up. I remember seeing them 20 years ago and thought they were a joke, but these days they make a little more sense.Anyone have any experience with these?Last Chance-Unfortunately, many people living in rural areas are forced to make 60 mile(or more) commutes to work because that's where the jobs are. I was also thinking of getting one of those until I heard a syndicated Home improvement show where the host didn't like them. He said that the initial cost + the short life span of them didn't add up to any savings over a standard hot water heater. Probably like the hybred cars. Read an article about a Ford SUV hybrid that got about 8 mpg over the one with the standard engine. Problem is that the hybrid cost $10,000 more. You would have to keep that car a L O N G tine to break even, especially if you put that $10,000 in a CD or simular instrument.Will let you know. We're installing one in our lake cabin that we're remodeling. The new one is electric and it's replacing a 20 gallon electric tank heater. When everything is hooked up and the water is back on, I'll post about how well it works. I first ran into demand heaters on a trip to Europe in the 80's. They seem to work pretty well and should save about 50% over the energy usage of a standard water heater. As for commuting, not a problem for me. I'm retired. Andre
loathar wrote: As I was standing at the kitchen sink waiting two minutes for the hot water to heat up I thought, Hmmm...One of those instant hot water heaters that mount under the sink would be a good idea. They only use energy on demand and your not wasting water waiting for it to heat up. I remember seeing them 20 years ago and thought they were a joke, but these days they make a little more sense.Anyone have any experience with these?Last Chance-Unfortunately, many people living in rural areas are forced to make 60 mile(or more) commutes to work because that's where the jobs are.
As I was standing at the kitchen sink waiting two minutes for the hot water to heat up I thought, Hmmm...One of those instant hot water heaters that mount under the sink would be a good idea. They only use energy on demand and your not wasting water waiting for it to heat up. I remember seeing them 20 years ago and thought they were a joke, but these days they make a little more sense.Anyone have any experience with these?
Last Chance-Unfortunately, many people living in rural areas are forced to make 60 mile(or more) commutes to work because that's where the jobs are.
Probably like the hybred cars. Read an article about a Ford SUV hybrid that got about 8 mpg over the one with the standard engine. Problem is that the hybrid cost $10,000 more. You would have to keep that car a L O N G tine to break even, especially if you put that $10,000 in a CD or simular instrument.
Will let you know. We're installing one in our lake cabin that we're remodeling. The new one is electric and it's replacing a 20 gallon electric tank heater. When everything is hooked up and the water is back on, I'll post about how well it works.
I first ran into demand heaters on a trip to Europe in the 80's. They seem to work pretty well and should save about 50% over the energy usage of a standard water heater.
As for commuting, not a problem for me. I'm retired.
lvanhen wrote: 2-8-8-0 wrote: Two words. Ramen Noodles! TimLook at the sodium content of those things - high blood pressure here you come!!!!
2-8-8-0 wrote: Two words. Ramen Noodles! Tim
Two words. Ramen Noodles!
Tim
Look at the sodium content of those things - high blood pressure here you come!!!!
I've been on blood pressure meds for years, was diagnosed diabetic four years ago--and the blood pressure parameters are much stricter for diabetics--and have managed to keep the numbers under the diabetics' targets. I used to eat ramen noodles for one meal a day, but I bought a jar each of bouillon (powder), chicken and beef, and threw out the flavor packets from the noodles. The sodium count in the bouillon is lower and of a better kind--plus you can throw out the liquid after the noodles are gone!