3/6/10

When cooking a casserole or a yummy chocolate souffle, use ceramic or glass baking dishes; these materials outperform metal and will allow you to lower the temperature of the oven by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower heat means less energy.

3/5/10

Keep the blustery cold air outdoors by stopping drafts at windows and doors. Place a draft dodger -- a long fabric tube -- along the edges where cold seeps inside to stop it in its tracks. For smaller windows, you can make your own dodger: Just fill a large sock -- like an athletic sock -- with pebbles, tie a knot at the end, and put in place.

3/4/10

Instead of buying all new clothes when updating your wardrobe, consider hiring a tailor to update some pieces instead. A good seamstress can alter pants, skirts, shirts and jackets to be transformed from boxy to a more modern, form-fitting silhouette. Tailoring can be a great way to rescue expensive clothes, especially if you've recently lost weight, too.