You can drastically reduce the amount of preservatives and additives your family eats in prepared foods, by making one or two loaves of bread in your bread maker every week. Sugar can also be reduced considerably. Even if your family has no allergies or special dietary needs, you can save on your food budget and deliver tasty bread to your table with little effort.

Not crazy about bread machine baked bread? Bread makers have improved considerably when it comes to bread texture. Or, just do the dough in the machine and bake the bread in the oven.

• Bread Maker Care & Use Tips
• How to Make Braided Bread With Bread Maker Dough
• Bread Maker Baked Bread vs Baking it in the Oven
• More About Small Appliances

Photo © Mifflin

Every once in a while I come across an appliance that has more value for metal scrap than its function or condition. Don't get me wrong, I have some old kitchen appliances that still work very well and that I rely on heavily, even if one button or feature no longer works. And I'm a strong believer in taking good care of appliances to extend their life and save money - it's the smart, frugal thing to do.

But I'm talking about appliances that are in such terrible shape such as this fan. The ones that pose any kind of safety hazard, still being in operation. This fan was spotted in a women's shower building at a campground. Keeping this particular item in service in a public place, shows some serious lack of due diligence by the owner.

I feel the same way when I encounter an old fridge with the interior and outer rubber seal covered in black mold. Besides the obvious big-time energy waste, a refrigerator in this condition delivers more than cold storage. It offers some serious health hazards.

If it still works, when should you scrap it? When it comes to safety risks, that should be a no-brainer. Other times, it's not so easy to make disposal and replacement decisions. Read more for tips on how to deal with this appliance decision - Appliance Tip - When to Scrap it

Appliance cord safety - Have you inspected cords lately?

Appliance filters - Why you should change them regularly

Appliance Buying Tips: Index

Photo © Mifflin

In order to reduce our electricity bills, we installed a GE 24-hour mechanical timer on our water heater. It's a process a handyman can do by following detailed instructions or securing the help of an electrician. I expect the timer to pay for itself in a couple of months as energy savings add up.

It took being on time-of-use (TOU) electricity rates to force us to take this step to control how and when our water heater is on, but you don't have to.  Start saving energy today by installing a timer on your water heater and reduce energy use.  You may have to explore different on/off timing schedules for your household, but they are easy to set (and change).

Being able to control water heating is just one step you can take to reduce your electricity bills.  Learn more about mechanical timers and how we installed a GE 24- Hour Mechanical Timer on our electric water heater.

Learn more about saving energy

More about large appliances

How to conserve water

7 Ways to Save Energy With a Traditional Top Load Washer

Photo © Mifflin

Fine china tends to exude a certain amount of elegance even with a rather plain design. That's why basic white china is such a popular choice for a formal table. Let's call it neutral tabletop finery, where you can dress it up or down simply by adding colorful table linens or plate chargers and it never becomes 'old'.

But every once in a while a certain china pattern strikes me as being the pearl, the gem if you like - dinnerware that cannot avoid close scrutiny and admiration, regardless of what else is on the table.

The Lenox Opal Innocence Silver fine china doesn't really need an introduction. One glance says it all. It has some classic lines, but there's just something about the elegant (silver) vine motif with the raised enamel dots, platinum and silver trimmings that sets it apart from mainstream dinnerware.

Note that Lenox's Opal Innocence fine china - a very popular tabletop - comes in more than one pattern. Adding Silver to the same vine, rather than white on white, seems to bring it up a notch compared to the rest of the line.  It's truly the 'icing on the cake', fully-dressed formal dinnerware that is both graceful and timeless. This is a pattern that would hard to resist touching and that is sure to foster many compliments.

Watch Lenox Video on How to Select Dinnerware

Compare Prices of Lenox Opal Innocence Silver China

Compare Prices of Lenox Opal Innocence China

Compare Prices of Table Linens

Compare Prices of Dinnerware

How to Set a Table

Photo © Lenox