What to shop for on sale in September:

• winter wear
• summer clothes
• outdoor grills
• lawn furniture
• bicycles

What to shop for on sale in November:

• Houses
• quilts and blankets
• space heaters
• winter clothing

Water requires energy.  Pumping it, transporting it, heating it and treating it consume billions of kilowatt-hours of electricity in the U.S. each year.  Producing power creates carbon dioxide, the equivalent of 4 million cars, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Here are some tips/techniques to reduce water usage.  Collect your old bath water or dishwater which is referred to as gray water.  The gray water can be used to water houseplants or for outdoor irrigation.  If you use this water, make sure you use only natural, biodegradable soap to keep from harming your greenery and to keep chemicals from leaching into the water table.

Then there is the water used by the toilet.  Flushing accounts for approximately 30 percent of water used in an average home, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.  If flushing sparingly is too indelicate for you, try a trick used by a clever woman in California.  Place a 2 liter soda bottle filled with water in her toilet tank to displace some water, reducing the amount used in each flush-refill.  You can also buy a bigger float ball or adjust the existing one so it shuts off the refill valve earlier.

Water monitors such as the ShowerTime from Efergy and the Waterpebble track the amount of water you have used in the shower and set off an alarm when you reach a pre-set limit.  Or install faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads to cut back your water use.

Send away for and follow up on rebates.  After you buy a product with a rebate, send in the form that day.  Mark your calendar to remind yourself to follow up with the rebate company if the check does not show up.

Before you shop for big ticket items, check the calendar for the best time to buy.   Selection is best early; prices are better later.  Here ‘s when to shop for:

• Cars:  August and September, when dealers are clearing inventory to make room for new-model-year cars.
• Gas grills: September through December
• Lawn mowers: October; its also the best time to buy winter coats
• Camcorders: November; also best for GPS devices and bicycles.
• Appliances: December through January.  Post holiday prices are best on appliances both large and small.  Large includes refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and small includes toasters and blenders.
• Exercise equipment:   January-Prices drop in time for New Year’s “get in shape” resolutions
• Indoor furniture:February
• TVs: March – also best time to buy DVD and Blu-Ray players, MP3 players and digital cameras
• Computer: The end of each financial quarter-April, June, October and January when sellers need to move inventory
• Athletic shoes and apparel: May
• Tools: June, also the best time to buy electronics
• Outdoor furniture:  July starts end of season close out sales
• October is the time to buy: winter wear (winter coats, gloves, scarves); last year’s car models; fishing equipment; houses; crystal; silver; glassware