Sometimes it seems as though our lives can be made up of a series of neat little ideas. We could categorize these neat ideas so that each category contained tidbits about a particular subject. Each morning we would go to the category that we wanted (or needed) and we would pick out the ideas (or hints) that would be appropriate for our individual purpose. There is such a place that we can contain thousands of ideas  and neat little plans for living; it is called "our brain". However, in spite of the fact that this store house exists, it is rather difficult sometimes to retrieve that one little idea that we need. Another facet of this wonderful storage system is that all of the ideas are not stored in only one brain. If there are a hundred people, then we have a hundred brains storing a hundred times the information. But there are billions of people and if you think of all the ideas that we all can combine, well – you do the math. The numbers are so huge that it would be impossible to find one little idea in the vastness of the planet. It is because of this situation that these articles on saving hints have been born. Each week, three individual hints on saving money, time, or energy (or all three) will be presented so that everyone can sit down with their coffee in the morning and apprise themselves of yet another way to save a few dollars. Makes sense, doesn’t it? (Note: for those who do not drink coffee, these articles work well with one’s morning dump.)

1. Convection cooking. Most of us use a stove, or microwave, to cook our food. If it is a conventional stove it probably uses gas or electricity (or maybe wood) to create the heat that is used for cooking. Energy, as everyone knows these days, is outrageously expensive. We could save some money if we used a convection oven for cooking. Convection ovens cook by circulating over and over the same heat that is in the appliance. This means that we will spend less on the energy source: we save money. Convection ovens contain the heat while regular stoves and ovens waste the heat (and the energy source) by letting it escape into the air. We have to keep creating more heated air to cook the food.

2. Conserve hot water. The water heater, whether it runs on gas, oil, or electricity, is usually left on all the time. When we turn on the hot water spigot, we expect hot water. Few people realize that the heater is working most of the time to keep the water at a certain temperature. Fortunately, we don’t use hot water all the time. It is only at certain times that we require it. The rest of the time we could have the heater shut down so that we are not wasting energy. One of the best ways to heat water efficiently is to use an "on demand" water heater. They work by electricity or gas and they are great. They only operate when you turn on the hot water tap. They heat the water for the length of time that the spigot is in the on position. When you shut off the water, the heater turns off too. This means that you burn no energy unless you are using the hot water. The savings in money is huge.

3. Bring your camera. When renting a car, bring a camera to photograph the car before and after. That is, just before you take the car, take pictures of it all around to document any damage. When you bring the car back, again take a few photos to show that you have not damaged the car. Rental companies are aware that scratches, dents, and dings happen when the cars are on the road. You want to be sure that you don’t get blamed (and charged) for damage for which you are not responsible.