In today’s challenging economic climate there are many ways to save money and move towards a rewarding green lifestyle at the same time. While the larger, Government sponsored, projects require huge upfront costs that may take years to recover, most individual, environmentally friendly products repay their upfront cost very quickly with the day to day savings in operating costs that they provide.

Programmable Thermostats

Using a programmable thermostat to manage the temperature in the home can produce significant savings whether heating or cooling. The ideal unit should provide the flexibility to program each day of the week and allow four different settings per 24 hour period. Home energy use can then be optimized by programming a heating or cooling pattern that fits the family lifestyle. In the heating mode this might mean warmer in the early morning, cooler during the day when out at work or working around the home, warmer in the evening while sitting down to dinner, reading or watching TV and cooler during the night while tucked up warm in bed. Managing heating and cooling costs in this way can save 20% to 30% on home energy bills.

Insulation

Check on attic insulation and increase it up to 12 inches in depth. This can save on heating costs by up to 20% and cooling costs by 10%. Install any additional insulation at right angles to the previous layer. When shopping for insulation look for the R-value, this measures the level of thermal resistance provided, the higher the R-value the better the insulation provided. An unheated basement will also rob the house of heat so install blanket insulation between exposed floor joists.

Control ‘Standby’ Electric Use

Computers and TVs continue to use energy while in standby mode after they have been turned off. At present there is no way to accurately estimate the energy waste that the standby mode generates but it has been estimated that it represents about 10% of an average home energy cost. If these appliances are turned off while not in use the cost savings can be meaningful. There are now power strips available that ‘sense’ the flow of electricity and when the computer or TV is turned off, it automatically shuts down all peripheral devices also plugged into the strip.

Reduce Water Usage

Water is not overly expensive in the US at present, but it is likely to become more so as we continue to put pressure on the available water resources available to us. There are many ways to reduce water usage in the home, without any deterioration in lifestyle.

Replacing old showerheads with new, efficient low flow designs maintains the quality of the shower experience while significantly reducing water usage. Newer designs are also incorporating a pause feature which reduces the flow even further while lathering up or shampooing the hair. As they use less hot water they reducing the demand on the water heater and therefore also save on heating costs. Showerheads are inexpensive, easy to install and will pay for themselves very quickly.

Run the dishwasher only when it is full and then on its energy-saver mode. Once again, this will save water and energy, reducing monthly bills.

Solar Power

Individual home solar power is becoming much more viable as leasing programs gradually expand across the country. These programs remove the high initial cash payment that make the move to solar power unmanageable for most homeowners. The leasing structure produces a monthly lease payment that combined with the reduced utility bill, results in an overall monthly payment that is less than the prior stand alone utility bill. Solar power is the ultimate clean energy and individual home solar power is even better than utility company based power as there are no transmission downsides.

You can only focus on one thing at a time. If you are giving your attention to multiple tasks at once you are spreading yourself too thin and producing inferior work-product. If you disagree with this statement let’s take a quick example to cement this concept. Have you ever been on the phone with someone who is watching t.v., playing on the internet or is otherwise working on something? You can tell right? Even if they deny it, you know that they are not giving you their full attention because they respond slower to your questions or answer you with “uh-huh” one too many times. Multi-tasking in the end makes projects take longer to complete, period.

Master The Details

Your brain has to switch between channels to move back and forth between the different projects or tasks that you’re working on. Each time you switch, you have a mini-delay while your brain processes information to get you back up to speed with where you were in the task. If you have enough distractions this process could take you several minutes to complete. This accounts for the sensation of losing your train of thought when writing or an inability to focus on a task after coming back from a distraction. By focusing one task at a time you are better able to handle all the requirements of a project. You are less likely to forget a step or a crucial detail. You will also get your work completed faster because you will not have to constantly make switches in your brain back to the task at hand.

The Future Will Be Better If You Focus On The Now

You cannot act in the past, you cannot act in the future, you can only act now. Regardless of how many projects you have to complete or how many fires you have to put out at any one time, you cannot be in two places at once and you cannot do anything about a problem that hasn’t happened yet. While you can set up systems to help you deal with potential problems in the future, your energy and focus needs to stay with the present. Worrying about future contingencies sucks energy from your present ability to handle and accomplish your current objectives.

Don’t Dwell In “What If’s”

Stop thinking about and letting your mental energy dwell in “recession-land.” The more you think about the recession or bad economic times the more you will actually create failing conditions for your business. You’ll subconsciously begin to sabotage your business if you continuously think about the market going down or the financial crisis on Wall Street.

You’ll start to think things like “my customer won’t buy our product because of the recession” and your actions will start to match that mentality. You will make less sales calls, you’ll lower the amount you ask people to buy or even lower the price of your goods without any real need to do so, all to keep up with the mental image you have in your brain of a slowing economy. Don’t tell yourself “no” before your customer has even heard your pitch. Let them tell you “no” and then reframe the offers to match their expectations if need be. Your first and only thought should be that you have a superior product, that is worth its price and that the customer will benefit greatly from your service or good. That’s it. Ignore the recession and press on.

Pick Your Five Things To Accomplish Each Day

Start out each day by making a list of the five most important things you need to accomplish and start working down your list. Begin on number one and do not work on number two until number one is complete. Do not open e-mail, take phone calls or engage in any other distraction while you are working on your list. If you have meetings or other interruptions, come back to your list each time you have quiet time to work. If quiet time is a problem then set up some boundaries with your employees or co-workers. Shut your door and put a sign on it saying you are in a meeting. By engaging in this process you will be able to focus completely on the ‘now” and your actions will be much more effective. If you do not finish all your five items, then just start the next day with the rest of the projects on your list and repeat the process.

Breath and Push Through Problems One Step At A Time

If a problem or fire does pop up, just mentally reframe your five most important tasks. Take the problem and place it at the number one spot. You will not be able to focus on anything until you calm your mind and put out the fire. Once extinguished, your ability to focus will return to normal and you can breath and move on with your productive day.

Lastly think of the type of life you really want to lead and look at how you are living now. Do you think that your current habits, actions and thoughts are congruent with what you want to create in your life? What can you do to bring those three things into alignment?

Once you start to change your habits, actions and thoughts, your whole life will change and you will be able to create the wealth your deserve in your life. Go to: [http://www.GlobalSuccessILG.com] to get 13 great free e-books from leaders in the personal development industry. These great books are a wonderful way to help start your learning process. Set a goal to learn one new thing a day from these books. It will change your world.

Today, personalized gifts are the one of the most hottest and are among the most popular types of gifts. These gifts are perfect for any types of occasion and events including birthdays, weddings, business events or any occasion where you would opt to leave a long lasting impression to your receiver. They are absolutely perfect for holidays, special events or just to give some special feeling to be remembered for years. Remember, all gifts are appreciated, but personalized gifts are more treasured and remember. A personalized gift is a fun and unique way to show someone you care or to just say thank you.

Wedding gifts can be made personalize. Giving personalized wedding gifts is a very thoughtful way to give the bride and groom something to always remind them of their momentous day. Indeed, personalized gifts are a great way to show the newly married couple how they really mean to you. Many of such personalized memorabilia are for the married couple, but don’t forget to also get something special just for the bride herself. Further more, personalized gifts will also surely please wedding attendants, like bridesmaids, groomsmen, ring bearer, flower girl and others. Personalized gifts are greatly appreciated by everybody who receives them. They are a special one-of-a-kind present to anyone, anywhere and at any types of occasion.

Personalized gift ideas are also a great remembrance of proud accomplishments. Family and friends can give personalized congratulation gifts to a graduate, or perhaps to a retiree who will be retiring from his or her service. Engraved personalized mementos are perfect option to commemorate such celebrations. Also, a company or firm may award their deserving employees by giving out engraved trophies or plaque during the Recognition Day. This is one special way to recognize someone’s achievement, or to simply show your love and gratitude. In addition, they are a great way to boost moral, express your thanks to a loyal client, or confirm your gratitude towards an inspiring boss.

You may want also thank your business partners, clients, board members, executive staff and loyal customers by giving them personalized business gifts. Personalized business holiday give-aways can be very useful items which your clients, customers or employees will appreciate and enjoy.

However, the right choice of personalized present can’t only give good looks, but it should be also useful and functional to your receiver. You can give personalized useful gifts in a categorical way. For men, you can give personalized cufflinks, pocket watches, beer mugs, pocket knives or other gift ideas for men that are engravable, so you can engrave your male recipient’s initials or name on it. For women, you can give personalized bags, personalized necklaces, bracelets, rings and the likes. There are also options for other age categories like personalized gifts for children, you can give personalized clothes, bags, jewelries and toys. You might wonder where you can find customizable products. Online stores should be your first stop. These stores are a lot to offer than local retailers near you. Shopping online can really make your task more easier, at the convenience of your home.

Consider buying yourself and the family one luxury cruise vacation. Over a particular departure date, you would embark any one of the 1st-class, hotel-like cruise ships for every vacation of yours.

It would serve as the sailboat, a temporary home, shopping centre, massage parlour, entertainment centre, and many more.

A cruise ship might house all these and other kind of amenities in some urban areas. Yes, it may. It makes some cruise on a holiday not only for an escapade to not to forget but also as one excellent option for the next vacation.

Cruise ships, are known as some cruise or luxury ships, are passenger ships which are used for going pleasure voyages. This voyage itself and their amenities, which might be found over the board, are the essential parts of one cruising experience.

The sudden growth of cruises in a travel industry made cruise lines to make some modern ships which would cater the needs of growing cruise passengers.

It has itineraries for beautiful destinations, where sailors and engineers design cruise ships which can survive various sea-related factors.

Development and History

The Titanic is the prime ancestor of the cruise ships present today, which has fine eating areas, nicely-appointed staterooms, and also other amenities which are needed by some passengers who are on-board.

During 19th century, one Director Albert Ballin of Hamburg-America was the very first man to conduct one regular practice of allowing a transatlantic ship on southern trips on the very worst winter.

Not only as one ship, it’s also used like a propaganda for promoting the cruising vacation. A Love Boat– one 1970′s television series– had Pacific Princess,a cruise of a named Princess Cruise.

It has raised awareness of various cruises like one vacation opting only for very rich guys but also for very ordinary people in US.

Cruise Ships -Present

In 2004, there’re hundreds of cruises, which have a great carrying capacity of 3000 passengers and more, displacing much more than 1 million tons. Thus, it’s the largest ships which were ever built.

It may cruise to destinations like Antarctica. Modern ships too are considered as a “floating hotel” having one complete staff in addition with a regular ship crew.

These cruises are designed for handling adequate provision of food. Cruise ships are serving thousands of eatables at every setting. Storage facilities for many raw ingredients and many beverages are always with the latest technology.

Queen Mary 2 is the largest ship in operation now. It has 151,400 gross tons and is owned by Cunard Line, one of those subsidiaries in Carnival Corporation, the large cruise company in operation today.

Queen Mary 2 has 5 on-board pools, sweeping stairs, one ballroom, a 360-degree deck, and various specialty shops. It’s built for reviving the glamour of the ocean liners, the business would sink as jet travel started the prominence over the Atlantic.

Cruise Ship- Future

Just now, Royal Caribbean International told last February 6, of 2006 that they would be releasing in the autumn of 2009 the very large and the expensive cruise ship on the globe, which amounted to $1.24 billion. It’s named Project Genesis. It may also hold 6,400 passengers.

It’s estimated to possess a gross ton of around 220,000. One gross register ton is the only standard measurement for a ship’s size, which is equal to 100 feet cubed. The $1.24 billion pay would cover every expense required for the interior finishing of a ship.