Welcome to the second edition of It Just Makes Cents -- a money-minded column sharing tips, helpful Web sites and Internet deals. Here we'll find ways to stretch your dollars, methods for trimming your spending and my favorite ... free stuff.

Tip

Looking to slash 5 to 10 percent from your electric bill? Slay the vampire power lurking within your home. Also known as standby power, this is the phantom electricity used to keep your electronic appliances ready to turn on at a moment's notice.

See the small light still lit on your TV even though it's not on? Is the time shown on your coffee maker or microwave? That's because they're still drawing power.

Incredibly, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75 percent of the electricity used by home electronics occurs when the appliance is off, accounting for 5 to 10 percent of all residential electricity consumption in America. Totaling $3 billion in annual energy costs, it's equal to the amount generated by 18 power plants.

Here's the solution: simply unplug appliances when not in use.

I unplug our coffee maker, toaster and DVD player until they are needed. Use a power strip and be sure to flip the switch to eliminate all electricity flow.

Additionally, when buying new appliances, be sure they are Energy Star rated. These products use 15 to 20 percent less energy and water than standard models.

It just makes cents not to waste money on appliances you aren't using and to invest in appliances that save you money in the long run. If not for your wallet, do it for the planet.

Web site

Last Wednesday, I was packing for a trip to Florida so I missed the latest episode of "Lost." Not to worry, there are many Web sites where you can catch up on your favorite shows, including: Hulu.com, Veoh.com, and Joost.com, where you can watch the entire series of Twin Peaks. Joost has an iPhone application to stream videos in Wi-Fi hot spots.

At Sling.com, see the first season of Sci-Fi Channel's show, "Roswell." Fancast.com has all three seasons of Morgan Spurlock's (of Super Size Me fame) show, "30 Days."

Also, check out the major networks' Web sites, including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, Lifetime, A&E, MTV, HGTV, Discovery, and PBS for full episodes.

Internet Deal

Who doesn't love free stuff? Go to freedietdrpepper.com and sign up to receive a 20 oz. or 2-liter coupon for Diet Dr. Pepper. This offer expires the end of March.

Totally free

Here's something better than totally free -- how about making money from other people's trash?

Did you know you can recycle aluminum cans right here in Pahrump? Smart Recycling offers 25 cents per pound (approximately 34 cans). They are located on the west side of town: Turn right on Bannavitch off Highway 372, then right on China. Bring your cans Tuesday through Saturday, between 8 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. and take home some dough from someone else's trash.

Here's some recycling trivia: it takes 95 percent less energy to recycle aluminum than to make cans from scratch. Recycling just one can conserves the same energy as one gallon of gasoline, or enough energy to power a light bulb for four hours.

According to the Can Manufacturers' Institute, recycling allows the aluminum can industry to make up to 20 times more cans for the same amount of energy.

Money Quote

"The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket." -- Frank "Kin" Hubbard

Reader's Tip

Here's a tip e-mailed from PVT reader Don White, who writes, "I found a cool Web site, airfarewatchdog.com, that gives you the lowest air fares from the city of your choice. It can give it to you on demand or daily or weekly reports."

Thanks, Don, this is a really helpful site. I am always looking for cheap Florida fares and this site now sends me updates whenever the fares change on my favorite destination. Thanks for sharing this Web site; I hope other people find it as helpful.

And finally, a heartfelt thank you for the warm reception to this column. The e-mails and phone calls demonstrate your interest in spending smart, trimming your budget and finding the best deals. Remember to submit your input, suggestions and hints to share with our community. Together we can help each other save a buck.

Look for this column every other week in the Pahrump Valley Times for smart spending strategies, money-saving tips, and penny-pinching purchases.

Next column

Where is the cheapest gas station, and is that credit report really free?

E-mail your tips to jbeaudoin@pvtimes.com