I don't know about you but I always get the bug to travel this time of year. The thought of walking in the leaves, the beautiful fall colors and the cool, crisp air all sound so appealing.

But it takes me a lot of time to book my flights because I wind up flipping through web site after web site to find the best price. Time I don't have to waste.

I found a great, new, easy site that compares three travel web sites at one time such as Orbitz, Expedia, and Hotwire, saving tons of time. There are a total of 12 travel sites to compare on lowfare.com.

And they don't suggest different days for you to leave or return as many of the airline web sites do. I find that a particularly annoying trend.

Take a look at lowfares.com.

Save your time for something fun...not looking for the cheapest fares.

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With school starting in a couple of weeks, a lot of folks are leaving on that last summer getaway and criminals know it.

The biggest tip to keep your home safe when you're gone is don't let your house look unoccupied.

According to the latest statistics from citydata.com, there were 585 burglaries in Delray in 2006. The following are a few ideas to help make your home less of a target.

*Obviously lock your doors and windows, have lights that turn on and off automatically in different rooms at night, motion detector lights outside and if you have a security system, arm it.

*Stand outside in both the front and back of your house at night when the lights are on. See anything anything in there you'd like? You get the idea. Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to partially open window coverings during the day and close them at night.

*Don't leave valuable (electronics, jewelry) out in plain sight. Put as much as you can in your safe deposit box - jewelry, extra credit cards, keys, etc. Thieves have wish lists too and you don't want to be the one filling it for them.

*Turn the garage door opener off while you're gone.

*If there is a car in your driveway, ask someone to move it to a different place everyday so it looks like someone is using it. Otherwise ask a neighbor if they'd park their car in your driveway part of the time while you're gone.

*Turn the ringer off your phone. Some burglars call a house (they're can often find your phone number.) If no one answers, that's all the invitation they need.

*A police officer told me, don't cancel your paper...he said have someone pick it up. Have someone pick up your mail daily as well and any packages that may show up along with the flyers that get left on your front door/porch.

*Ask a neighbor to put a bag of his trash in your trash container on trash day and put it out for pick-up.

*If your backyard is fenced, post a Beware of Dog sign on the gates.

*Turn your radio to a talk station and leave it on loud enough to be heard outside. Put it on a timer.

*Trim your hedges and plants so no one can hide behind them.

*It's too late for this year but consider landscaping around doors and windows with plants with plants that have thorns. The more thorns the better - Crown of Thorns, Spanish Bayonet - but that's another blog.

*Turn off the water before you leave. That has nothing to do with being robbed but coming home to a house that has been flooded would not be fun either.

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*Free. Instead of paying AT&T $1 for information, call 1.800.FREE 411. Phone numbers are given out at no charge. The only cost is users must first listen to a 20-second ad.

*Free used items in good condition such as coffee pots or washing machines available through Freecycle.org.
This world-wide, non-profit group has nearly 1,500 members in Delray/Boca/Boynton. The purpose is to keep perfectly good items out of landfills. Registration required.

*Free household cleaners and paint. Check out the products available at the recycle disposal facility. They have been brought in because people are moving and can't pack them, etc.
South County Transfer Station
1901 S.W. 4th Ave.
Delray Beach
Open: M-F, 7:30 - 4 p.m., Sat. 7 - noon, Sun - Closed.

Not free but both AAA
and AARP (for those 50 and older) are great values. Members receive 10 - 20% discounts almost everywhere. A year's membership for AAA is $64 and AARP is $12.50. Get in the habit of asking every time you buy anything...chances are you will get a discount. Great savings over a year's time.

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Want to make somebody's day?

Nursery Outlet - plants & produce
13863 Military Trail (slightly north of The Boys Market on the west side of the road.)
Delray Beach
561.499.3774

Hours: Mon. - Sat., 8 - 5 p.m., Sun., 10 - 4 p.m.
Roses :
* Available nearly every day of the year.
* Great quality.
* Color varies from day to day.
* Other produce and flowers are high quality and well priced.

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Lots of folks are scared off from iTunes because they think they have to pay for it. But it is free to download. Once you're on the site, click on radio and there are 27 categories from jazz to sports radio all free with more choices than you'll use.

I am especially fond of jazz and ambient but there is something for everyone. Selecting stations with the most bits will help it to stream better. I have no idea why but you'll see what I'm talking about when you look at it.

How peaceful to sit at your computer and have it softly serenade you - free of course.

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You've seen it on TV and were probably were skeptical. I was.

Nonetheless I decided to part with $10 and buy a package of 20 bags and I'm happy to say I've had great results with Debbie Meyer Green Bags. A warning -, it is a very annoying "talking" Web site.

According to the company, the green bags trap the ethylene gas, which when it escapes causes produce to spoil.

I even cut bananas in half and instead of the remaining half spoiling like it usually does in the frig, it stayed fresh in the green bag.

The company claims produce will stay fresh for up to a month allowing consumers to buy more fruits and veggies when they're on sale. That's been my experience.

* Green bags available at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Amazon.com, Debbie Meyer.com, and some Publix among other stores. Ask the mgr to order them if they're not available.

* Produce must be dry when placed in the bag. Clean it when you use it.

* If the bag becomes damp, dry it off and air it out for a bit.

* Only one type of fruit or vegetable can be put in the reusable bags.

* It says the bags can be reused up to 10 times.

* Cheese and cold cut bags are also available on line.

* Eliminating food spoilage over a year's time will add up to a nice savings.

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Skype - Download this free software program and make telephone calls through the Internet to anywhere at no cost. The only caveat is the receiver must also have Skype.

International calls to landlines and cell phones without Skype can be made through Skype for about 2 cents a minute.

So what are you waiting for - download the program.

* Skype calls can be made at Wi-Fi hotspots w/cellphones. Wonderful when traveling internationally.

* Skype is not an emergency phone so you'll have to keep a landline. A stripped down landline from AT&T costs $15 a month and add about $5 more for taxes.

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OK. So the 2-passenger Smart Car is not the car of your dreams but you can't beat the mileage

The car has been driven in Europe for several years and recently in the U.S. in Los Angeles. Talk show host, Jay Leno, has one and reviews it.

*Cost - $11,000 - $17,000.

*Safety - Rated 3 out of 5 stars by European crash tests.

*Reaches speeds of 85 mph.

*Surprisingly roomy passenger area.

*Available as a convertible.

*Not for I-95 but great for driving around town.

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Avoid buying software.

1. Instead of paying for an anti-virus program, use a free one such as AVG Anti-Virus Free-Edition . I've used it for several years. It works great.

2. Rather than paying $200 + for Microsoft Office, use Open Office. It's free and has all of the same programs. I've used it for over a year and am very pleased with it.

Consider dumping your Internet provider such as AOL or MSN and replace it with a broadband card. Use the same card on your laptop and desktop. Easy installation.

1.The card gives you the freedom to connect with the Internet from wherever you happen to be. Costco charges nothing for the card and gives a rebate for $35 activation fee.

2.Cost for broadband service varies from $30 to $60 month depending on on provider and usage. I have Verizon – can't imagine life without it.

Computer repairs are less hassle and less costly when you use remote computer repair .

1. I use Mark Brilliant at Brilliant Computers in Boca Raton. Savings vary. Be sure to go to a reliable computer technician.

When buying a new computer, buy less memory unless you do a lot of gaming.

1. Experts recommend about 1 gigabyte of memory (1 gb RAM) for most people. You can always add extra, if you need it later, for about $100. Save $300 on up.

2. If possible when buying a new computer bring someone along with some computer knowledge so you don't get talked into buying what you don't need and won't use.

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The average kitchen has over 7 billion germs in it- and that's in clean ones.

One of the dirtiest items in the kitchen is the sponge.

Rinsing a sponge in soapy water will not kill bacteria and contaminated sponges are an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. Wiping the counter with a contaminated sponge spreads bacteria everywhere.

Below are two super, easy ways to keep your sponge sanitary.

* Place a wet sponge in the microwave and microwave it for two minutes
on full power.

* Wash it with your dishes in the hottest, heavy duty cycle.

Cleaning experts recommend tossing sponges after a month.

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Perhaps nothing is more frustrating than when your computer goes down. There’s the down time while you wait for someone to come repair it or drive somewhere, drop it off and wait maybe for days…until remote computer repair.

With remote repair, call the computer specialist and while you talk, the technician can repair most problems

It’s been out for a while for companies. My computer specialist Mark Brilliant at Brilliant Computers has been offering it for about a year to individuals. If you look it up on line, it's very common.

It’s necessary to have a high speed internet connection but other than that sit back, relax and let the expert work his magic.

Of course you have to be sure you are working with a reputable company. But if you feel there is any kind of security breach, with a click you can remove the technician from your computer.

As an aside, many cell phones can be repaired remotely too. Previously I had to drive to West Palm Beach if my phone had problems.

Hopefully the day will be here soon that cars, appliances and anything that is chipped can be repaired remotely.

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Is your house so filled with extra furniture, paper and junk that walking through it is like walking through a maze?

At first I said, no way. Not me. Then I thought of the mountain of mail I always have waiting to be opened.

Don’t’ be too surprised if you are because according to the latest stats from the national organization, Clutterers Anonymous, one out of every three of us are clutterers.

Ginger and her husband Tom recently started a Clutterers Anonymous support group in Delray at the Crossroads Club at 1700 Lake Ida Road. Since it’s an anonymous group, the two facilitators asked me not to use their last name.

The group meets on Friday nights at 7 p.m. (Ginger wants to thank Crossroads for generously donating the space to them.)

A $1 donation will get you into the meeting.

Ginger says the 12-steps for clutterer's is faith based and similar to the more famous 12-step program.

Ginger knew her husband was a clutterer but much to her chagrin after she took the 20-question test put out by the non-profit organization, she learned she is an even bigger one.

If you’d like a copy of the test, you can contact the Los Angeles based organization at 310.281.6064 or visit www.clutterersanonymous.net.

Or you can ask yourself – do you find it difficult to dispose of anything, even if you haven’t used it for years?

Ginger says psychologists think that the emotionally-based disorder appears in people who didn’t have much as a child and what they had was taken away.

Obviously there are vastly varying degrees of clutterers.

Ginger says that for the first time in her life, her closets are orderly and she knows where all her clothes are. That goes for her drawers too.

Clutterers tend to have three or four of everything because they can’t find what they want in the midst of the clutter. So decluttering saves money too.

Here are a few tips to begin the process:

. Make your bed first thing in the morning.

. Remove one item of clutter per day.

. Everything in your house should have a purpose.

. Anything you take out, put back.

. When you buy something new, get rid of something else (sell, donate, or toss.)

Ginger says clutters are invited to bring mail that needs to be shredded to the meeting.
She giggles when she says, “We have two shredders and we shred enough to keep two guinea pigs comfy."

To get started decluttering call Ginger at 561.733.1438.

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