Efficiency by Erik

solution: Roomba price: $150 - 600 I know you've seen the Roomba in action by now. It's been around for years (I don't mean to offend you if you haven't, so click here to see mine in action in our kitchen ). But I'm here to tell you this: Make the investment. Do it for even a used Roomba if you like saving time, if you like clean floors, and especially  if you have a pet (my wife and I have a cat). Meet "Roombie". This is the name I've given our Roomba Pro, the original floor-vacuuming iRobot creation. Now I'll tell you straight-up my Father-in-Law gave this to my wife and I, after buying it for $5.00 at a tag sale. It had a weak battery, so I purchased a new one from iRobot for about $65. So our investment was less than yours will be, but I would definitely pay at least $300 to buy a new unit, knowing what I know about how much it has helped us keep our home clean and saved me time. Part of my excitement about the Roomba has to d

solution: cable staples price: $1 - 5 at Amazon.com Cables are an essential part of today's home. They do a magnificent job of connecting us to the world through television and high-speed Internet. It's tough to imagine life at home without the T.V. or the laptop! Cabling, when installed properly, can look crisp and neat in your home. But, if you're like my wife and I, you've moved where the television is or where you like to set up your desktop computer or wireless router.And this means moving some cables around, wrapping them around corners, and doing our best to hide them. Enter today's Efficiency by Erik solution: cable staples .  Cabling in our general living quarters wasn't too big of a deal. The cables were usually hidden behind furniture, out of sight. But the cables ran into our basement, where it was a different story. Picture (I wish I had taken one to show you) a modem for phone and Internet and, to that modem - a few wires for the televi