10 Quick Water Saving Tips

Here are ten quick water saving tips that can save significant amounts of water over the year and don’t take a lot to implement.

1. Do Not Over-Water Plants and Lawns. Avoid water runoff into streets and gutters and use a moisture meter to monitor waterings.
2. For Best Results Try Morning Watering. Before 9am is best as evaporation loss is at a minimum.
3. Avoid Washing Down Paved Areas. Sweep driveway and sidewalks in garden cleanup. You’ll save water and burn a few extra calories.
4. When Washing the Car… Use a bucket of water. Hose off only to rinse. Use a biodegradable soap and do it on the lawn - maximum efficiency!
5. Repair Faucet Leaks. As much as 15 gallons of water can be lost each day with a slow drip. Dripping water also damages sinks by encouraging rust and mildew.
6. Avoid Toilet Water Waste. Use a toilet tank bank to save water and don’t use the toilet as a trash disposal. Invest in a composter.
7. Don’t Fall Asleep in the Shower. You’ll hurt yourself. Plus, an extra five minutes in the shower could mean another 50 gallons down the drain. Use a moderate stream or, better yet, a low-flow shower head that has maximum force using minimal water.
8. The Automatic Dishwasher… Use it Wisely. Half loads cheat you out of full water use. Who likes being cheated?
9. Watch Those Laundry Loads, Too. Some 50 gallons of water are used to wash a load of clothes. Make every load count.
10. Avoid the Running Faucet. Don’t run water continuously while shaving, brushing teeth, peeling vegetables, or washing dishes. Turn it off! Or, use a handy dandy sink aerator with a nifty flow control to temporarily halt water without losing temperature. Cool!

Use Recyclable Batteries

Save money and resources by using widely available rechargeable batteries, many of which can be reused up to 1,000 times.

More than 15 billion batteries are thrown away each year — enough to make a column to the moon and back. That number continues to grow, as we use more and more electronic devices in our lives.

Thanks to a 1996 federal law, batteries no longer contain highly toxic mercury. However, rechargeables are allowed to have less-toxic metals, such as cadmium and lead, so it is imperative (and legally required) that you dispose of them properly. Used rechargeables can be dropped off for recycling at many retailers, or consult Earth911.org for locations. When possible pick lithium-ion or NiMH (nickel metal hydride) rechargeables over NiCd (nickel-cadmium) rechargeable batteries, which contain more toxic metals.

Adjust the Thermostat

Setting your thermostat to 78 degrees (or higher) in the summer and 65 degress (or lower) in the winter can save you big dollars. I set my thermostat to 80 degrees in the hot months and 65 degrees in the winter months. It may not seem like a lot but in summer months, each degree over 75 can save you $50.00 off your electric bill. In the winter you save both on electricty and natural gas or propane so your savings can actually be higher.

To save even more money, install a programmable thermostat and have the system turned off while you are away at work or school. Then have it come on 30 minutes before you get home to cool or heat the place. In the past it was cheaper to keep the temperature constant and this might be true with older air conditioning and homes. However today’s systems are more efficient and can cool or heat your home fairly quick. With newer homes that are properly insulated and have updated systems, it is more efficient to only use the system when it is needed.

Unplug Your Appliances

Only plug in your small appliances when you need them. Do we really need the clock on the microwave? Unplugging it will save you money every month. The same goes for all other small appliances in your kitchen and around the home. Anything with an LED, power adapter or remote will use power while plugged in, even if turned off. Just leaving these items plugged in can add dozens of dollars to your electric bill every month.

Although certain appliances need constant electricity, like refrigerators of course, those that do not are constantly using a small amount of power to enable them to be instantaneously ready — which is really not necessary. The accumulated effect of unplugging all these non-essential items would make a substantial difference in energy consumption. The list of things to unplug when not in use should include cellphone and battery chargers, televisions, DVD players, video games, computers, stereos, coffee pots, and toasters. Though in today’s society, anything with a plug is reasonably suspect of being a power vampire in your home. Many devices such as televisions can actually use almost as much power when turned off as they do when turned on.

If you cannot unplug these devices invest in smart surge protectors. These devices will allow you to easily cut the power to multiple devices when a master device such as a television is turned off. This can easily be used to turn off DVD players, surround sound systems and video game consoles with one click of the remote. They can be used throughout the home where groupings of appliances or applications are used together.

However when planning your power off scheme in the home, make sure that critical devices continue to receive power. For instance, if you use an Internet Telephone company like Vonage, you need to make sure that power to your modem and router is uninterruped to maintain service. The same could be said for the DVR in your entertainment system. It can’t work if there is no power. This is what I like about the Smart Power Surge. It allows you to designate some devices as always on while others are turned off. While the ultimate goal is that our homes wouldn’t use power at all when we don’t need it to, for most people that isn’t likely to happen. Being able to finetune your power consumption to your needs though is a big bonus that can save on the monthly energy bill and the environment with little impact on your modern lifestyle.

Skip the Drive-Thru

When picking up food instead of driving through, go in and order. This will save you fuel and reduce your emissions. Over time, little steps like this add up and it don’t really impact the quality of your life. Another tip to speed up your food but improve quality is to frequent restaurants that allow you to call your order in ahead of time. When you park and go in, your food will already be ready so all you have to do is pick it up. No waiting and you cut down on the drive through.

While you are inside tell them to skip the napkins and plastic silverware if you are simply taking the food home with you. You already have utensils and napkins so why add to the clutter and waste? Another tip is to bring your own bag here as well. Canvas shopping bags aren’t just for the supermarket. You can use them anywhere that bags are used.

This is a simple step that can save money and the environment.

Pets and Halloween

Ghosts, goblins and creatures of the night will soon be prowling the streets.

Halloween will soon be upon us, small children will be dressed in out landish costumes and the world may turn scary for your dog or cat. Cats, generally have sense to hide when things get a bit much for them, but dogs on the other hand seem to want to stick around and defend the household from the strange intruders.

Halloween can be a dangerous time for our pets. As Halloween gets closer, and daylight savings time ends, the evenings are suddenly much darker and with that, sometimes “strange behaviors” occur.

What do I mean by that? Without trying to frighten anyone, I want to make you aware that even in the “best” of neighborhoods as it gets close to Halloween strange things happen, especially in regard to cats.

There are people that during this time of year, get some sort of a “kick” out of hurting small animals, mainly black cats and other cats. Maybe it is the spirit of witchcraft that fills the air. Whatever it is, it is best to keep kitty and other small pets in the house as it begins to get dark.

Dogs, too, face a stressful time, as children in strange costumes and false faces present a scary picture to a dog. Granted some dogs will just bark, but others might try to attack the “creature.”
So acting on the side of caution it is wise to keep your dog inside the house.

What other things should you consider as Halloween approaches? Halloween decorations with candles inside are pretty and cute, but tails on dogs and curious cats can mean serious problems like a fire or hot wax spilled on a pet. Cats can get serious burns and not realize it, until it is too late, as they like heat.

What would Halloween be without candy? Chocolate and pets is a no-no. Candy wrappers, especially the foil ones, can be ingested and cause your pet some serious problems.

Trick or treaters at the door, I love seeing the children all dressed up, but your cat or dog can make a quick escape out the door, while you are distracted handing out goodies. Again, on the side of caution keep your pet in a “safe room” while all this is going on. The dark of night is no time to go looking for a scared pet.

If you are planning on dressing up your pet for the occasion, first be certain it will not stress the pet out.

Secondly, if you want your pet to greet people at the door, do yourself a favor and the pet, too put your pet’s leach on and fasten it to your wrist. Why? Just to make certain when Halloween is all over, the two of you are still together.

An ounce of prevention is worth the effort it takes to ensure the safety of your pet and the others who come to your door.

Raising Eco-Conscious Kids While Helping the Planet

Having a child is often a motivating factor for protecting the environment, as most parents go green in order to improve their children’s future.  If you are like many eco-conscious parents, you hope to raise children who will have a positive impact on the environment.  However, true eco-parenting involves much more than teaching your children about recycling.

Babies and children create more waste each than several adults, which means you must begin by reducing the carbon footprints of your children.  Moreover, you must teach your children by example, and extend your green activism into your community.  Buying organic baby food and fair-trade toys is not enough.  You must reduce your family’s waste, create an environmentally friendly home, and educate your community about green living.

One common reason that parents are hesitant about going green is the belief that green living is expensive.  However, green living is often cheaper, and it can save you money both in the short term and in the long-term.

Eliminating disposable products from your home is an easy way to help the environment, and it is one eco-friendly option that will also save you a significant amount of money.  Disposable cups, plates, paper towels, diapers, and napkins are convenient items that can have a negative impact on the environment.  By decreasing the amount of these products used in your home, or eliminating the use of these items altogether, you are saving money and teaching your children an environmentally friendly alternative that they will likely carry over into their own adult lives.

Another excellent way of saving your family money while helping the environment is to reduce your family’s consumption of energy.  Turning off appliances at the wall, consolidating car trips, and using energy efficient light bulbs are simple ways to reduce energy usage that will likely turn into lifelong habits in your children.  Installing solar heating panels and reducing the temperature setting on your hot water heater are additional ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Protecting the environment means making changes to more than just your home, though.  To truly have a positive impact on your environment, you need to reach out to your community.  Educate your local schools on how to go green, and become involved with an organization that plants trees or lobbies for eco-friendly legislation.  Visit organic farms with your children, and speak with your local grocery stores about increasing their stock of organic and sustainable products.

Of course, living green does not mean you cannot enjoy spending time with your family.  It simply means you need to do what you can to protect the environment.  Whether you choose to use cloth diapers instead of disposables, buy toys and furniture second-hand, carpool, plant trees, or lobby for community recycling containers, your ultimate goal should be to reduce the carbon footprint of your family, teach your children about green living, and produce more than you waste.

Environmentally Friendly Computer Use That Saves You Money

Green Room, Make your bedroom more green

Not many people would think that it was possible to make their bedroom more eco-friendly. From the bedding you use to the furniture you choose, it is possible to perform an eco-make-over on your bedroom. Making your bedroom more eco-friendly does require some more major changes, but made one step at a time they are not to hard to do. Read more

Use Cloth Napkins

Purchase cloth dinner napkins and/or small fingertip towels for non-disposable use at the table or as wipes for children. It works for us. For normal everyday use, we simply use standard cotton washcloths that we have gathered over the years. They are durable and easy to care for. Just toss them in with a regular load of laundry when done with them. You can use your older washcloths to recycle or purchase them from a thrift store for relatively inexpensively.

For formal occasions, you can use linen or cotten napkins made for this purpose to cut down on waste. Napkins are a lost commodity in today’s throw away society. This eliminates a waste stream from your home and reduces your footprint without even trying.

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