Water Conservation: Save Some Green While Being Green

Of all of our natural resources, none is more precious than water. We can't live without it. And while the media continually draws the public's attention to the rising cost and consumption of oil and gas, very little attention is given to what will become the most serious resource issue in the next century--the international water shortage.

Flushing our toilets alone accounts for a staggering 40% of our water usage, with the bathroom being where we use a whopping 75% of our water inside the home. With a bit of thought and effort, though, we can save money and be "green" at the same time.

Bathroom
 Add food coloring to the toilet tank. If it's leaking, color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, easily installed, and can save more than 600 gallons per month.
 Place a plastic bottle weighted with pebbles and water in the toilet tank to use less water.
 Install a low-flow showerhead to save more than 500 gallons of water per week.

Kitchen
 Install a low-flow faucet aerator to cut water use in half.
 Don't rinse dishes and save 20 gallons of water per dishwasher load.
 Store drinking water in the fridge to avoid running the tap every time you want a cool glass of water.
 Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or microwave instead of under running water.

Around the house
 Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.
 Never put water down the drain. Use it for watering a plant, a garden, or cleaning.
 A faucet dripping at the rate of one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year, so fix it.
 Wash full loads of clothes to save up to 600 gallons each month.

Outside
 Fertilizers increase the need for water. Apply fertilizers, which contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen.
 Mulch to retain moisture and control weeds that compete with plants for water.
 Water once a week, early in the morning and late in the evening to avoid evaporation. Use an empty tuna can to measure when you've reached an inch.
 When established, drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs, and trees need little water, will survive a dry period, and save up to 550 gallons each year.
 Aerate your lawn. Water will reach the roots rather than run off the surface.
Use a broom instead of hosing down your driveway and sidewalks to save hundreds of gallons of water.

Spend Less...Save More!

Here's the link to an article that I wrote for ALL YOU magazine title "Spend Less and Save More." There are lots of great money-saving tips in the article.

One of my favorites: Trim just $25 per week from your food bill and you'll net $1,300 by the end of the year.

Twenty-five dollars may seem like a lot to shave off of your bill, but I did it just by switching grocery stores. I'm a big Aldi shopper now. You can also shave money off of your bill by collecting coupons for items that you buy regularly and by planning your meals ahead of time.

Read the article to find more money-saving tips for groceries as well as entertainment costs, phone costs, insurance premiums, mortgages and more.

Get Ready for Garage Sale Season

I don't know about you, but I love garage saling. I get a thrill when I buy items for a fraction of the cost they'd be if I purchased them new. Actually, some of my most treasured items came from garage sales, and I'm looking forward to finding some more this summer. Here are some tips for saving money--and having fun--while you bargain hunt:

Make a list. Instead of running out and buying items at full price, put them on a list and carry it with you while garage saling. I couldn't tell you how many times that I've "wished" for something and found it at a terrific price at garage sales.

Know your sizes. Be sure that you include sizes on your wish list. This way if you run across a good sale on clothing, you'll be prepared. It's a good idea to actually measure your own clothing at home (for example, a good fitting pair of pants, shirt, skirt, etc.). This way you don't have to depend on the sizes marked. Take a tape measure with you to compare the garage sale clothing to your measurements.

Plan your trip. Check your newspaper for garage sale listings a day or two ahead of time. This allows you to plan your best strategy for going from neighborhood to neighborhood. Try to shop at "block" sales too. If you can hit more than one sale in a particular neighborhood, you'll save gas and time.

Go on the first day. If you can, go on the first day of the sale. In my area it's Thursdays, so there isn't as much competition while shopping as there would be on the weekends. You'll have a better selection to choose from. Be aware, though, that sometimes you may not get the best price if you go on the first day. If someone has advertised a three-day sale, they don't want to sell everything on the first day.

Know your prices. Once you've been to a few garage sales, you'll get a feel for the pricing, and you'll know when someone is charging too much. Typically, I don't spend more than 25 cents for a book, a dollar for a movie, or more than a quarter or two for untensils. Use your best judgement, but if the price feels high, it probably is.

Negotiate. If you do run across an item that you want, but the price is too high, just ask for a price reduction. Most often people don't want to have to bring their items back into the house, so they're willing to slash prices. I will generally ask, "Are your prices negotiable?" If they say yes, then I'll ask, "What's the lowest you would go on this item?" The other approach I use is simply offering a certain amount based on what I am willing to pay for an item. This is particularly true of items I find often, or something I could walk away from and not be sorry if I didn’t get.

Bring change and small bills. There's no better bargaining tool than having the correct change. You don't want to pull out a $20 bill to pay for an item that is marked at $5--and you're trying to get it for $3!

Have a garage sale budget. Just as you budget for your other expenses, budget for garage saling. You don't want to overspend and take the fun out of it. Keep any leftover money in an envelope from your most recent trip, and save it for next time.

Have fun!Expect to go to a lot of garage sales where you won’t find good bargains, but have fun anyway. Garage saling is like finding buried treasure. You're not going to hit the jackpot every time.

Do you have any garage saling tips that you'd like to share? What are some of your best "finds"? Share with us in the comments.