Sustainability doesn't happen overnight, it's a journey and one that starts with small first steps, including these 3 FREE tips to save you money! There are simple things you can do without spending a penny to launch your sustainable future and save some money at the same time, like your own goldmine!
1. Turn off the water
Have you ever thought about how much the tap turns on in your home? Every family member brushes their teeth, takes showers, washes dishes (or uses a dishwasher), does laundry, and more just to name a few. On average, water runs at about two gallons per minute depending on the force, so what are some ideas to save the water bill?
- When shaving, instead of leaving the water on, fill the sink with cold water and rinse it in the basin, instead of under the rushing tap. Your blade won't know the difference, your pores will thank you, and the monthly bill diminishes a little more.
- The average family home loses about 180 gallons per week, or 9,400 gallons of water annually, from household leaks. Check those pipes and faucets!
- Turn off the water as you're brushing your teeth and only turn it back up when you need to rinse. You'll be amazed, if you're a family of four, of the savings!
2. Be A Light Saver
We all remember Dad walking through the house begging people to turn off the lights, right? Well, he wasn't wrong! Turning the lights off when you leave a room is necessary to help save electricity and lower utility bills. As a homeowner, turning off the lights when you’re not using them can help save money by reducing electricity bills, extending the life of your light bulbs, and buying bulbs less often.
Replacing 1 old-style incandescent globe with a compact fluorescent light will save around $40 in electricity costs, plus it will last six times longer!
An easy way to make turning off the lights into a "home habit" is to put a note on every door in the house for a week to remind yourself to flick the lights off from the room you just left. After a week that habit should be written in stone!
3. Combine your Errands
Running around town completing errands, daily grocery store trips, and visiting with friends and family can be taxing on the gas bill, especially with prices the way they are.
A great way to reduce stress on the tank is to make a list of your destinations. Many navigation apps give you the ability to route your activities giving you the best mileage and planned estimated times of arrival. Try to condense those tasks to 1 or 2 days a week to run around while reducing carbon emissions!
ALL IN ALL...
Sustainability has a different definition for each person. Not everyone can be put in the same one-size-fits-all recycled box! Deciding your first step can start with one of these 3 tasks and grow to something bigger in time. Jump in and enjoy the journey, you'll love the savings!