There are so many different ways to save, both economically and ecologically. In the next couple of Ways to Save we’ll break down how you can save by going through the rooms in your home.
Let’s start in the kitchen. How about your dishwasher?
Making sure you have a full load of dishes with minimal pre-rinsing will save you up to 20 gallons per load, or on average 7,300 gallons per year according to “The Green Book” (Three Rivers Press) by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. Think of the difference you’ll see in your water bill over time.
When drying, if you are home, let the dishes air dry. If you’re not at home, put the dishwasher on energy saver.
Composting is another great saver. It seems now more than ever people are growing their own vegetables. Why not? It is less expensive and healthier.
By keeping your fruit, vegetable and even coffee grinds in a composting bin or container, you will divert organic waste from going into our landfills.
You can use your compost for your garden or anywhere in your yard. If everyone did this for a year we would have a 3 foot high pile of compost that would cover all of San Francisco.
If you have to use your garbage disposal use cold water. However, composting can eliminate the use of your disposal all together.
Did you know the refrigerator is the largest energy consumer in your home? Cleaning behind your refrigerator periodically, where dust bunnies tend to gather, will help your refrigerator run more efficiently.
Opening and closing the refrigerator door accounts for about $30 to $60 per year in electric bills for the average family. Getting what you need and closing the door will save money — keep your head out of the fridge.
Using the right size pot on your stove will save you on average $36 with an electric stove, or $18 with gas.
Did you know in the U.S. 5 percent of the energy purchased and used, per person, is for preparing and cooking food?
Over a year that amount of energy exceeds by two times the amount of energy a person in Africa uses for everything.
Storing your food in glass or porcelain containers will not only help the environment, it can help your health. The toxins in plastic can leach into your food, glass doesn’t do that.
Re-using paper or plastic bags from will save you money and save on oil. When we re-use one ton of plastic bags, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved, and when one ton of paper bags are re-used, we just spared up to 17 trees.
By taking these simple steps we can make a difference in our pocketbooks as well as our environment.
If you have any suggestions you’d like to share, Ways to Save will gladly publish them.
Kristi Meyer is a real estate agent with HomeTown Realtors in Auburn. She has been serving the Placer and Sacramento counties for the past six years. For questions, comments or tips, contact Meyer at seekristi@seehometown.com.
