The Hunt Team - Coldwell Banker Realty
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Tips on Saving Money at Home

Posted By: Brian Hunt In: Green Homes
Date: Tue, Oct 27th 2009 4:39 pm

Recycling, Conserving  and Reusing products

Although I'm not the best role model for reusing and recycling products I try to do my best. It occurred to me one day when I was driving down I-20 toward Columbia just out side of Elgin when I looked across the horizon and saw a huge swell on the landscape growing and growing with each trip home(Landfill Pictured to Right). It was then that I realized that we take advantage of the garbage man coming each week to pick up the green "hurby-curby" full of trash each week.  Here's a challenge...try going a month without using the garbage man.  It's then that you will understand why recycling is important. Trash doesn't just vanish and we must do our part to try to maintain a clean environment. Even simple solutions can make a huge difference. Here are a few that I practice:Landfill

Regulate or turn off your sprinkler system-  I now get aggravated when I see a sprinkler system running in the rain or puddles forming in a yard. Most yards need only about 15 minutes of irrigation every few days. I know that it is so easy to forget that your lawn is automatically watering itself daily, but there really is no sense in keeping it on during rainy days and in the winter. Warm season grasses will need a refreshing quench of water in the summer but in the dormant seasons your lawn will hibernate. In fact, excess watering will cause disease, fungus, and weeds.

Drink from cans- I always buy canned goods. They are trypically cheaper and you can recycle them and to make money. I have a trash can in my garage that I use specifically for aluminum cans. All I have to do it give them a quick rinse, crush, then recycle them once every few years. The best part is walking into the bank to make the deposit. You can also recycle aluminum screens, TV antennas, water heaters and any type of metal. So before you throw it away, think about where it will go.

CFL Light bulbs- Sure, they cost a few dollars more but think about the long-term benefits. Last year when my family asked what I wanted I said "LIGHT BULBS". Seems a little funny but it is an easy gift and you can buy them in different quantities.

Water heater adjustment- is your water too hot? Just turn the knob toward "Vacation" on your water heater and you'll notice the difference on your bill...and adjusting the bathtub temperature will be so much easier. Also, when you go on vacation, turn it toward "Vacation". It will save you money and you won't be heating 40 gallons of water an entire weekend for nothing. When you get home just turn it back to the last setting. I marked mine with a ‘Sharpie' so I know where to stop.

Turn off the lights- If you aren't in the room then there isn't much to see. My college roommate used to always say to me "Can you see alright in your room?" It was his way of politely asking me to turn off the light.