When you first consider the idea of reducing the amount of items that you throw away on a weekly basis, you might wonder how that could be done without having piles of garbage mounting in your garage or backyard. That doesn’t have to happen, but a change of thinking and being conscious of what we use daily is a necessity.

We have created so many products that make our life easier, but unfortunately, many of those things are not eco-friendly and are destroying the planet at a rapid pace.

Our homes usually have regularly stocked items like  paper towels, disposable water bottles, batteries, Styrofoam cups, etc. However, these disposable products end up in landfills and stay there for years. The pile just getting bigger and bigger because that stuff does not decompose.

The solution to that is not to stop throwing it away, but to actually stop using it and switch to reusable products instead. Buying reusable items at the grocery store saves you money and drastically reduces the amount of trash your home provides on a regular basis.

Here are a few items you may use often that can be switched to reusable items.

• Silverware
  Ok, there’s a slight downside to having to clean up and wash dishes, but did you know that using an automatic dishwasher actually uses less water than doing the dishes by hand in the sink? Plus, it’s plastic forks and spoons are really bad for the environment and are totally unnecessary.
  
• Cut back on paper towel
  Instead of throwing your old cloth towels into the trash when they start to look raggedy, why  not just add them to the cleaning pile instead? Simply wash them to reuse them over and over again while saving money and reducing trash at the same time.
• One water bottle
  Simply buy one reusable/refillable water bottle and drastically cut back on your grocery bill by not drinking out of plastic water bottles anymore.

With the current economic crisis coupled with rising costs of utilities, there’s never been a better time to cut down on monthly costs. Creating an energy efficient home will not only help to save you money every month, but it will also help the environment a great deal.

When you use less energy, it benefits everyone by cutting back on pollution which is something that everyone can agree is a bad thing.

The common reason that most people don’t tighten up their home energy expenses is that they simply don’t know where to begin.

Did you know that your local power company usually will provide you a free inspection for your home that will advise you on what you can do with your specific house to save energy and cut costs? Give them a call and take them up on it.

Here are a few simple ways that you can get started creating an energy efficient home.

• Make a list
  Take note of things you do around the house that use energy inefficiently. For instance, do you often leave the water running while cleaning up, washing the dishes. How often do you leave the lights or television on when they’re not needed. Believe it or not, cutting back on those simple things daily can save a lot of energy and money annually.
• Seal it up
  First, check all of your windows and doors for drafts. Does your seal need replacing? Also, if you have an older house, you may only have a single pane window. Replacing with double pane or triple pane can make a huge difference in the long run.
• Turn it off
  This seems like such a simple tip, but we’re all guilty of leaving lights, TV, computer, appliances, and other items on for long periods of time when not in use. Get into the habit of always turning the power off on those things and you will be saving a lot of energy. Start by sticking up a note to remind you first.
• Clean vents and filters
  Vent fans, like the one in your bathroom, can get clogged up easily with dust. be sure to clean out vents and change the filters in the AC, furnace, etc. Otherwise they are working overtime and using extra energy for no reason.