Home is Where the Heart Is

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
By staying home more, you reduce usage of your vehical - thus consuming less fuel and producing fewer emissions. You also save the resources & energy from whatever activity or shopping you would have been doing if you went out.

Money Saved: ★★★★☆
Staying home saves lots of $$$$$! Almost anytime you leave home, you spend money, right?

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★☆☆
While it's fun to go out once in awhile and do something different, it's also great to cultivate hobbies and family activities you can do at home. Helps develop family togetherness and an appreciation for home.

What We’re Doing
Well, I'd like to go out more than we do - at least once a week. But it is fun to just sit down and play a board game together, read a book, watch a film, build a pinewood derby car, garden, bake some cookies, knit, bicycle, whatever. If you don't have a number of interests and hobbies you can do inexpensively at home, then your search for fun will definitely make budgeting difficult and be hard on the environment. And while your at home, remember that board games use less electricity than the computer type!

A Little Humor
"For 200 years we've been conquering nature. Now we're beating it to death."
— Tom McMillan

Feed & Water the Birds

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
There are over 200 species of migrating birds in the Western hemisphere. During any particular time of year some of them are migrating, and human influence is making it harder and harder for them to reach their destinations. Often migrations are made at night (particularly songbirds) so we don't even witness them. Their needs are simple - food, water, and shelter. A birdbath and some berry-producing trees go a long way to helping with the first two. Avoid using any pesticides.

Money Saved: ★☆☆☆☆
Doesn't save you money, but doesn't cost a lot either.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★☆☆
How much do we benefit from songbirds? Is there a way to measure their worth?

What We’re Doing
We have a birdbath (pictured). We have a brushpile, which is an excellent source of shelter for many birds but not everyone wants one in their yard (can also shelter rodents & other pests). We also have quite a variety of plantlife some of which provides food to birds. Not to mention the spilled chicken feed that our hens manage to scatter - and which the "junk" birds (grackles in our area) and squirrel seem to love.

A Little Humor
"Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees." — David Letterman

Use Water-Miser Setting

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★☆
You can save 1/3 of the water normally used to wash your dishes by selecting the "water-miser" setting. You also save the energy needed to heat that water.

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
Using the water-miser setting not only saves water, but also the energy used during that first wash cycle that is skipped (up to 30% of the energy used to wash a load of dishes). And you use half as much soap.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
One little lifestyle benefit is that the dishwasher finishes washing faster! Also, you don't need to buy as much soap.

What We’re Doing
We always use the water-miser setting on the dishwasher. Also, unless a load of dishes is particularly greasy you only need about 1/4 the dishwasher soap they suggest to use. With the "water-miser" option selected, you don't fill the "prewash" cup with any soap, and the one with the flapper on it usually only needs 1/2 filled.

It's also a bit of a myth that using a dishwasher saves water over hand-washing. I was surprised when I first heard this, as I grew up as a kid handwashing our family dishes. We had one-half of the sink full of wash water, the other half with rinse water. Total water use was probably 5 gallons or so. We asked our Dad many times why we didn't get a dishwasher, and his answer was that we had six of them (kids).

Typical dishwasher use is around 12 gallons per load - more if you pre-rinse your dishes (not really necessary, since most modern dishwashers can handle the residue left after scraping the big-stuff off). The savings over hand-washing is only found if you were to hand-wash under "running" water, which uses more water.

A Little Humor
A priest was asked to dinner by one of his parishioners.When he sat down at the table, he noticed that the dishes were the dirtiest that he had ever seen in his life. "Were these dishes ever washed?" he asked his hostess, running his fingers over the grit and grime. She replied, "Of course they were cleaned Father! They're as clean as soap and water could get them." He felt a bit apprehensive, but blessed the food anyway and they all started eating. The meal was delicious and he paid his compliments in spite the dirty dishes. When dinner was over, the hostess took the dishes outside and yelled -"Here Soap! Here Water!"

Donate Unused Clothes

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★☆
Recycling unused clothes gives them a second chance at life!

Money Saved: ★★★☆ ☆
When other people donate good clothes that they're not using, it gives you a chance to get great deals on wearable clothes - and help employ those who typically have trouble finding jobs as well.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Helps keep clutter in your closet down.

What We’re Doing
I imagine most people make occasional donations of clothing and other items to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. Shannon makes it a regular practice to go through her closet each year and give away anything she hasn't used in the last year. For me, that's harder to do as I've got some clothes that I'm fairly attached to but don't wear often (like my arctic explorer down parka, here in central Texas!). But it makes sense to give the clothes a chance to be useful if you're not making use of them!

A Little Humor
After giving birth, I couldn't lose the 40 pounds I'd gained. So I dragged my husband to the mall in search of more flattering clothes. We were encouraged by a sign over a rack of suits: "Instantly hides ten pounds!"
"Look!" my husband said. "You just need to buy four of these."

Creative Gift Wrap

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
By using materials on-hand for gift wrapping, you eliminate trips to the store and logging of timber for paper, as well as reduce energy for paper manufacture and distribution.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Depending on how many birthday and holiday parties you are involved in, the savings could amount to a fair amount of change!

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★☆☆
If you get creative, this can be a real plus rather than a limitation. Who really remembers what the wrapping paper on a gift looked like? But if you do something "different", they'll probably remember yours!

What We’re Doing
Although we have admittedly bought gift wrap paper from time-to-time, more often we have improvised. In the attached photo, we wrapped a large gift (writing desk) for Naomi just in a quilt. It would have taken a lot of paper to wrap that one! For some small gifts, the girls have painted or drawn artwork on brown paper sack material which we recycled. There was leftover wallpaper from one of our bathrooms that we've been using as wrapping paper. Also, we've got some old topographical maps that make interesting gift wrap!

A Little Humor
On the afternoon of Administrative Professionals Day, my co-worker and I finally found the time to get gifts for our secretaries. While at the store, my colleague noticed my disappointment when I discovered the shop didn't provide gift wrapping.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"They won't wrap the gifts for us," I answered.

"No problem," he said quickly. "I'll ask my secretary to do it."

Flush with Shower Water

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Conserves several gallons of water per shower.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
The small amount of water saved won't amount to much, but your bill for water and wastewater treatment will be reduced a little!

Lifestyle Benefit: ★☆☆☆☆
It's a bit of a pain - not so much collecting the water as using it to flush with. No real benefit I see here.

What We’re Doing
Unless you've got one of those nice instant tankless water heaters in your bathroom, you are probably like us and prefer to let the shower water run for a minute or so to let the hot water reach it before "climbing in"! This sends 2-4 gallons of clean water down-the-drain. Shannon got a bucket which we keep on the floor in the shower, and direct the shower water toward the bucket during that first warm-up period. When the bathroom toilet needs flushed, we check to see if there's water in bucket to use instead of flushing with the toilet tank. You just pour the water in the bowl - wait for the contents to "disappear" - and then pour a little more in to bring the water up to it's usual level. Also, if the kids have taken a bath then we'll usually leave the water in the tub. After flushing with the bucket of water, we quickly drag the flat-sided bucket through the tub to mostly refill it and put it back in the shower to "drip dry". That way it's ready to handle another flush next time. Note that in the summer, if the temperature and humidity are high, it sometimes isn't worth leaving a bathtub full of warm water sitting out (just makes the humidity worse!).

A Little Humor

"Why should I care about future generations? What have they ever done for me?"
— Groucho Marx

If It's Yellow . . .

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Wee 1 (wait), Wee 2 (still wait), Wee 3 (flush!) saves you about 2/3 of the water used in your toilets - which is considerable.

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
Not only saving on the water bill, but also in most areas the water treatment fee (drainage) which is higher.

Lifestyle Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
No lifestyle benefit here!

What We’re Doing
I looked up the phrase "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." trying to find it's origin, but wasn't successful. Certainly not fun - especially with kids who develop the habit of NEVER flushing, resulting in sometimes stinky bathrooms and clogged toilets. And when guests come around you either need to run around and flush all your toilets first, or put up a sign in the bathroom to warn them! No fun lifestyle advantages to this one. In fact, this tip may not work for you if you have an ultra-low flush toilet - as those pretty much need all the water they use anyway just to prevent getting clogged.

A Little Humor
Ummm, I don't really think I want to do an internet search for potty humor - and I don't recall any suitable ones so I think I'll skip this one!

(added later): OK, I just remembered one that might be suitable here. This was some graffiti I once saw written on a (coed) bathroom stall. Some good public service advice:

If you sprinkle when you tinkle,
Be a sweetie, and wipe the seatie.

Save Soap Slivers!

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Not a huge benefit here - we're just making sure we don't waste those little bits of soap you get when a bar is nearly used up!

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Again, you're not saving a lot of money on soap - but it's not costing you anything either.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Not sure what the lifestyle benefit would be, other than feeling good about not wasting stuff!

What We’re Doing
When the bar soap we use by bathroom sinks and in the shower gets to be a little "sliver", Shannon collects them into a piece of coarse fabric like that one pictured and ties it off. You can then use the little bundle as you would soap - when wet the soap soaks out through the fabric. Not exactly a decorator soap you'd put out in your guest bathroom - but it works! By the way, those hand-pump liquid soap dispensers are quite handy and look nice but waste a lot of soap down the drain and cost significantly more than most hand soaps.

A Little Humor

Dear Maid,Please do not leave any more of those little bars of soap in my bathroom, since I have brought my own bath-sized Dial.Please remove the six unopened little bars from the shelf under the medicine chest and another three in the shower soap dish. They are in my way.Thank you,S. Berman

Dear Room 635, I am not your regular maid. She will be back tomorrow, Thursday, from her day off.I took the 3 hotel soaps out of the shower soap dish as you requested.The 6 bars on your shelf I took out of your way and put on top of your Kleenex dispenser in case you should change your mind.This leaves only the 3 bars I left today which my instructions from the management is to leave 3 soaps daily. I hope this is satisfactory.Kathy, Relief Maid

Dear Maid -- I hope you are my regular maid.Apparently Kathy did not tell you about my note to her concerning the little bars of soap. When I got back to my room this evening I found you had added 3 little Camays to the shelf under my medicine cabinet.I am going to be here in the hotel for two weeks and have brought my own bath-size Dial so I won't need those 6 little Camays which are on the shelf. They are in my way when shaving, brushing teeth, etc. Please remove them. S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,My day off was last Wed. so the relief maid left 3 hotel soaps which we are instructed by the management.I took the 6 soaps which were in your way on the shelf and put them in the soap dish where your Dial was. I put the Dial in the medicine cabinet for your convenience.I didn't remove the 3 complimentary soaps which are always placed inside the medicine cabinet for all new check-ins and which you did not object to when you checked in last Monday.Please let me know if I can of further assistance. Your regular maid, Dotty

Dear Mr. Berman, The assistant manager, Mr. Kensedder, informed me this A.M. that you called him last evening and said you were unhappy with your maid service. I have assigned a new girl to your room.I hope you will accept my apologies for any past inconvenience. If you have any future complaints please contact me so I can give it my personal attention.Call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM. Thank you. Elaine Carmen Housekeeper

Dear Miss Carmen, It is impossible to contact you by phone since I leave the hotel for business at 7:45 AM and don't get back before 6PM. That's the reason I called Mr. Kensedder last night.You were already off duty. I only asked Mr. Kensedder if he could do anything about those little bars of soap. The new maid you assigned me must have thought I was a new check-in today, since she left another 3 bars of hotel soap in my medicine cabinet along with her regular delivery of 3 bars on the bath-room shelf.In just 5 days here I have accumulated 24 little bars of soap. Why are you doing this to me? S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,Your maid, Kathy, has been instructed to stop delivering soap to your room and remove the extra soaps. If I can be of further assistance, please call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM.Thank you,Elaine Carmen,Housekeeper

Dear Mr. Kensedder,My bath-size Dial is missing! Every bar of soap was taken from my room including my own bath-size Dial. I came in late last night and had to call the bellhop to bring me 4 little Cashmere Bouquets.S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman,I have informed our housekeeper, Elaine Carmen, of your soap problem. I cannot understand why there was no soap in your room, since our maids are instructed to leave 3 bars of soap each time they service a room.The situation will be rectified immediately. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.Martin L. Kensedder Assistant Manager
Dear Mrs. Carmen, Who the heck left 54 little bars of Camay in my room? I came in last night and found 54 little bars of soap. I don't want 54 little bars of Camay. I want my one bar of bath-size Dial!Do you realize I have 54 bars of soap in here?! All I want is my bath size Dial. Please give me back my bath-size Dial. S. Berman

Dear Mr. Berman, You complained of too much soap in your room so I had them removed. Then you complained to Mr. Kensedder that all your soap was missing so I personally returned them. The 24 Camays which had been taken and the 3 Camays you are supposed to receive daily.I don't know anything about the 4 Cashmere Bouquets. Obviously your maid, Kathy, did not know I had returned your soaps so she also brought 24 Camays plus the 3 daily Camays. I don't know where you got the idea this hotel issues bath-size Dial.I was able to locate some bath-size Ivory which I left in your room.Elaine CarmenHousekeeper

Dear Mrs. Carmen, Just a short note to bring you up-to-date on my latest soap inventory. As of today I possess:On shelf under medicine cabinet - 18 Camay in 4 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.On Kleenex dispenser - 11 Camay in 2 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 3. On bedroom dresser - 1 stack of 3 Cashmere Bouquet, 1stack of 4 hotel-size Ivory, and 8 Camay in 2 stacks of 4. Inside medicine cabinet - 14 Camay in 3 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2. In shower soap dish - 6 Camay, very moist. On northeast corner of tub - 1 Cashmere Bouquet, slightly used. On northwest corner of tub - 6 Camays in 2 stacks of 3. Please ask Kathy when she services my room to make sure the stacks are neatly piled and dusted. Also, please advise her that stacks of more than 4 have a tendency to tip. May I suggest that my bedroom window sill is not in use and will make an excellent spot for future soap deliveries.One more item... I have purchased another bar of bath-sized Dial which I am keeping in the hotel vault in order to avoid further misunderstandings.S. Berman

Hand-me-downs are Fun!

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★☆
A lot of energy goes into growing cotton, making synthetic cloth, sewing, distributing, selling, and shopping and/or shipping clothing. When they can be used again, there is a large savings in energy and reduction in growing and manufacturing chemical usage. And the landfill reduction from not throwing them out (whether recycled in your family or donated to others).

Money Saved: ★★★☆☆
If you are able to reuse them in your own family, you save money on expensive clothes. If you donate them to a service organization or neighbors then you save them money.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Most people would probably rather have new clothes than hand-me-downs. But our young kids at least do sometimes get a kick out of owning something that they remember (or have seen in pictures) their older sisters wearing previously. Besides, by saving money this way you can buy better clothes - so even if they're not the latest style they are better quality.

What We're Doing

Well, I guess we got a little luckier than most families! With four girls growing up one after the other, we get rather a lot of use out of our clothes. By the time they get to the youngest child, some items like shoes need to be replaced - but others are still good. I imagine this is one thing (recycling clothes) that most people are probably good at doing - hopefully no one is throwing out serviceable clothes when it is so easy to donate them to organizations like Salvation Army, Goodwill, Disabled Veterans, etc. Most of them will even come to your door to pick them up! Note: Regarding the photograph, you'll note that shoes don't always work well for hand-me-downs. Particularly from one generation to the next. There are other unmentionables that probably don't need to be passed down either . . .

A Little Humor

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society."
— Mark Twain

Quilt with Old Clothes

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★☆
When clothes have gotten too worn or stained for hand-me-downs, there are nearly always small good areas of fabric left in them. Making a blanket from them "recycles" the fabric and reduces landfill.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
A nice quilted blanket can be quite expensive! These are nearly free (except for your time).

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★★☆

While it takes quite awhile to make one of these (mostly to do the hand-stitching), much of the work can be done while listening (to music, kids, spouse, a movie, etc.) and the work can be spread out over months or years. The resulting quilts become family heirlooms as well as practical bed-warmers!

What We're Doing

Shannon is working on her fourth quilt I think it is now (for our bed). She saves our old clothes that aren't worth handing-down or donating, and cuts them into several sizes of quilt squares. The squares are sewn together on the sewing machine, and then hand-stitched with a quilting hoop into a blanket. It's fun to see the resulting blankets and remember the various items of clothing that we used to wear that now make up the blankets. Several of my "ex" favorite shirts are in those quilts now. I know the girls will appreciate the blanket made for each of them for a long time, perhaps for the rest of their lives.

A Little Humor

Wedding advice: In marriage, one good turn gets most of the blankets.

Save Plastic Containers

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Saves landfill space, as well as the energy for making plastic containers you didn't buy.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Why buy tupperware cups, plastic storage tubs, etc. when you're always getting them for free?

Lifestyle Benefit: ★☆☆☆☆
Not having matched cups at the dinner table isn't a lifestyle benefit I suppose, although our kids have their favorite "cups" that are more interesting than "plain blue" I suppose.

What We're Doing
Any time we get a reasonably sturdy plastic cup or bowl, it gets washed and saved in a lower kitchen cupboard. Since everything's plastic down there, it makes a great play area for toddlers (see photo). Also, we've always got containers (old butter tubs, etc.) in the right sizes for saving leftovers in the fridge. And the cup-sized containers get used for . . . cups! And if they get used up, you can still recycle them! Yes, we do have a few actually purchased plastic cups and storage bowls - but they were mostly purchased many years ago before Shannon started this "collection". Biggest problem for me is trying to figure out which lid goes with which container . . .

A Little Humor
Q. Why do builders have see-through Tupperware lunchboxes?
A. So they know if they are going to work or going home.

Share the Bathwater!

Benefits
Environmental Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Conserves water, and the energy to heat it and later treat the wastewater.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Most places you won't save a lot of money with the water, although you are also saving money on the energy used to heat it.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★☆☆
Isn't it more fun to take baths together? Great social/play time for the kids. And not just for kids . . . also a great idea for their parents after the kids have gone to bed! :-)

What We're Doing
Our kids until they are around 10 or so have enjoyed taking paths together. Also, we don't bath them "every night" as I understand some folks do which seems awfully unnecessary! If they get particularly dirty they might get a special bath, but usually it's just about once a week. We have also discovered that you use considerably less water when two or more are in the tub - since the extra bodies help to bring the water level higher! Just make sure not to throw the baby out with the bathwater!

A Little Humor

"Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen." — Steven Wright

The Bathtub Test
During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the director how you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalised.
"Well," said the director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." "Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup." "No." said the director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

Reuse Candles

Benefits
Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
By reusing your birthday candles, you reduce landfill waste from partially-burned candles and packaging, and possibly save fuel from extra trips to the store for candles.

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆
Probably just a couple of dollars, depends on how many times they are reused!

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
Saves having to go buy more candles all the time for birthdays!


What We're Doing
Those little thin birthday candles are really only good for one birthday - they burn up so fast! So we've mostly been using the "numbers" at least for the kids' cakes. They don't melt much unless you sing the birthday song reeeeally slooooowww! So far we've been able to use them for all four girls and on some of our cakes, and you know what? They really don't care that they've been used before. In fact, it almost adds to the fun when they realize that the candle number was on their sister's cake a year or two before and now it's on their cake!

A Little Humor
Why do you blow out the candles on your birthday cake?
Because throwing water on the candles will ruin your cake, silly.

Make Pumpkin Pie

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★☆☆☆

By eating your Halloween pumpkin, you are not only getting valuable food from it - but preventing it from going into the landfill (hey - if you don't eat it at least compost it!)

Money Saved: ★★☆☆☆

How much is 4 cans of pumpkin pie filling worth?

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★★☆☆

I consider pumpkin pie a definite lifestyle benefit.

What We're Doing

If you carve a Halloween pumpkin, chances are it sits around until getting all moldy and soft and gross and then gets thrown out, or hopefully put in the compost pile. If you wait until a few days before Halloween to carve it, and then promptly bake it up afterward - chances are you can still use it for pie! Best not to light it inside with a candle, as the heat may dry it out and you might have puddled wax to deal with as well. Better to use an electric bulb - or even one of those cool spooky green glow sticks! A good-sized pumpkin will make four pies. And you can also toast the salted seeds in your oven for a tasty snack!

I know your excuse. I can hear it already. "But I don't know how to make pumpkin pie without the recipe on the can!" OK, OK . . . here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 small pumpkin
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
2 eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon)
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions
I presume your pumpkin is already cleaned of seeds! Cut pumpkin into several pieces and place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork. Cool until just warm. Scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel. Puree in small batches in a blender. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C.)
In a large bowl, slightly beat eggs. Add brown sugar, flour, salt, 2 cups of the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and evaporated milk. Stir well or blend in blender.
Pour mixture into the unbaked pastry shell. Place a strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust to prevent over browning.
Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C), then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove the strip of foil about 10 minutes before the pie is done so that the edge of the crust will be a light golden brown. Cool pie, and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

A Little Humor

Why do Jack-o-lanterns have stupid smiles on their faces?

You'd have a stupid smile, too, if you had just had all your brains scooped out!

What's the ratio of a pumpkin's circumference to its diameter?

Pumpkin Pi (3.1428571 . . .)