Summer water use tips to conserve water and help you save money, energy and time.

Unless you live in the permanently arid Southwest, summer usually means more water use and higher water and sewer bills. Even if you draw water from a well, the increased water use also means higher electric bills and more wear on the pump. But for many, this summer, the concern isn’t just about higher bills. With parts of the country suffering from prolonged dry spells and drought, many communities have implemented water use restrictions and water conservation has become a summertime necessity. The good news is that a few small changes to your daily routine and a couple of quick fixes around the house can save you both water and money — this summer, and year ’round!

In the house

– Turn that faucet off. While you brush your teeth, that is, and save about 2 gallons a minute. Do that every time you brush and save an extra 240 gallons a month. Turn the faucet off while you shave and save even more.

– Use the shower; skip the tub. You’d think it would be the other way around, right? But, a five-minute shower typically uses only 10-25 gallons of water while a full tub uses about 70 gallons. To keep shower time to a minimum, don’t run the shower while you shave. If you like your leisurely soaks, stopper the drain right away and adjust the temperature as you fill up.

– Wash a full load of clothes. With the average washer using about 41 gallons a load, the more loads you do, and the more water you use. To cut down on water use, wait until you have a full load.

– Fix that leaky toilet. You know the sound: the sudden hissing of water as the tank fills itself back up, but you didn’t just flush. Or, you might notice a regular damp spot on the floor below the tank. A leaking toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water a day!

– Fix leaky faucets and shower heads. A little drip might not seem like much, but a faucet dripping at the rate of 1 drop per second wastes about 2,700 gallons a year.

In the yard

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a typical single-family household uses about 30 percent of its water outside, on lawns, landscaping and gardens. As much as 50 percent of that water is wasted through evaporation or runoff. To avoid this kind of waste and lower your water bill use the following tips.

– Outdoor faucets leaking? Those little drips can be costly, too.

– Water early or late in the day, while the sun is low and the air is cooler, so less water is wasted through evaporation (be aware, your community may have watering restrictions in effect, and observe those).

– If you hand water, aim at the base of the plant, where the roots are; you don’t have to water the entire plant. Set sprinklers (preferably the droplet and not the mist-type) so they water only your vegetation and not your driveway, sidewalk or street.

– Time your sprinkler use so you don’t overwater (overwatering can be as harmful to your landscape as not watering enough). Simple timers are available for under $15 that hook right up to your faucet.

What else you can do to conserve water:

These steps involve a little more effort and/or money but have a timely payback and offer long-term savings through consistently lower water bills.

– Think about a new toilet. Toilets made before 1992 use anywhere from 3.5–7 gallons per flush. Newer models use, on average, less than 2 gallons per flush. High-efficiency toilets use about 1.3 gallons per flush resulting in a 10-year cost savings of about $1,000 for a family of four – without compromising performance. But, if you’re worried about the “flush factor” (will it all go down?), consider a dual-flush toilet that uses less water for liquid waste removal, and more water for solid waste removal.

– Consider an automatic irrigation system. If you’re spending a great deal of time hand-watering, or moving your sprinkler from place to place, an automatic irrigation system is an excellent investment. Of course, a system that waters even if it’s raining won’t save you much, but PC programmable and self-adjusting systems are available now that offer a drop in water use of 8-60 percent (depending on how arid your particular climate is) and can pay for themselves in as little as 8 months to a couple of years (again, depending on climate).

– Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation. If an irrigation system is out of the question for your entire yard, consider using a soaker hose or drip irrigation around your landscaping and garden. A soaker hose emits water gently along its entire length directly to the base of the plant and little is lost through runoff or evaporation (you can even make your own soaker from a length of old garden hose). Drip-irrigation systems accomplish the same thing, with drip holes called emitters spaced at intervals along the hose. Drip systems will cost a bit more. With either of these methods, you’ll find you’ll have to water less often and use less water when you do. Attach a simple hose timer and you can save even more.

Sources: U.S. EPA, Popular Mechanics, Natural Remodeling (2006, Lark Books).
About The Author: Liz Pauley is a staff writer for RanchRevival.com, a website devoted to owners of ranch style houses, old and new.

By Kathy Wilson

Spring is a sign of renewal in many areas of our lives, and our homes are no different! There is something energizing and refreshing about bringing that bright, airy feeling of spring into your home. Here are the 10 best ways to spruce up and revitalize your rooms on a dime!

1. Add white! White with your present color scheme will both cool and brighten, adding the freshness that only white can! If your room colors tend toward the warm side, such as yellows, browns, or reds…then choose creamier white such as ecru or ivory. If you have cooler colors in your room, such as greens and blues, go with the brighter, cleaner whites.

2. Try painting your focal wall, (that is, the one most seen) in a sunnier, brighter, or lighter shade of your current wall color. It will add lightness to the room without drastically changing the whole scheme. Don’t worry, you can always go back to that rich red in the fall, but how about a little petal pink, or sky blue? Remember, its only paint, its cheap!

3. Add a floral print fabric to your room. Using the primary colors already in your room, visit your fabric store and pick out a floral fabric you love with at least one of those primary colors in it. (The more, the better, but don’t feel you must have every color in the room also in the fabric!) Use that floral fabric to make table scarves, placemats, pillow covers, and simple seat cushion covers. Pair it with a solid fabric color already in the room, and you have a custom coordinated look, for just a few dollars and some simple straight sewing!

4. Pick up some pretty colored glassware from the dollar shop, and display it where the sun will light it up! You could even use clear glassware, and fill it with colored water to coordinate with the room. Use your glassware as vases, pencil holders, or candy dishes, but make sure it is seen! Glass sparkles and adds a bit of sunshine to a room.

5. Take down your curtains, and just leave your mini blinds underneath. Don’t leave it bare, though, we don’t want boring! Swag some dried or silk flowers over the top of the blinds, or use some muslin to twist around a curtain rod for an informal but airy valance. (No sew!)

6. Keep your windows sparkling clean. Dirty windows cut down on a surprising amount of light, and make a room look dull. As a bonus, clean windows mean more sparkling glass, and that makes room feel larger and brighter!

7. Pot up some pansies from the garden center and use them indoors as houseplants. They are cheap, easy, and add flowers to a room without the cost of replacing floral arrangements every week! You can even coordinate the flower color to the color scheme of the room. Don’t match the colors, just pick something complementary.

8. Clear most of the artwork and accessories out of your room, and just keep a few larger, simpler pieces. It declutters the room, and helps to put the focus on the freshness of a room. Consider picking up a white lattice from the garden center, and hang it on the wall as a focal point. Place a potted plant in front of it, or hang small framed garden catalog prints from it. Let it be a reminder of the outdoors all season long!

9. Use a stencil or a stamp to add floral and nature motifs to your room for very little money. Stencil vines around windows and doors, hand paint seasonal sayings over doorways with a paint pen, or stamp a floral bouquet on the front of cupboard doors. You can always paint over those small areas with touch up paint in the fall. (Or you might love them so much, they stay year round!)

10. Finally, don’t forget your entry area when you are creating that spring glow all around your home. Remember, your entries are a visitors first impression of your home! Add a pot of pansies on the porch, paint your entry a fresh spring color, and hang a handmade wreath or a basket of flowers on the front door.

All these ideas take very little time, little or no money, and do wonders for your spirit and the spirit of those who you love. Take a little time to brighten your lives!

About the Author: If you would like hundreds more great budget decorating ideas, visit http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com.

Most of us have seen wooden pallets stacked outside a store or warehouse with a big, enticing FREE sign attached to them. Millions of wooden pallets are used around the world for storage in factories, warehouses, and retail outlets and, of course, to transport goods between these facilities. At some point, many of these pallets become redundant or unusable for their original purpose - thus the need for someone to come take them away and reuse or recycle them.

Here are some great make and do ideas for recycling those cast-off wooden pallets …

Wooden Pallet Bench

Make a Wooden Pallet Bench
Readymade Magazine issued a Curbside Pallet Challenge, and you can read the story behind the winning entry of an Industrial Pallet Bench submitted by San Francisco chef Mike Yakura.

DIY instructions to make your own version are included on the page.

Make a Wooden Pallet Fence
Keep out critters and prying eyes when you Make Your Own Wooden Pallet Fence, with instructions from Clay Sawyer for Backwoods Home Magazine.

Rustic Pallet Planter

Make A Rustic Pallet Planter or Country-Style Pallet Deck
Also for the gardening enthusiast are these appealing plans and instructions from esprit cabane to make a Rustic Pallet Planter or, for the truly ambitious recycler with access to lots of pallets, a Rustic Wooden Pallet Deck.

Wooden Pallet Coffee Table

Make a Wooden Pallet Coffee Table
Available on the same great site are DIY instructions to Make a Wooden Pallet Coffee Table. This clever design uses mortar to fill gaps between slats; you can leave the mortar as is, or paint it for a more dramatic contrast with the wood grain.

Make Money from Recycled Pallet Birdhouses
Entrepreneurs should read this article on Backwoods Magazine which discusses how to make Wooden Pallet Bird Houses that are suitable for sale at local retail outlets such as hardware stores, feed stores, garden centers or craft stores.

Wooden Pallet Computer Desk

Build a Wooden Pallet Computer Desk
Starving students can expand their horizons beyond plank-and-brick bookshelves with these detailed instructions by Tom Riley, for Woodware Designs, showing How to Make a Computer Desk from Wooden Pallets.

Rustic Pallet Side Table

Rustic Pallet Side Table

For a straightforward, objective view on recycling pallets, including the pitfalls and benefits of working with this source of wood stock, check out Palatable Woodworking.

This site includes personal experience plans and photos, together with explanations on how the author made such impressive projects as the Rustic Pallet Table, shown at left.

Build It With Pallets
You’ll get the same “rough” plans that the author used, plus major construction tips to inspire your own resourceful creativity with wooden pallets.

In Build It! With Pallets, available from Amazon, author Joe Jacobs describes how to break down pallets into timber and refashion them into useful objects. The book includes over 20 plans for tables, fences, chairs, planters and other items of indoor and outdoor furniture. chairs, tables, fences, gates, chicken arks, planters, sheds, decking, cladding and many other items.

The author suggests notching the ends of eight pallet planks, as shown at left, to build a free-standing raised garden bed, or a run for a pet guinea pig or rabbit.

Raised Garden made from Pallets

Dismantling Wooden Pallets and Skids
One problem with reclaiming wooden pallets is the difficulty in prying them apart. But there are many shortcuts, hints and tips from the creative people commenting on this Instructables page, offering Plans for a Planter from Pallets using a No-Nail Pull Method. You could also check out How to Dismantle a Pallet.

Wooden Pallet Compost Bin

Raised Gardens from Pallets
Over at eHow.com, you’ll find DIY instructions for Raised Garden Beds Made From Pallets.

EHow also has two separate projects showing How to Make a Compost Bin from Wooden Skids or Make a Compost Bin from Free Wooden Pallets.

Finally, see what you can do with 80 reclaimed wooden pallets plus a few other reclaimed materials - Make a Pallet Playhouse. The author provides tons of photos and great advice, but you’ll learn a great deal from the commentary as well.

Wooden Pallet Playhouse

How to Make a Recycled Tote Bag or Purse

Many stores now have a “bring your own bag” policy to encourage the use of reusable shopping bags. While this is great for the environment, it usually means you end up buying some form of cheap fabric bag, printed with the store name, to carry your purchases home.

Here are some stylish shopping bag or alternatives - made mostly from recycled materials, it is true, but oh-so-much-better than turning yourself into a walking billboard for the local foodland.

Make a Purse from a Placemat

T-Shirt Purse

Lorain Blanken, the talented About.com guide for DIY Fashion, has easy step-by-step instructions to make a handy Placemat Purse; perfect for personal shopping or carrying smaller items.

Your local thrift store likely has lots of pretty placemats - pick out a nice one, and look for a set of purse handles (or make fabric handles in coordinating fabric). This project doesn’t even require a sewing machine; just hand sew the two side seams and fasten on the handle, and you’re done.

T-Shirt Grocery Bag

Recycled T-shirt Purses or Totes

I also like the project Lorain has for a casual T-Shirt Purse, made from two recycled tees, cleverly fashioned from two triangles of t-shirt fabric. Lorain provides how-to’s for hand sewing the triangles together; again, no sewing machine required.

You get a sense for how creative this designer is when you see the T-Shirt Grocery Tote that she made one night from two large t-shirts. Read her directions to make your own.

Doggie Bag Tote

Doggie Bag Tote

Pet lovers finally have a use for all those extra large (and extra strong) bags of dog food with recycling instructions from Beverly Watkins to make a Doggie Bag Tote.

Cat lovers, of course, can recycle larger bags of cat food for a feline-themed version. Apparently, the pet food aroma can be washed out, either by hand, or on a gentle cycle in the washing machine, followed by line drying.

Knit a Tote from Plastic Shopping Bags

Tote Knitted from Plastic Bags

No matter how hard you try, you’ll likely still collect a stash of plastic shopping bags on your travels. Knitters can put those to good use with this free pattern for a roomy and colorful Recycled Plastic Shopping Bag Tote.

Crochet a Plarn Bag

Recycled Plastic Bag Backpack

Over at MyRecycledBags.com, check out this stylish Recycled Plarn Backpack Pattern - as well as this free crocheted bag pattern, you’ll find detailed instructions on how to make yarn from plastic bags (plarn) and how to line a bag made from plarn.

Fuse Plastic Bags to Make a Tote

In the LeisureArts.com craft project Library, you’ll find great instructions showing how to make a Fused Recycled Bag Tote.

Fused Recycled Bag Tote

Essentially, this involves ironing a stack of plastic bags under parchment paper to fuse them into single pieces. The fused sections are then sewn together with simple exterior seams to form a tote bag. Love it!

Yard Sale Etiquette

What’s the right way to barter at a yard sale? Is it fair for “Early Birds” to get the bargains? And what’s the right way to price items? Here’s the basics of yard sale etiquette.

Just call me the Miss Manners of garage sales.

You see, I believe there’s a certain moral and ethical code governing the sacred act of selling and buying secondhand stuff. Contrary to popular belief, a yard sale is not an anything-goes, no-etiquette-needed free-for-all. As in any social situation, there are certain things you do or avoid doing in order to be polite.

Being avid yard sale shoppers, my husband, Michael and I often run across examples of bad manners, both by shoppers and by sellers. Here are a few of the faux pas we’ve seen that could have been easily avoided by the simple practice of good yard sale etiquette.

Buyers’ Blunders

Being an “Early Bird”
If the paper says the sale starts at 7a.m., don’t show up at 6 or don’t drive by the night before in hopes beating the other shoppers to the bargains. Yard sale shoppers who peer in garage windows with flashlights or knock on doors at 5:30 a.m. give the rest of us shoppers a bad name.

Not Respecting the Seller’s Property
Walking unnecessarily through the yard, stepping in flowerbeds, and blocking neighbors’ driveways are definitely in poor taste. If your children accompany you to a yard sale or garage sale, see to it that they respect the seller’s property as well.

Carrying Only Large Bills
While it is the seller’s responsibility to have adequate change, producing a $20 bill for a 25-cent purchase is extremely inconsiderate. Save small bills and change throughout the week for your Saturday yard sale trip.

Loud or Obnoxious Behavior
Just because the seller is up early doesn’t mean his neighbors are. Driving a noisy vehicle or speaking and laughing loudly will not endear you to the seller. Aggressive haggling or obnoxious negotiating tactics aren’t welcome, either.

Not Respecting Other Buyers
If you want to buy a large item or more items than you can carry, ask the proprietor to mark the item or start a “pile” for you in an out-of-the-way place. It is rude to claim items as yours while you continue shopping if you haven’t made any effort to let the proprietor and other shoppers know you intend to purchase them.

Sellers’ Slips

Not Pricing Items Clearly
I don’t know which is worse: not pricing items in a way that is easily understandable or not pricing items at all. Buyers shouldn’t have to work at figuring out the prices. If your pricing system is too confusing, some shoppers will get frustrated and leave without making purchases.

Accommodating Early Birds
Allowing early shoppers to get the bargains is unfair to the shoppers who respect your wishes. When sellers accommodate early birds, they only provide positive reinforcement to this inconsiderate behavior. Politely but firmly tell early birds that the sale is not open for business yet.

Trying to Sell Used Stuff at “New” Prices
If your stuff means that much to you, take it to a consignment store or sell it through a classified ad or on eBay. Yard sale shoppers are looking for bargains, not prices barely below what you’d find at a discount store.

Being Careless with Yard Sale Preparations
For the buyer who thinks she has found the item of her dreams, there is nothing worse than hearing, “That’s not for sale!” Remove things you do not want to sell from the sale area (lawnmowers, bicycles, wagons, etc.). If that is not possible, cover them with an old sheet or dropcloth, or use masking tape to rope off areas that are not part of the sale.

Not Taking Down Old Signs
After the yard sale is over, your yard sale signs are litter that should be disposed of just like any other garbage. Carelessly leaving old signs up ad infinitum is extremely inconsiderate to both shoppers and neighbors who must look at your weather-beaten signs for months to come.

If you have ever violated any of these social graces (as either a seller or buyer), take heart. Yard sale fanatics are a forgiving bunch. Just make a silent vow that in the future, you will always be on your best bargaining behavior.

About the Author: Nancy Twigg is the editor of Counting the Cost, a free twice-a-month e-zine devoted about simple, frugal and abundant living. She is also a popular conference and retreat speaker as well as the author of two books. To learn more about Nancy’s work, visit CountingtheCost.com

Additional Garage Sale Information:

Garage Sale Checklist
Use our garage sale check list to make your next garage sale successful and profitable.

Microsoft Office Templates for printable garage sale signs, garage sale flyers and postcards.

CBS News: Having a Successful Garage Sale
Information on what to sell, how to organize a garage sale, and pricing garage sale items.

Garage Sale Checklist:
A Guide To Hassle-Free Garage Sales

by: George Grubetic

Garage sales should be fun and hassle-free, with your goal to make some good money and off-load your unwanted items – our garage sale checklist is your hassle-free, step-by-step organizer so you know what to do before, during and after your garage or yard sale.

2-3 weeks before the sale

* Start sorting through your household for unwanted items - have the mindset that almost anything will sell if it is a bargain
* Price your items
- price items about 25-35% of what they cost new (clothes are exceptions - 5-15% here) Pick a date and time for your sale
- weekends are the best; avoid public holidays or special events Write your ad and advertise your garage sale
- give the address and hours of the sale; mention items that are of particular interest - Place your ad in local newspapers and using free garage sale advertising sites - put up flyers on local community boards; inform neighbours as they might want to have a joint sale

1 week before the sale

* Make sure items are cleaned and repaired
- the better condition it is in, the higher price you will get Determine where signs will go
- in and around your neighbourhood is best; one in front of your house is smart too Make your signs
- use arrows, print the address, start and end times, use big letters

1-2 days before the sale

* Set up your sale area
- use tables to lay items out, display clothing hung up; you want to create an area so people can browse and shop in comfort Get checkout area ready
- have plenty of change; spare bags; calculator; newspaper (to wrap fragile items); paper & pens

Night before the sale

* Put up signs
* Make some refreshments and have a radio ready to play some soft background music

Morning of sale

* Make sure your house is locked up and fully secure
- you don’t want to give buyers the opportunity to snoop around Open the gates/door to your sale
- greet all customers with a friendly smile and “hello!”; be prepared to bargain with buyers

Right after sale

* Take signs down - not only is this courteous to the environment, but you might incur a fine or penalty if you don’t Count your money and rejoice!

Copyright George Grubetic. An avid garage sale enthusiast, he is the webmaster of http://www.egaragesales.com.au, a website offering tips, hints and resources on how to have successful garage sales, including free listings across Australia.

Additional Garage Sale Information:

Yard Sale Etiquette
What’s the the right way to barter at a yard sale? Is it fair for “Early Birds” to get the bargains? And what’s the right way to price items? Here’s the basics of yard sale etiquette.

Microsoft Office Templates for printable garage sale signs, garage sale flyers and postcards.

CBS News: Having a Successful Garage Sale
Information on what to sell, how to organize a garage sale, and pricing garage sale items.