Water - Saving Money Tips

[jeffrey]

There are numerous ways that you can save on your water consumption. Savings are compounded when you can save on heated water since you also save the energy needed to heat the water. The following are some basic hints on reducing the amount of water you use for different areas in your house.

Appliances

Run your appliances that use water like your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full. Even when the appliances have different size settings, full loads still are the most water efficient. If you are doing a smaller size load, always match the water level with the size of the load.

When you are in the market to purchase a new appliance, choose one that offers cycle and load size adjustments. They are both more water and energy-efficient than older appliances.

Designate a single, specific glass for your drinking water each day. This will cut down on the number of times you will need to run your dishwasher.

Faucets

Fix leaky faucets as soon as you you find them. a leaky faucet will add up to approximately 2,700 gallons of wasted water over the year.

When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. It is more water efficieint to fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

Use your garbage desposal only when necessary. Many items thrown into it can be used as compost instead which will save gallons of water every time you avoid using it.




Fill a 2 liter plastic pop bottle with water and place it in your refrigerator. This will allow you to drink cold water without running the faucet and wasting water until the water gets cold.

Instead of washing your produce under running water, partially fill a pan or plug the sink. This will allow you to wash it all while using a minimal amount of water.

Don't use running water to thaw food. Plan ahead so it can thaw in your refrigerator or on the countertop. If it needs to be thawed quickly, opt for you microwave instead of running water

While leaky faucets indoors are usually spotted quickly, outdoor leaky faucets may go undetected for a long period. Once a month walk around your house and look for outdoor leaky faucets, pipes and hoses. Repair any you find immediately.

Be sure to turn off the water while you brush your teeth. This will save approximately 4 gallons of water each minute which will add up to approximately 200 gallons of water each week for a family of four.

Be sure to turn off the water while you wash your hands, especially when lathering. This will save approximately 4 gallons of water each minute which will add up to approximately 200 gallons of water each week for a family of four.

Be sure to turn off the water while you shave. This will save approximately 4 gallons of water each minute which will add up to approximately 100 gallons of water each week.

Take the time to teach your children to turn the faucets off tightly after each use so that they don't leak overnight.

Instead of running water over pots and pans while you try to clean off tough grime, fill them with soap and water and let them soak a couple of hours.

Cut back or stop rinsing your dishes completely if your dishwasher is a newer model. Newer models effectively clean dishes even without pre-rinsing them.

Purchase and install aerators on all of your faucets and showerheads.

Insulate exposed hot water pipes. This will keep the water in them warm longer so you won't have to run as much water to get hot water to the faucet.

If you live in a cold area, winterize outdoor spigots when the temperature falls to 20 degrees F. This will prevent pipes from freezing or bursting.

Place spray gun nozzles on the end of all your hoses that . This will allow you to use the hose without wasting water for such activities as washing you car.

Miscellaneous

Learn where your water meter is and check it monthly. Compare it with your water bill to track your water usage and quickly identify when there may be a problem.

Learn where your master water shut-off valve is located. If there happened to be burst pipe, being able to shut off the water would not only save hundreds of gallons of water, but also greatly reduce any water damage to your home.

When cleaning off the sidewalk, driveway or porches, use a broom instead of a hose. This can save as much as 80 gallons of water every time you substitute.

When purchasing summer recreational water toys, choose ones that don't require a constant flow of water for their use.

If you have fountains or ponds in your garden area, make sure they're equipped with recirculating pumps so they don't constantly use new water.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Hi everyone

When I needed to cut back on my water bill to save money. I went searching on Internet anywhere, I found many good water wise sites too! By reading these sites and studying my own habits, now I can say that I have cut my own usage from 42kl (4200litres), too less than 18kl (1800 litres) per quarter. By washing clothes less (which I have made up a grid of number washing days versus number loads), using many tips used in the above article as well many more!

I will post the instruction to make wash days graph/grid!

[spendless]

I'm bad about leaving the water on while brushing teeth and shaving. I'll take the challenge to conserve by turning the running water off until needed. That'll add up to a considerable amount of wasted H2O.

[Tightwad Kitty]

Making the Number of Washdays Graph /Grid

Washing and drying clothes is another area that you can save money in. Do the some math’s here on number of washing loads per year that you do and challenge your family do it, in the lease number times possible. It would a good math problem for the children to work on! 10 x 10 grid will do, to see if you can cut back here. That number loads per day from 1 to 10 across then down 1 to 10 days, doing that number of loads in each column. When this is up made it will give an Annual number of wash loads. Look at these figures and see if you can do better than you are doing now!

Looking at the chart when made, you can see that timing of your wash can save you money and time too!

If you can do:
Single Household
One load, every 5 or 6 days that’s 73 or 60 loads per year.
Two loads every 9 days that’s 80 loads per year. (This is my own goal.)
Three loads every 10 days that’s 111 loads per year.

Family and Multi-Person Households
Clutter Busters and Time Management people.
Will tell you that a family needs to stay on top of the family washing and drying in clothes dryer. Will need to wash everyday, one load at night and one in the morning. Putting the washing straight into the dryer or on the line as you take them out. That’s would be 730 loads per year or more. That just Two loads per day.

Questions to ask yourself:
How big is your household?
What sizes is your washing machine and dryer?
Does it take more than two hours to wash and dry in the dryer each load?
How much line space do you have if any?
How many loads can put on the line at once? If you have a line!
Would it be more economical to get a larger washing machine or dryer or an extra clothesline?
Do I need to wash towels and bed linen daily or every other day. Most households wash these weekly in the tropic?

[kealina]

we have three people in our household... i think we do ok.... the other two (guys) wash their clothes every sunday along with all my "casual clothes" (no knits or shrinkable stuff if i can remember) and non-whites (they don't have any)... the rest i keep until i have enough for a load... it might be weeks or even a month or more but when it's ready then I toss it in and take care of it seperately... i think we have maybe 75 loads a year?

[markio26]

my water bill was over fifty dollars this month.. it usually ranges from 33-35 a month..
i will have to call and find out if this is an adjustment month... for the whole year... we are not overage on our regular usage.

[Mabuisakura]

thanks!

[Great to be Debt Free]

What great tips, Jeffrey!

>>Why of course they are, GTBDF... that's what I do (he says, with a smirk)<<

Well, I know you KNOW, but still, I think this is such a great site, and you do such a wonderful service -- you and Nate

>>I'll tell him you said so, you're not so bad yourself <<

Are you flirting with me, Jeffrey? I'm married you know!

>>Wow, someone has gotten the wrong idea... <<

Just kidding, just kidding...

Okay, enough of my imagined conversation, but really, these are great tips! I love that you have actual numbers about how much water different things use -- Dh is the logical/analytical type -- this will really speak well to his mindset.

Oh, and my contribution, I have used much less water on the outside plants because we forgot to turn the valve during the winter and now the hosebib leaks. So we have the outside water turned complettely off -- the only water the plants get now is what I have from priming the shower! I'm too lazy to pull out the step stool to turn the valve in the basement to have to go back up the steps and outside to water everything! It's probably saved me a bunch! LOL

[Mathew Green]

Texas is in a prolonged drought and the government keeps tightening up water use restrictions. One fellow responded to the lawn-watering restrictions by buying a small electric water pump intended for draining swimming pools and using it to pump all of his family's bath water onto the lawn. I'm not sure what the long-term effects of that would be, but I guess it's ok as long as you don't use bubble bath or a lot of shampoo.

[gptmca]

You can reduce the amount of water used when you flush the toilet by simply placing a brick (or similar object) in the cistern. This causes less water to enter the cistern when it is filling, therby reducing the amount used with each flush.

[paulnkrisc]

One idea that my mother-in-law uses to save water on watering plants. First she purchased a large plastic garbage can and a piece of flexible downspout. She cut the downspout on her house in half to allow the rain water to fill the garbage can. When the garbage can fills with water she reconnects the downspout with the flexible piece. I believe that she has done this now for 10 years and has never needed to turn on the hose to water her flowers or garden.

[froshie1]

Family seldom waters the plants. If ever we water the plants we use recycle water:

1.) Water used in sterilizing baby bottles.
2.) Water used in washing rice.
3.) I sometimes use water that came from my laundry. I have a fully automatic washing machine and whenever it drains the water (I do this the 2nd drain coz it doesn't have soap in it). I aim the drain hose in my plants, hehehe.

[WiseOwl]

Wow. What great tips. I need to focus more on water consuption.

[Razzy]

We handwash our dishes, when I wash dishes I use a large bowl for my rinse water. When it gets to soapy I dump the water in a large bucket and water my outdoor plants with that water.

Razzy

[emilywebster07]

I try alot of tips to save water, like while brushing I open the tap whenever required.

Best bet would be to use restroom at work.

[RedThunderBird]

take a shower nor a bath

[Miltoncrew]

The tips that you have shared in reducing the consumption of water are good and also helpful. I maintained a pipe line from my kitchen to the garden, where it gives a chance to make use of the water in the kitchen.

[croland]

Great article!

[buildmybudget]

One of the most recent ways I've found to save some cash is to purchase a water bottle that I refill every day before work from my Brita filter. Not only do I save on purchasing water, but this is so much Greener than disposing of all the plastic bottles.

[yournontoxiclife]

These are great tips! I would add to give small children what I like to call "business baths" instead of regular, fill up the tub with gallons and gallons of water. I actually give them quick little showers and let them play with toys for a few minutes after while I rinse them. It takes about 5 minutes of water use, versus up to 9 or 10 minutes to fill the tub, then rinse them for 2 minutes, saving about 6-7 minutes of water use!