Stop Junk Mail

Every time you order something online, fill out a warranty card, or join a club, your personal information is collected and sold to marketers who will flood your mailbox with offers, wasting paper as well as your time. To stop junk mail, start by contacting the Mail Preference Service to request that your contact information be removed from lists run by The Direct Marketing Association (a trade group of marketing companies.) Removing your information from this mailing list will cost $1 but it will also help to stop junk mail for up to five years. This can be done online at: http://www.dmaconsumers.org/offmailinglist.html, or by sending a postcard or letter to:

Mail Preference Service

Direct Marketing Association

PO Box 643

Carmel, NY 15012-0643

Credit card offers are another big source of junk mail. You can call 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 hours a day to stop any and all unsolicited credit card offers from coming your way.

Take Control Of Your Temperature

This is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do to save energy around your house. In the winter, see if you and your family can still be comfortable with the thermostat set around 68 degrees. Turn it down even more when you go to sleep. During the summer months, bump up the thermostat and open a window when there is a fresh breeze.

Pull The Plug

Even when appliances are off, they are still draining energy in “standby” mode. Use a power strip to turn off televisions, stereos, and computer systems when you are not using them and unplug appliances such as phone chargers, extra refrigerators, and printers until you need them.

Make A Waste-Free Lunch

Many parents rely heavily on pre-packaged and disposable goods when packing lunches. Sure, they’re convenient, but what is the cost of this convenience? Much of the trash generated in the American home comes from the packaging on the food we buy. According to Wastefreelunches.org, each school-age child who packs a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That works out to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school. Ditch those pre-packaged goods and make your kids a waste-free lunch.

How do you make a waste-free lunch? Instead of wrapping sandwiches in aluminum foil or plastic bags, use a reusable container that can hold the sandwich as well as fresh veggies and other treats. Substitute cloth napkins and reusable silverware for disposables. Replace juice boxes and water bottles with reusable drink containers. And use a lunchbox or cooler instead of paper lunch bags.

Don't Buy It...Borrow Instead

Start a toy exchange with friends. As every parent knows, today’s favorite toy is tomorrow’s closet clutter. Instead of buying new toys every week, bring a box of your old toys to a friend’s house and bring a box of their old toys home. Swap them back after a few weeks. Instead of buying books, movies, and magazines, utilize your local library or movie rental store.

Go Paperless

Think twice before you hit that PRINT button. Read documents, news, and magazines online. Pay bills over the web to save paper from bills and checks. Send out e-cards to save both paper and cash. At work, distribute memos and circulate documents by email.