reduce, reuse, recycle

for awhile now ape and i have been trying to figure out ways to conserve or try and not waste things around the house. first off, energy is a big thing, especially when the electricity bill comes in. luckily we haven't had to use the heater for the past month and a half, because for some reason our unit stays at a comfortable temp, thanks neighbors if you're blasting our heaters. that's a big help. also, I've unplugged electronics from the wall that aren't being used all the time, like the Xbox 360 and the Wii. Turning off our iMac and macbook (if plugged into the wall) at night when not in use helps out too. I took a look at the electric bill this month at the rate dipped $8, just for unplugging and turning off electronics!

we also got back into the Brita seen. ape and i have a couple nalgene bottles already but used them at the office using their filtered water. at home, we'd drink deer park. we fianlly did the math and found that though the filters cost more than 24-packs of water, we drink about 3 24-packs in the amount of time we would have to change a filter. we'll probably drink more now that we're in the gym more often. at Target you can get a Brita on sale and they're offering a nalgene bottle for a penny with the purchase. after shipping it's $4.21. you can choose between 3 different sizes. not bad!

and lastly we're using those reusable bags at the grocery store. we've had the bags for awhile now but haven't used them regularly. after being fed up that our plastic bag holder was overflowing we decided that we have to force ourselves to use the reusable bags. plus, they hold more and they're easier to carry. i've also heard that local governments in the area are trying to pass legistlation to start charging customers at grocery stores 5 cents per plastic bag.


we're doing our part, it's not much but every little bit countts.