Hello Lesslie,

I keep reading about “going green” and am wondering about some of the ways we can save money and energy at home.  Please help!  Marta J.

Marta,

There are lots of ways you can “go green”.  Here are just a few ideas.   Eliminate your paper trail by banking and paying bills online.  This does more than save trees.  It also helps reduce fuel consumption by the trucks and planes that transport paper checks in envelops.  If every U.S. citizen viewed and paid his bills on line, the switch would cut solid waste by 1.45 billion tons per year.  Another real simple way to go green, is open up your windows for a cross ventilation instead of turning on your air conditioning.  Also, adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter.  Caulk and weatherstrip all of your windows and doors.  Use the dishwasher only when it is full.  Turn down the thermostat on the water heater.  Wash your clothes in warm or cold water.  One last thing to do—hang your sheets on a clothesline to dry.  They won’t be quite as soft as coming out of a dryer, but they’ll smell wonderful and fresh. -Lesslie