#1: THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK … bottled water, that is. If you stop buying bottled water this year, how much money would you save? “If you drink your daily recommended 8 glasses of water per day from the tap, it will cost you about 50 cents per year. If you choose to drink it from water bottles, it can cost you up to $1,400 dollars.” (Source: EPA.) Less plastic bottles means less resources are used to produce them and less trash, too. For convenient water on the go, fill a re-usable aluminum or stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic.tap water over bottled water in this article from National Geographic Kids. For convenient water on the go, fill a re-usable aluminum or stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic.

#2: BUY LESS/USE LESS. This should be easy, since you ran out of money buying Christmas presents, right? Seriously, if you buy less and use less, it will help the environment, AND help you with other resolutions you probably are making: lose weight, save money, de-clutter, etc.

#3: GARDEN … EVEN IF YOUR SPACE IS TINY. If you resolved to eat healthier in 2015, growing your own veggies will help. Also, getting your hands dirty is a great way to appreciate our great outdoors. Think you don’t have the space for gardening? From Pikeville, the Mother of a Hubbard blog — named a Top 10 Gardening Blog by Better Home and Garden — shows you how to feed your family on less than 1/10 of an acre!

#4: THROW IN THE (PAPER) TOWEL. Paper towels have their place, but if you’re using them for every chore, then now is a great time to make some substitutions. Keep cotton cloths for cleaning and try fabric napkins for a change. Throw them in the laundry load that you would be washing any way. Do your part to eliminate the 3,000 tons of paper towels that end up in landfills every day.

#5: DID SANTA BRING YOU NEW ELECTRONICS? Don’t forget to e-cycle the old ones! Donating or recycling electronics conserves resources and avoids pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials. Learn more at this link: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm

#6: SAVE THE MONARCHS! The population of monarch butterflies is declining, and loss of habitat is considered a key problem. It’s easy to plant a butterfly garden that will help sustain them, and you will enjoy its beauty, too. This is a great family or school project. Get started at this web site:  http://www.monarchwatch.org/garden/index.htm

#7: SAVE ENERGY … AND HERE’S HOW. You know you can save money, help the environment and make your home more comfy by using energy wisely at home. But where do you start? Try the new ENERGY STAR® Home Advisor.

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