If you've boiled or flash-cooked a large pot of vegetables, don't toss the leftover water down the drain. Instead, let the water cool and give your houseplants or garden a nutritionally packed treat to help them thrive. The residual vitamins that come from the vegetables are incredibly beneficial for plants. Just make sure the water is completely cooled and free of any salt, which is dehydrating and damaging to plants. If there are bits of cooked vegetables in the water, strain them out before using the water for your plants.

Here's an easy way to reuse plastic bubble wrap to help save energy at home: Use it in your freezer. Since bubble wrap has pockets of air that help insulate, wrapping items that need to stay frozen helps them stay ice-cold easier, especially if you open the freezer door regularly. Consider wrapping containers of ice cream and frozen meats in bubble wrap, and even laying sheets of it on the freezer shelves. Every time you open the freezer door, the bubble wrap helps keep the food frozen longer, so your freezer doesn't have to work as hard to keep temperatures low. You can also use it in the refrigerator to line shelves that hold beverages to help them keep their chill.

Many homes have their own septic tank, and it's critical to have it regularly maintained. Have it inspected every two to three years, depending on usage. Your septic inspection will show any leaks, cracks or potential problems that can be addressed before a future total breakage or failure. Failing septic tanks aren't just costly to repair, they can also leak pollutants into our waterways, which leads to groundwater contamination. One way to keep your septic tank happy is to never toss items like dental floss, diapers, cigarette butts, paper towels, paint and harmful chemicals down the drain. They can all cause clogs, erosion and other problems.