Are you looking to go green in a big way, like getting a new energy-efficient refrigerator, or in a smaller way, like swapping out a few lightbulbs for LED ones? Your good deed can lead to immediate cash savings in the form of rebates with your local utility company. On the Energy Star Rebate Finder website (energystar.gov/rebate-finder), type in the ZIP code of your home, and the site will generate all the rebates from your local utility providers. A search for this author resulted in 47 offers ranging from a $400 rebate on the purchase of a heat-pump system for my home to $2 when I replaced my inefficient Christmas lights with LED versions.

With the hot summer months finally here, there’s one thing you should never leave in your car: your smartphone. According to Apple, its phones perform best in room temperature ranges between 62 to 72 degrees, and extreme cold and extreme heat can really impact your phone. When your phone is in an environment hotter than 93 degrees, not only can it impact your phone’s performance, it can also damage it permanently. So leaving a phone charging in a hot car can be a quick way to break it for good. Luckily, when it comes to freezing temps, it won’t ruin the phone; once it warms up to the ideal temperature, it should perform as good as new.

Is your closet full of neckties that you no longer wear? As our workplace attire becomes more casual, neckties can do more than gather dust. The organization Prairie Moon Quilts wants your old ties. It upcycles the ties and uses the silky fabric to make beautiful color-blocked quilts. When the handmade blankets are finished, the organization donates them to charity. You’ll even be acknowledged as of tie donor when the quilt is donated! You can donate your old neckties by visiting prairiemoonquilts.com.