If nobody is going to be at home during the day today, take the opportunity to check if your home has any unknown water leaks. Before you lock up the house, take a reading on your water meter that indicates how many gallons you’ve used. Then when you return home after a few hours, check the reading again. If the number is the same, you’re in good shape. But if the number has risen by a few gallons, you likely have a leak somewhere. Common culprits are leaky toilets or outdoor faucets, where drips can go unnoticed.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Want to save energy and speed up cooking time by as much as 70 percent? A pressure cooker is an easy way to prepare a home-cooked meal that can feed a crowd and cook from start to finish very quickly. The end results are better than using a microwave, and they save a considerable amount of energy versus using a cooktop or oven. And today’s modern-style pressure cookers are safe; they feature new latches and systems to prevent messy spills or, worse, kitchen disasters. If you can twist a lid on, you can use a modern pressure cooker today.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Cooler temps mean the water in your backyard pool needs to be drained to ready it for winter. Instead of draining the water out completely, you can recycle and reuse it to hydrate your lawn and garden areas. Since most pools are chlorinated, the first step is to remove chlorine tablets and allow your pool to sit untreated for at least a week. This will help your pool get to the desired pH level acceptable for watering. Then use a siphon or water pump to use the water to hydrate your garden, lawn and landscaping. This tip does not work for saltwater pools, and that type of water should not be used for watering your yard.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION