When you’re shipping presents this holiday season, opt for ground shipping or the U.S. Postal Service for your shipping needs. Sending gifts via overnight or two-day service may get the package to your destination quicker, but it uses gas-guzzling planes and will drain your wallet as well. By planning ahead, you can pay for ground shipping, and the U.S. Postal Service will deliver your gifts using their existing fleet of trucks, at a lower price and with less fuel waste.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

There is so much organic food in the marketplace now that finding your favorite food items on sale or at warehouse clubs is easy to do. But how can you stock up on a sale without buying too much? If it’s something you use on a regular basis and you know you’re saving money, stock up on about 12 weeks’ worth of product. This is the average length of time between sales cycles for most items found in a supermarket. So if you eat one jar of organic pasta sauce a week on average, buy 12 jars. Shelf-stable items are your best bets to save big on organics when they’re on sale.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Dry cleaning can be wasteful because many cleaners still use harsh chemicals, clothes get wrapped in plastic and hung with disposable hangers, and it can cost a lot of money to keep your clothes maintained this way. Take a moment to look at the labels of your clothes and sort them by those that read “Dry Clean Only” and those labeled simply “Dry Clean.” The ones marked “Dry Clean Only” should be cared for by a professional, while many of those marked “Dry Clean” can be washed at home on a delicate cycle and hung up to dry.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION