Leaving your home for several weeks or months means you should take steps to reduce waste while you’re away. This is a good time to unplug energy hogs like refrigerators and freezers; just be sure they are empty, and leave the doors open so they dry out completely. Turn off the main water supply; it may not save you money, but it’ll give you peace of mind that there won’t be a plumbing issue. Turn off the electric water heater tank at the main breaker switch; there’s no point in keeping water hot for weeks at a time if it’s not being used. And switch off modems, cable boxes and small kitchen appliances by unplugging them.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

A dual-flush toilet is a great way to save water at home, because it lets you decide if you need a full or partial flush. But if you have a perfectly fine single-flush toilet, how can you save water? You can convert your toilet into a dual-flush simply by switching out the toilet flapper. For less than $10, you can add an adjustable flapper that lets you shorten the chain. This means a conventional toilet that wastes 5 to 7 gallons of water can be made into a water-efficient one that uses just 2.5 gallons.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When it comes to buying eco-friendly wines at our local shop, many of us look for organic or biodynamic varietals. But you also should consider geography when it comes to picking the perfect vino. Just like produce, purchasing domestically grown/made wine is far better than buying varietals from faraway places like South Africa, France and Portugal. The closer the winemaker is to you, the lower the carbon footprint. Cheers!

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION