Environment & Money Saving Tips
By Christopher Tait

Christmas has come and gone so how about trying to save a few extra pennies as well as help to save the environment at the same time. There are a few simple measures that you can do to reduce your impact on the environment.

Recycle those Christmas Cards
If you still have them make sure that you have taken down all the names and addresses out of the cards for people that have moved then get creative! Pick out the nicer cards and with the help of a crinkly pair of scissors - available from good craft shops start cutting out the front designs to make you gift tags for the following year. Simple and effective! Once you have finished get them all into the recycling bag for the council to pick up or take to the local recycling centre. If you are someone that buys your cars in the sale - another great cost cutting exercise - then make sure that you buy cards that use sustainable forests. Check the back of the packet to see if this is the case.

Reduce your Christmas Card List and stop Round Robin Letters
We all seem to want to send out as many cards as possible just to keep in touch once a year. Can you reduce the numbers that you send out? Have a look at your address book and work out if you are still in touch with these people or can you add them to an email address list so you send out an electronic card instead? You may find that you re-kindle your friendship with them over the instant communication email offers. Round Robin letters also make an impact upon he environment. It's not just the paper but the ink and electricity needed to produce such a letter too. Can this not be sent as an email or cut them out all together? Better still pick up the phone and talk to people!

Turn the Heating Down
Okay it is cold outside but you are inside with the fire on and the heating blasting away in your t-shirt. How about knocking the heating down just 1 degree and if you feel a difference pop a jumper on? Each 1 degree you put your heating UP by requires an additional 7-11% increase in the amount of energy required to keep that temperature.

Use Bricks!
No joke using bricks can help cut your bills. To reduce your water bill pop a brick into your cistern. This helps to reduce the amount of water used each time you flush the toilet. If you find that it is not putting enough water down to flush away the contents (what have you been eating!) the use a small bottle filled with water in the cistern instead. Also pop a brick or two in your freezer to fill in large gaps. A freezer uses more energy in keeping the air cool than the brick! Even better if you have them use the blue water filled bricks that you can get from camping shops. You can then take these out and use them to keep food cool on a picnic. Basically a fuller freezer is a more efficient freezer but make sure your freezer isn't just full due to it needing defrosting. A freezer that needs de frosting is not efficient at all.

Leave the Car at Home
Yes it is winter and it's cold and wet but if you can leave the car at home. Not only will this cut down on the CO2 that we pump into the atmosphere but it will also save money on petrol and move those extra pounds that we all put on over Christmas.

If you have more hints and tips that you use to cut your impact on the environment and save money we would love to hear from you. Simply click on the feedback button at the top of the article and get in touch with Community Friend.