1/7/14

Thinking ahead when running errands can help you save not just time, but money at the gas pump. When you take a trip to the store and start your car when it’s cold each time, it can use twice as much fuel as if you made several trips doing back-to-back errands when the engine is still warm. Planning multiple errands also reduces the total distance you need to drive, so you save a significant amount of money and time in the long run. While you’re at it, drive the speed limit. For every 5 miles over 50 miles per hour, it reduces your car’s efficiency to the tune of 24 cents per gallon of gas.

1/6/14

More than 1,000 Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada already have front-of-store recycling bins. By 2015, 100 percent of the stores will have the program in place. What can you recycle? Every community is different, since every city, town or even shopping mall handles waste uniquely. Generally, the divided recycling bin handles recycling for paper cups and plastic lids and even diverts food waste to be composted.

1/5/14

It seems counterintuitive to put out toxic bait to poison mice and rats near your food, so do the best natural alternative instead to discourage them from eating your food: Soak a cotton ball in pure peppermint oil and place it at the base of your pantry. Mice hate the strong smell of peppermint and will do anything to stay away from it. The side benefit? It makes for a pleasant-smelling pantry for you! You can also mix peppermint oil with distilled water to make a spray and mist the entire inside of the pantry for a totally natural barrier.