Spam email is more than just annoying -- it actually wastes money. All of the extra hours spent poring through unwanted junk emails, in addition to the time deleting and the drain it has on batteries, actually wastes about $110 a year in energy costs. One way to save time and money is to activate spam filters on your email account. Also, be mindful when entering your email address when ordering products and services online; be sure the box that grants a company the right to solicit you with new products and information is not selected.

It's tempting: You see those giant metal used clothing receptacles in parking lots of shopping malls, and you know how easy it would be to toss your clothes in there. But did you know that the majority of those donations bins don't actually help people in need but are really for-profit operations? A recent New York Times story revealed that not only are these collection boxes illegal, an eyesore and hazardous, they don't help the needy. Instead, the used clothing that is collected is often sorted and resold to thrift shops or in bulk overseas, where all of the proceeds are untraceable and likely to benefit individuals. If you want your lightly used clothes to help people, consider dropping them off at a reputable charity like Goodwill or the Salvation Army instead.

Did you finish the last dill pickle and wonder what you could do with all that leftover pickle juice in the jar? Use it to kill stubborn weeds. The acid in vinegar -- the main ingredient in pickle brine -- is an effective natural weed killer. For stubborn weeds that have long roots that are almost impossible to pull up by hand, pour the juice on top. Wait a few weeks, and watch them disappear.