If you have a few drops of cooking or olive oil left in a bottle, turn it upside down and let it drip into a soft rag or microfiber towel. This does two things: It cleans out the bottle to ready it for recycling and it gives you the perfect rag to clean around the house. Use the lightly oiled cloth to polish leather furniture, or on dull wood to moisturize and bring it back to life. You can even clean door hinges that squeak with just a few drops of old oil.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you invest in one type of plant for your landscaping, invest in a tree. The environmental benefits are clear: Trees provide shade for your home, they provide habitat for wildlife and they absorb CO2 emissions. But they also have value; a mature tree can add $1,000 to $10,000 to the valuation of your home. An early investment in a young tree on your property can mature and grow into almost a literal Money Tree!

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When it comes to landscaping around the house, there are more than just environmental benefits in choosing native plants for your yard. Much like an exotic houseplant that needs a lot of TLC to stay alive, non-native plants for your yard can require lots of maintenance. Native plants are tolerant and adaptable to your region’s climate, so they won’t need regular watering and can survive a drought. Plus, they don’t need fertilizer and are often naturally disease- and pest-resistant.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION