One of the biggest culprits of waste is buying lunch in disposable containers on a daily basis. But it can also be a real waste of money, equaling about $2,000 a year on average per person. By bringing your lunch, you can cut back on all the waste when you use reusable containers. And you can also use reusable hot and cold beverage bottles at work, one for your morning coffee (and most coffee shops give a discount for bringing a bottle) and one to fill with filtered water from free water fountains.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Whether you’re frying an egg or sauteing vegetables, it matters what size pan you use on your cooktop. If you’re using a smaller pan on a larger burner, you’re wasting heat and throwing money away. Here’s an example: Cooking with a small pan on a larger electric burner cooktop can cause up to a 40 percent decrease in energy efficiency. By choosing the right-size burner for the pan, you can save around $36 a year. And don’t forget: Putting a lid on top can help speed up your cooking, too.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

One of the easiest ways to save energy when using the oven is to defrost frozen food in the refrigerator. A thawed-out meal like a frozen meatloaf will cook more quickly in the oven versus cooking it straight from the freezer. But when you defrost food in the fridge, be sure to do one more thing: Cover it. Uncovered frozen food releases moisture as it thaws out, which makes your refrigerator’s compressor work harder and use more energy to run.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION