If you’re going away for a few weeks, there’s no need to keep your home toasty warm during the winter months. But you also do not want to turn off the heat entirely in your house. The ideal temperature at which to set your thermostat for energy efficiency and to protect your pipes and appliances is 50 degrees. Also, lower the blinds to keep the windows insulated. And if you can, plan to eat everything in your fridge prior to leaving. Empty it, turn it off completely and leave the doors open to let it air out. This one step will conserve a significant amount of energy.

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When you’re upgrading technology at home or your office, a safe and tax-deductible way to recycle old laptops is to donate them to charities like Goodwill. First, they do accept old technology and follow strict standards set by the U.S. Department of Defense to scrub the hard drives clean. They guarantee no one will ever see what’s on your computer; it goes into a special machine that wipes the computer clean without ever turning it on. Then it’s either sold at the store or given to a person in need through their GoodTech program.

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When you peel off the metal lid from a yogurt or cream cheese container, you might wonder: Is that foil lid recyclable? The good news is, yes it is. It’s made entirely from aluminum and is as easily recyclable as a metal soda can. But there’s one caveat: You must rinse it clean. Be sure to rinse off any of the residual yogurt or dairy on the lid; any food waste can mess up the recycling process. And because of its size, you should crumple it up and toss it into an aluminum can so it doesn’t jam a machine or get lost on its way to the recycling center.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION