If you love writing with a pencil, consider upgrading your writing utensil to something even greener. First, a wood or recycled composite pencil is far better than a plastic mechanical pencil. Second, did you know you can upgrade your wooden pencil to help get your garden growing? New “plantable” pencils are embedded with seeds that are ready to plant when your pencil is shaved down to a stub. Just insert the stub into soil and watch herbs, flowers and vegetables come to life in your garden. Many brands and varieties are in stores now.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Shopping the bulk bins at your local supermarket is a simple way to save money and reduce packaging for things like oats, nuts and cereal. But you may not realize that the bulk section extends to other parts of the store, too. Did you know many stores also have a bulk spice section? Since spices tend to spoil quickly, buying a whole bottle can be a waste of money. In the bulk spice section, you can buy as little or as much as you want, which means you can purchase a teaspoon of an unusual spice for a single recipe, possibly for as little as 25 cents.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Among the most expensive things moving companies have to “wrap” are flat-screen TVs. These items are large and cumbersome, and they can break easily during a move. To avoid the cost of wrapping your televisions, make a visit to your local electronics store. They often have leftover boxes that new TVs came packaged in. You can reuse those boxes (with all of the foam compartments inside) to pack up your TV. This same tip works for computers, printers and other electronics you may also have.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION