It's common knowledge that even when turned off, TVs that are left plugged into the wall continue to draw electricity called "phantom power" that wastes your money. But TVs aren’t the only electronic devices in your home that draw power while not in use. Anything with a cord that goes into the wall can draw phantom power, so walk around and unplug rarely used things like stereo speakers, gaming systems, printers and even chargers for your smartphone. If you do this, you could recoup hundreds of dollars on energy costs over time.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Want to keep snack foods like potato chips, crackers and tortilla chips fresh for months after you’ve opened the bag or box? Store them in your freezer. The biggest culprit in making snack foods go stale is moisture. Storing them in the freezer keeps them away from humidity and freezes them fresh. Since there’s a very tiny amount of water in snack foods, the slight freeze actually prevents the starches from retrograding. And when you remove them from the freezer, it only takes a few seconds for your snacks to defrost.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

One of the biggest eco-culprits is single-use coffee pods. It’s believed 75 million households use single-cup coffee machines every day, resulting in billions of plastic cups being thrown into landfills. To prevent this, consider refillable cups designed to be filled with loose coffee and rinsed out when finished. Or look for compostable cups that fit inside the machines and can be added to your backyard compost after use. Convenience comes at a cost, and eliminating this waste is a cinch!

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION