Among the worst waste offenders in the fall months are homeowners who rake up fallen leaves, bag them and dispose of them with their regular trash. Not only is this illegal in some communities, it's also unnecessary. Instead, run your lawn mower over the leaves to help chop them up. The smaller the dead leaves, the more quickly they'll break down and degrade. You can also use raked leaves as mulch; spread them around the base of trees and bushes to help insulate them and prevent weed growth in the spring.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Excess Bubble Wrap from packages or purchases should be saved and reused when you're shipping items that need a little extra protection. But you can also use Bubble Wrap to help take the chill out of your morning commute. When the temperatures dip below freezing, place a sheet of Bubble Wrap on your car windshield, using the windshield wipers to hold it in place. When placed on your car overnight, it prevents icy frost from forming on the window. When you remove the wrap in the morning, you'll be good to go.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you want to support your local bookstore, or you just like the idea of buying books from independent stores AND the convenience of buying online, the website BookShop.org is for you. It works just like any online store, except they pool their earnings and distribute the proceeds to independent stores. You can even search to find your local bookstore and shop online to give them 100% of the proceeds. And if you link back to titles for sale on their site, they'll give you a 10% affiliate fee for sales. What a win-win.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION