Saving Money on Water

Saving water through out the month will help to lower your bill. And it can be something as simple as a small leak somewhere.

First of all you want to check all of your faucets and water lines. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make sure nothing is running and go out to the meter and see if it is moving. If it is, then you know you need to start looking for a drip. Fixing your leaks can save hundreds a year. Even if it's only leaking while it's turned on, fixing this can help and also prevent a problem in the future.

If you have everything fixed or there was nothing wrong then it's time to move on. Make sure your hoses are connected properly to the washing machine. If you only have one hose hooked, you may want to watch for the water coming out on the other side. This happened to me. I wanted to only use the cold side, so I didn't hook up the hot. When I went to wash clothes, water poured out of the hook up for the hot side. Almost costing me to replace a floor.

Something else that can be done is to limit how long each person is in the shower. I know this sounds a little frantic but when I started paying attention, I noticed quickly my daughter was taking 45 minute showers. Considering she doesn't have long hair and it doesn't take long to wash it, I knew it was a waste. Also taking a shower instead of a bath helps to reduce how much water is used.

Also when you wash clothes, make sure you have a full load. I know you may not want to see a couple of clothes sitting there in the hamper, but there's no need to wash clothes when you can save money by washing a full load at once.

Which brings me to dishes. Leaving the water running when you wash dishes can waste money quickly. I found the best way for me to wash dishes was to run one side full and put the dishes in the water, then maybe wipe down the table or stove, giving them time to soak if needed. Then wash them off and putting them on the other side of the sink which is clean. Once I have that sink full washed, place more if needed in the water then rinse off the ones you just cleaned. It makes it easier in the long run and you don't run your water constantly.

I know this may sound crazy but if a drip can waste water so can leaving the water running while you brush your teeth. Make sense? It should. Turn the water when you are brushing your teeth, you can easily turn it back on when your finished.

Sometimes when things are tough, special measures have to be taken to help save the money. If you follow some of these tips you should see a difference almost immediately.