Save Money--4 Tips --In the Back Yard

Lawn Care:
Cut your grass so it's two inches high, and leave he clippings on the lawn. You'll spend less time mowing and raking, and you won't have to water your lawn so much. Forty percent of water in summer is allocated to outdoor usage when rates are highest. Also, less lawn care usually means using fewer chemicals that will leach into runoff water and damage local fish and bird habitats.
Pool:
Cover your pool when you aren't using it and you'll cut water lost to evaporation by 90 percent and therefore the cost of replenishing it. An average-size pool with average sun and wind exposure loses approximately one thousand gallons of water per month--enough to meet the drinking water needs of a family of four for nearly a year and a half.
Outdoor Lighting:
Turn off your outside lights when they're not needed. If possible, use timers or motion sensors. The average household spends about $13 per year per 100-watt bulb on electricity.
Sprinklers:
Try to use your sprinklers in early morning or evening. The average lawn needs only about one hour of watering per week. In summer, outdoor water usage accounts for 40 percent of household water bills. The irrigation of U.S. lawns and landscapes claims an estimated 7.9 billion gallons of water a day-- a volume that would fill fourteen billion six-packs of beer.
These tips come from "the green book" . Buy "the green book" . And for more tips go to www.readthegreenbook.com.

personal note: gas savings over the weekend from using regular instead of next grade $.70. From drinking water instead of a soft drink$1.50. Made a quick stop at Food Lion today in-store savings $.30. Total $2.50.

Savings as of 1-27-08 $192.42
Savings this weekend $ 2.50
Savings year to date $194.92

Happy savings!!!