| Reducing Waste Can Also Help Your Savings This Thursday, April 22, marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. While many of the ideas associated with Earth Day are directed at helping the planet, many of those ideas can also have a positive impact on your own home budget. The ideas below focus on specific ways that you can save - and in some instances make - money by reducing waste. Recycle It Most people already recycle on some level, whether at home or by dropping a plastic bottle in a recycling bin when they're at the mall. While recycling benefits the environment through less trash buried in landfills, it can also benefit your bottom line. The reality is, the more you recycle, the less you have to pay for trash removal. So look for more opportunities to recycle rather than toss - and try to purchase items that have less packaging to begin with, so you'll have less trash. In addition, don't forget that you can even make some money by recycling some items (such as MP3 players, cell phones, calculators, digital cameras, and more) through websites like YouRenew and BuyMyTronics. Compost It Communities across the country have developed citywide compost sites where people can drop off their grass clippings, leaves, and even Christmas trees. But you can also create a compost at your own home that benefits you in two ways. First, a home compost makes it easy and convenient for you to compost - rather than throwaway - a wide variety of household and kitchen items. In fact, in addition to grass clippings, weeds and leaves, you can dispose of things you might normally throw away, including: - Shredded newspaper
- Ripped cardboard
- Ash from a fireplace or woodstove
- Lint from your dryer and vacuum
- Coffee grounds and tea bags
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Wool rags...and more!
When you add it all up, there's a lot of everyday waste that can be composted rather than thrown away - which can help reduce your garbage bill significantly when combined with recycling! The second way that composting can help you save is by providing you with a free source of nutrient-rich compost for gardens and lawns. Which means you can save by not purchasing soil or black dirt...and you can save on delivery charges or gas money for your own vehicle. And in these challenging times, every little bit of money you save helps! Sell It If you have items around the house that you no longer use, try selling them rather than throwing them away. Whether you sell the items for very little money at a garage sale or on eBay, you'll be making money...rather than paying the garbage company to haul it away! If you've never sold an item on eBay, you can find a lot of helpful information on the get started on eBay website. Donate It Not every item can be sold, but that doesn't mean you have to resort to trashing it or paying to have it hauled away. By donating old clothing items or even a broken-down car, you can save on the garbage bill and even make money at the end of the year in the form of a tax deduction. It's a win-win-win situation! TurboTax provides information and a video about donating on its website. Take a look for ideas on what to donate and how to make sure you qualify for a deduction. Reuse It One of the best ways to reduce waste - and save on your shopping bills - is to simply reuse items. That can mean using your regular plates and glasses, rather than paper or plastic cups that fill your garbage bin (and have to be purchased over and over again). Reusing plastic containers from products like sour cream or cottage cheese also means you don't have to throw those items away and you don't have to purchase plastic bags for leftovers. Other ideas include using washable towels and napkins instead of paper towels and paper napkins. You can also save wrapping paper from a birthday party or holiday celebration for use later...that alone can eliminate the unnecessary bill of paying for additional garbage bags after a celebration. Finally, don't forget items such as shower curtains. For example, by purchasing a shower curtain made out of Pack Cloth that's washable, you'll save not only on the expense of disposing of old shower curtains every few months, but also the expense of buying new ones so often. As an added benefit, Pack Cloth doesn't give off harmful toxins, so your home and family will be safer while you save. By following these simple steps, you'll not only save by reducing waste, but you can actually make some money in the process!
Remember, as a general rule, weaker than expected economic data is good for rates, while positive data causes rates to rise. Economic Calendar for the Week of April 19 - April 23 | Date | ET | Economic Report | For | Estimate | Actual | Prior | Impact | | Mon. April 19 | 10:00 | Index of Leading Econ Ind (LEI) | Mar | 1.0% | | 0.1% | Low | | Wed. April 21 | 10:30 | Crude Inventories | 4/17 | NA | | -2.20M | Moderate | | Thu. April 22 | 08:30 | Jobless Claims (Initial) | 4/17 | NA | | 484K | Moderate | | Thu. April 22 | 08:30 | Core Producer Price Index (PPI) | Mar | 0.1% | | 0.1% | Moderate | | Thu. April 22 | 08:30 | Producer Price Index (PPI) | Mar | 0.5% | | -0.6% | Moderate | | Thu. April 22 | 08:30 | Existing Home Sales | Mar | 5.30M | | 5.02M | Moderate | | Fri. April 23 | 08:30 | Durable Goods Orders | Mar | 0.0% | | 0.9% | Moderate | | Fri. April 23 | 10:00 | New Home Sales | Mar | 320K | | 308K | Moderate |
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