Transportation

When you drive your car, truck or motorcycle, it’s important to reduce the amount of pollution you are causing because it can help preserve your gasoline. Remember to drive sensibly and refrain from speeding and accelerating or braking rapidly. If you cannot afford to buy a fuel-efficient vehicle, schedule your errands into one trip so your engine stays warm and doesn’t have to work harder from having a cold start for each separate trip. Also, keep your tires properly inflated and check your alignment, because these factors can improve your gas mileage by 3.3 percent.

Appliances & Electronics

Even though your toaster and television might not be in use, it still draws a small amount of energy when it’s left plugged into the wall. Use power strips to stop your appliances and electronics from wasting energy. Also, always clean out your dryer’s lint trap and air-dry your dishes and clothes when you can. If you are able to update your appliances, make sure to choose ones labeled with the Energy Star®.

Heating & Cooling

Heating and cooling your home can be one of your top five housing expenses. Make sure your windows and doors have a tight seal so the hot or cold air from your house can’t escape. Also, clean and replace your furnace filters and dust your registers so they don’t become blocked. During the summer, try using a fan instead of your air conditioning, and during the winter, try to dress warmer while you’re in the house.

Lighting

Avoid using lights during the day by hanging up shear curtains and opening the blinds. Take advantage of three-way lamps, so you can adjust the amount of light you need. Installing timers for your outdoor lights can prevent you from having them on during the day when they’re not needed. If you are moving into a new home or thinking about re-painting yours again, consider lighter colors for the walls since they will reflect light better than the darker paints.

Saving energy just takes some initiative and thought. For example, instead of letting your air conditioning unit roast in the summer sun, shade it with a tree or a bush. You can save energy by being creative or by just being practical enough to fix a leaky faucet.

Women can wear their hair in so many ways (straight, curly, crimped), but applying heat to your head so often can cause split ends. If you enjoy having your hair straight, brush it out often while it air dries to guide the hair. Or you can flat iron your hair one day and wear it in a pony tail the next day to give your hair a break from the shampoo, conditioner and water, which can dry out your natural oils.

For preserving a curly hairstyle an extra day or so, scrunch in a curling mousse. This will help your curls bounce back and smooth out the frizz that came about from sleeping on your pillow. Just remember to avoid brushing out your hair, because this will soften the leftover curls. Also, consider air drying your hair instead of blow drying.

Some other ways to preserve your hairstyle include wearing a ball cap, scarf or headband. If you already have these items, why not put them to use? You can also make headbands out of old bandanas and scrap pieces of clothing. Some people have oilier hair than others so keep some cornstarch in your bathroom and apply a small amount to your roots to dry up the excess oil.

Your hairstyle can last several days if you plan it right, and with the versatile looks, your friends, family and co-workers shouldn’t be able to tell that your hair is dirty. A couple days without heat, product and water will give your hair a chance to repair.