This is the sixth and final article (part I, II, III, IV and V) in our series on Saving Water. Living in Sydney, Australia I’m acutely aware of the value of this precious resource.

Designing a new house? Great. This article looks at the many things you can do at this point which will radically reduce the amount of water you use - without adding anything at all to the total cost.

By how much can you reduce it? In many areas, it’s quite possible to disconnect from the mains supply altogether - or at least to stop using water from that source.

Let’s get started.

Water conservation can be broken into three broad areas. These are :

1. reduce the amount you use
2. collect your rainwater *
3. re-use it where possible (clean it as necessary)

Looking at it this way, you’ll see that it isn’t a single problem to be addressed. Several small changes will have a major impact.

* I realise that this could be placed in the ‘re-use’ category, but it’s such a key change that it’s been given a category of its own.

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Popularity: 5%

This is the fourth article (part I, II, III) in a 6 part series on Saving Water. Living in Sydney, Australia I’m acutely aware of the value of this precious resource.

No matter where you live, there are a number of ways you can save water in the house you already have. There are many excellent environmental reasons for doing this, but you’ll also benefit from something much more tangible - you’ll save money.

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Popularity: 7%

This two-part article looks at the many ways to freeze food (including specifics for common food types), as well as a few suggestions for getting the most out of your freezer itself. It can be a wonderful piece of equipment.

In Part I we looked at the basics of freezing, and how to freeze vegetables, fruit and meat. This week we’ll talk about the ways to save money by using a chest freezer, and the all-important defrosting of foods.

Using a chest freezer

A chest freezer is little more than a ’standard’ vertical freezer lying down. Think of the ones in smaller stores which are filled with Cornettos. Mmm.

Unfortunately, these aren’t quite as popular as their upright cousins, and are often found in the dim, dark corners of department stores and electrical good suppliers. Pity, really - because they’re superb when you know how to use them.

There are two things which put the chest freezer at the top of the list when it comes to keeping food for a while. These are :

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Yesterday I came across a comment to an environmental story which seems to sum up a very popular opinion - namely that it costs money to ‘go green‘. It said :

‘My biggest gripe with “going green” and all the nonsense that comes with it is that it costs so much money to be “green,” causing the larger majority of people to be unable to help out environmentally.’

Personally, I don’t agree with this at all. In fact, living an environmentally-conscious lifestyle can actually save you money. How?

I’m glad you asked.

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Popularity: 6%

This two-part article looks at the many ways to freeze food (including specifics for common food types), as well as a few suggestions for getting the most out of your freezer itself. It can be a wonderful piece of equipment.

Chances are that when you buy a new refrigerator, the freezer just comes along for the ride. It’s a part of the kitchen that most people don’t spend much time thinking about.

It can be, however, an extremely efficient tool for putting aside excess food for later use. If you enjoy saving time when preparing your evening meal; being able to add fruit to your breakfast all through the year; or just love the idea of having home-made sorbet on hand whenever you like - read on.

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Popularity: 100%