And set a timer to help you cut down on the time spent with the water running. Showering is responsible for nearly 17 percent of both the average American’s water usage and their total home electricity (thanks to the hot water). Every minute in the shower uses up around 2.5 gallons of water. To make even better use of all that H2O, keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while you’re waiting for it to warm up, then use it to water your garden.

1.     Instead, invest in a few glass or stainless steel water bottles (such as those from Origin and S’Well). Here’s why it’s important: It takes up to 2,000 times as much energy to produce bottled water as it does to produce the same amount of tap water—plus there’s the energy cost of transporting the bottled water to your local store. What’s more, each plastic water bottle that ends up in the landfill (or ocean) will be around for at least 450 years. Concerned about the contaminants in your drinking water? Purchase a filter to attach to your faucet, or use the kind of filtered pitchers made by companies like Brita and ZeroWater. True, you’ll end up paying a little more at the outset, but you’ll end up saving money in the end, as drinking bottled water can be a pretty expensive habit.