The dictionary gives us a variety of ways to define conservation. It tells us that conservation is “the prevention of wasteful use of a resource.” Another definition is, “a careful preservation and protection of something, especially planned management of a resource to prevent exploitation, destruction or neglect.” A third definition of conservation is related to chemistry, “the preservation of a physical quantity during transformations or reactions.” The last definition of conservation to think about relates to history— it is, “preservation and repair of archeological, historical, and cultural sites and artifacts.”
There are countless examples of opportunities to conserve—to reduce or eliminate waste—to save something for later—to help something continue to exist. Just a few of these practices, ones that do not cost a dime, are shared here.

=== Close the drapes, curtains, and shades when the sun sets. It’s a habit you may have to work on to close all of them, every day, but especially on very cold or windy nights, this will result in your heat running less. Drafty homes especially ones that have older windows, will benefit from simply doing this through the winter.

=== Check the heat setting on your water heater. If it is set above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, lower the setting. A nice warm bath or shower is especially pleasant on the chilly days of winter, so lower it one degree at a time, until you reach 120, you won’t even notice the change. You will use less energy, though.

=== Put on a sweater. So many people expect to dress like its summertime at home when it’s cold outside. That is not realistic—simply wearing shoes and socks (or fuzzy slippers if you want more comfort/to feel like you are relaxing) will keep you feeling warmer with the thermostat turned down a bit. If you don’t accept the idea that you need to “bundle up” at home, then skip the cozy sweater and layer your clothing—a t-shirt and a long sleeve shirt or two. A reasonable temperature to set the heat is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Some will be comfortable at settings lower than that.

=== Plan your cooking to conserve energy and your time and effort, too. Often, you can make a big pot of rice, or noodles, or potatoes and then use them in several meals. You used the stove top one time to prepare these items instead of two or three times. Make a big pot of hearty soup, stew, or chili and then freeze some of it after it has cooled completely. Again, you’ve used the stovetop once but have prepared enough for several meals. Freeze the extra portions so that they aren’t forgotten in the refrigerator and spoil, getting trashed instead of enjoyed (talk about wasting!).

=== Place your hand at the base of the doors in your home. Do you feel cold air coming in? If you do, find an old towel and fold it lengthwise until it’s about four inches wide and then lay it along the bottom of the door. Aim for about two inches on the floor and two inches vertical along the bottom of the door, to block/reduce the flow of cold air into your home. Consider how your home operates, start with the door with the greatest draft… or the one that is opened and closed the least… or go ahead and put the towel down for all the drafty doors. Keep the in mind that the idea is to feel the power of taking control of reducing energy bills, contributing to “using less”, increasing the comfort in your home— rather than creating a chore (to put the towel back in place after you come through the door).