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4 ways we’re flushing money down the drain - in the bathroom

We all go to the bathroom for relief, but our wasteful habits result in loads of money and natural resources down the drain. For some economic relief, here are four small habits you can change to save big and lead a greener lifestyle.

Install a water-saving showerhead

Get this: the average American family uses about 40 gallons of water just to shower each day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And 20% of that running water goes down the drain while we wait for the water temperature to get just right.

We’re not saying you should jump into a cold shower, but if you switch your showerhead to one with a “WaterSense” label, it could save your household 2,900 gallons of water per year. And with less water to heat, you’ll save on energy, too.

If every single U.S. household were to switch over, we’d instantly save close to $5 billion a year, as the EPA estimates a collective annual savings of $2.2 billion in water utility bills and $2.6 billion in energy costs to heat it.

Use less toilet paper

It turns out that wiping away our own waste is a big waste of money. In one year alone, Americans spend $6 billion on toilet tissue -- that’s about 50 pounds of toilet paper per person. It takes a forest of 384 trees to make enough toilet paper for one man to use in his lifetime. Now that you know, doesn’t it make you want to use less when nature calls?

Free your toothpaste

A study by Consumer Reports found that up to 13% of toothpaste can be left behind by failing to squeeze out the trapped toothpaste. For a few bucks, buy a reusable tube squeezer that can easily help you get to what’s remaining. You also don’t need more than a pea-sized dab of toothpaste when you brush because the abrasives in the paste can be damaging to your enamel.

Skip the 2-in-1 shampoos

We all love twofers that save money and space, but shampoo/conditioner combos may not be worth it for a number of reasons. Not only can the product build up faster on your hair, leaving your hair heavier and dull, but all that conditioner on your scalp can make your hair flat and greasy sooner than if you were to shampoo your scalp and condition your ends. Feeling greasier faster results in more showers, and the cycle of waste continues.

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