Smarter: Your Tips on How to Live Sustainably

In the last few years, I’ve been trying to live as sustainably as I can. My recent focus is to use less plastic, especially because a shockingly low percentage of it gets recycled. And there are other environmentally conscious practices suggested by CR that I want to attempt soon, like growing my own herbs and learning how to compost. 

We asked you to share your eco-friendly strategies in CR’s member stories questionnaire. Here are some of the ideas I think are smart and useful, as well as a few tips from Smarter’s readers.

To cut down on waste, you suggested . . .

🥣 Designating a shelf for leftovers in the fridge. 
It’s an easy way to keep track of them. “I started doing this a few years ago, and it’s cut our food waste dramatically. One look at the shelf tells me if our cooking is getting a bit too far ahead of our eating,” says Sara from Montana.

🧼 Taking the complimentary soap with you. 
If you use the soap or shampoo offered by a hotel, take it along with you to use at home so that nothing goes to waste, says Bennett from North Carolina.

Question: How can I make my passwords more difficult so that they’re harder to crack? 

Answer: Here are some quick and easy ways to create better passwords and protect your online accounts. (You can read more tips here.)

🔐 Use a password manager. It can help you wrangle all your log-ins and passwords. You can check out our ratings for some of the best password managers out there.

❌ Don’t be basic. I’m begging you to not use passwords such as “12345,” “qwerty,” and “password.” If yours is among the top 10 most common passwords people are using, then you should definitely change it. And if you use a password manager, it will generate complex, unique passwords for you. 

📺 Change default passwords. The default passwords that come with some smart home devices such as routers, webcams, TVs, and high-end refrigerators are very easy to hack.

This is why you should never store your avocados in water.

⚠️ The Dark Side of Skin Lightening
Some products might lead to side effects such as permanent discoloration.

💰 Millennials Are Behind Financially. Here’s How They Can Catch Up.
Till debt do us part.

🚗 What Is an American Car?
Also, what’s the most American car of all time? There are no wrong answers here, just wrong opinions—which is any opinion that isn’t mine.

👛 Best Deals Under $50 Right Now
I have my eye on that Lodge cast-iron frying pan.

Is HIPAA a medical privacy law? Not in the way you think it is.

The answer is A. In our evaluations, we’ve found that cheaper antennas often do as well as—or even better than—pricier models, and it’s more important to try out different antennas to see which works best for you. But make sure the retailer has a no-hassle return policy and a reasonable warranty first!

If you want to get better antenna reception, yes, you should place the device as high as you can, preferably by a window. And for some antennas, if they’re directional, you should point them toward the broadcast tower in your area. Read more about what else you can do to boost your reception.