Your car payment is higher than your water bill.  If you’re like most people, you electric bill is higher, too.  In the big scheme of things, your water bill probably doesn’t crack the top ten list of your highest monthly expenses.

Nonetheless, it makes sense to look for ways to save on your water bill.  Obviously, every penny counts these days.  Besides, water really is a precious commodity, so finding ways to conserve is always a good idea.

Cutting your H2O bill isn’t going to take you from struggling to massive wealth, but you can do a few things to put extra money in your pockets on a regular basis.  Over time, those small savings can add up to something meaningful, too.

Here are four tips for cutting your water bill.

Go Low Flow. According to the EPA, we flush away nearly 5 billion gallons of water every single day.  The average home uses somewhere between 20 and 30 gallons of water on toilet flushes per day.  That’s a lot of water, people.  That’s one reason why homebuilders are required to use low-flow toilets on new projects.  It’s also a good reason for those of us living in pre-1992 structures to make the switch.  They cut water use in half.

Does this make sense in “dollars and cents” terms, though?  Won’t buying the new toilet cost so much money that you won’t be able to recover the costs with water savings any time soon?  Not necessarily.  Many states and municipalities offer vouchers and tax rebates to help facilitate the switch.  When you consider these as part of the overall picture, one can recoup the initial investment quickly, making real “in your pockets” savings appear sooner than you might think.

Here’s a nifty trick for those who’d like to flush away less but who aren’t ready to buy a new low-flow device.  You can put a brick into the tank of your old-school john to cut down on water use!

Low flow isn’t just a matter of toilets.  It applies to shower heads, too.  You can use a low flow shower head to cut down on water use.

Use Less Outdoors. Yeah, everybody wants a green grassy yard.  Getting one, however, is an exercise in inefficient water use.  If you aren’t living in the Mojave, let nature take its course.  Allow the rain to water your yard this year.

If you’re hooked on watering, do it during cooler hours.  That prevents evaporation, allowing you to get more bang for your water buck.

Those who are serious about gorgeous landscaping and saving on water might want to consider saying goodbye to Kentucky bluegrass and switching to native plants that will thrive without all of the extra watering.

Change the Way You Drink. Saving on water isn’t all about external use and water-based appliances.  We drink the stuff, too.  You can save on your drinking water bill by giving up on those single-serving bottles and making a switch to a household water cooler.

Bottle water costs a small fortune.  Water coolers are a lot cheaper.  If you just can’t bring yourself to guzzle the stuff that comes out of your tap, go with a cooler over those bottles.  True, this tip won’t change the size of the check you write to the utility company, but it will decrease your overall water costs.

Wait for Full Loads. You want to keep a clean house, but don’t go crazy.  You don’t need to run the dishwasher when you just have a few dirty plates.  It’s a waste of water.  Wait until you have a full load ready to go.

The same things holds true for laundry.  Wait until you can do a full load before you wash.  This little trick can add up to big savings.

With a little bit of effort, you can cut your water costs down while doing your part for conservation.  That’s a real win/win situation.