Looking for an easy way to conserve water? Consider purchasing or making a rain barrel which installs under a downspout. When it rains, your rain barrel will fill quickly, giving you gallons of free water for watering your garden. Although it’s not recommended for human consumption, rain water provides softer, pure water for lawns, green gardening, and washing the car.

Make your own rain barrel: You can easily up your water conservation efforts by making your own rain barrel. Any watertight container with a lid , such as an outdoor trash can will work. Simply cut a hole in the lid, about the size of your down spout and place the container under the downspout. When you’re ready to use the collected rain water, simply remove the lid and dip out the rainwater with a bucket.

Purchase a rain barrel: If you don’t want to make your own rain barrel for saving water, you can purchase one at many garden centers for around $150. Commercial rain barrels come with a few conveniences such as pre-cut openings for inserting your downspout and open/shut valves for easily dispensing the collected rain water. The rain barrel shown above is available at Clean Air Gardening.