Check for a toilet leak on the cheap

Did you know that a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day? That’s an expensive problem! Fortunately, fixing it can cost as little as $8.

To find out if a toilet is flushing your money down the drain, remove the lid and add a few drops of food coloring — dark colors work best — to the tank. Wait about a half-hour (don’t flush!), and then check the bowl. If there’s food coloring in the bowl, there’s a leak.

In most cases, an easy-to-install toilet repair kit (available at hardware stores and many retailers that carry home improvement items) will fix the problem. Just make sure the kit is compatible with the toilet.

If your toilet is older, consider replacing it with a WaterSense model. According to the EPA, the switch could save a family of four more than 16,000 gallons per year.

Check out more water-saving tips right here.