Do you leave your computers and electronic equipment in "sleep" mode when you are not using them?  Perhaps you put your electronics to "sleep" when you are asleep, or when you are at work, or even when you are away from your home on vacation.  Did you know that you could save between $45.00 and $75.00 per year just by installing a power strip with a toggle switch?   Most computer configurations already have a power strip or surge protector for them.  All that we need to do is just simply turn it off when we are not going to use the system for a long period of time.  This is too easy not to do, just simply use the tools that we already have in place.  By letting your computer and all other electronic equipment (printers, faxes machines, charging units for various devices, and those electric picture frames) go into "sleep" mode, you are essentially still having them turned on and consuming electrical energy. So use that power strip, turn it off when the electronics aren't in use, and save that power. Sleep mode is convenient and tempting, but resist that temptation and flip that switch. That 5 seconds of extra effort could end up saving you a lot of money!