• When you turn on the faucet to wash your hands or brush your teeth, do you turn it all the way on? When you don’t need the full force of maximum water pressure, consider lightly turning on the faucet to have less water flowing. You’ll use 30% to 50% less water this way. The same holds true when you’re simply rinsing out a cup or need a little water at the kitchen sink, too. Over time, this can add up to about 8 gallons a day in water savings.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m currently living in a so-called “luxury” apartment that was built just last year, and I pay a significant amount of money in rent. Unfortunately, my room is absolutely freezing, and it’s making it nearly impossible to feel comfortable in my own home. I’ve already had maintenance come to seal the windows and walls, but that hasn’t solved the problem. I’ve had multiple meetings with management, hoping they would take responsibility and offer a solution, but they keep telling me there’s nothing they can do. I feel like I’m being taken advantage of because this apartment is advertised as a luxury property, yet the living conditions aren’t up to standard. I’ve tried using space heaters, but that’s just driving up my electricity bill and still doesn’t solve the issue. I don’t know what my rights are as a tenant in this situation or what steps I can take to escalate the issue further. Is there anything I can do to hold management accountable or advocate for myself in this situation?

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a roommate who is incredibly nosy, and it’s driving me crazy. He’s always asking questions that are way too personal, and it’s starting to make me uncomfortable in my own home. I try to be polite and friendly, but he doesn’t seem to pick up on the fact that some things are just none of his business. For example, the other day he noticed some medication that I had left on the counter and asked me what it was for. I was caught off guard because I didn’t think I should have to explain my private medical issues to anyone, let alone my roommate. I tried to dodge the question, but he kept pressing, and I eventually changed the subject just to get him to stop.

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to a bonus letters column. Your questions and comments are keeping our inboxes busy (and as always, thank you!), so we’ll dive right in.