About a month ago, I signed up for the Washingtonpost’s post points–little tips e-mailed to me about various topics. Today’s tip couldn’t have been more relevant in our household: avoid throwaway batteries. With the release of the new Harry Potter and Annabelle’s new, earlier bedtime routine, my husband and I find ourselves lying in bed at night, holding mini flashlights for reading while Annabelle sleeps beside us. Well, as you can probably guess, we’re burning through many batteries and today I was supposed to purchase some new ones. Here’s the post point that has changed my mind about what batteries to buy:
Many digital gadgets, such as cameras and GPS receivers, take standard AA or AAA batteries instead of pricier, custom-sized rechargeable batteries. But don’t let yourself get in the habit of running to the nearest convenience store every time these devices run out of power. Use rechargeable batteries instead. That approach will cost a little more upfront–expect to pay from $10 to $20 for a set of 4 AAs and a charger–but over the long run you’ll save money from not having to spring for a fresh set of batteries every week or so. You may even save money in the short term, if your only source for a new battery is an overpriced store in some tourist hot spot. Finally, you’ll leave a lot less trash behind.
-Rob Pegoraro, Consumer Technology Columnist
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
