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Insulating hot water pipes helps reduce the amount of time it takes to get hot water flowing.
Or, you can install a brass pump that recirculates the tepid water from the hot pipes back through the cold water pipes; since it is being drawn into the hot water tank from the cold supply. This was on This Old House a while back -- you push a switch first thing in the morning, or right before using the hot water, and wait a minute or so, and then the water you get at the tap / shower is hot right away.
If you are purchasing a dishwasher or clothes dryer, there are units that use far less water: Bosch dishwashers for example heat their own water, and use about 1/3 as much, and do not have electrical heating elements inside the washer, so you can wash plastics, and there is about 2" more height inside them. Front loading clothes washers also use about 1/3 the water, and they clean better and spin better and use a lot less electricity, too.
The bricks or water bottles in the tank trick works fine on old toilets that use 3-3.5 gallons per flush. New 1.6 gallon flush units are prime candidates for the $20 dual flush valve kit -- I saw these in Home Depot, and they are pretty simple to install, apparently. Or, if you are buying a new toilet, get a dual flush.
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