How To Save Money By Going Green

TIPS ON HOW TO GO GREEN IN YOUR HOME

Everybody wants to save money, especially in these uncertain economic times. It’s excellent news to learn that you can be frugal and simultaneously go green.

Here are six areas where we can protect our environment and make smart economic choices in our homes.

KITCHEN

• When using the oven, don’t bother to preheat. Just put your dish in the oven as soon as you turn it on and adjust the time accordingly. If you want to check on it, don’t open the oven door letting all that heat escape, but look through the glass.
• You don’t need to practically wash your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Just scrape off the leftover food and put them in. Turn off the dry heat feature. After the words are done, please open the door to let the steam escape and shut it again. The remaining heat will dry your dishes.
• Use environmentally friendly detergent and soap.
• Stop buying all those plastic bottles and get a water filter for your drinking water.
• Cut back on all those fancy food processors. Buy a set of sharp knives and start chopping.

BATH

• Take showers, not tub baths. You will save a lot of water. But that’s not enough. Take shorter showers. Each additional minute the battery runs uses approximately 5 gallons of water.
• Do not let the water run continuously when brushing your teeth or shaving. Let it pool in the basin, and only turn it on when needed.
• Use shower gels and shampoos that have natural ingredients. They are better for you anyway.

LAUNDRY

• Use detergents that do not contain harmful chemicals. Look for nonphosphate soaps as they do not pollute our waterways.
• Wash in cold water. Unless your clothes are filthy, cold water will do the job.
• Dry for the shortest amount of time possible. If you remove shirts and pants before they are scorched and put them on hangers, they will dry with minimal wrinkles.
• If you can, put up a clothesline outside and dry it as much as possible in the sun. Nothing smells as good as fresh air-dried sheets and towels.
• Turn down your water heater to 120 degrees. This is plenty hot enough for your household needs. Any more desirable, and you risk scalding yourself.

ELECTRONICS

• Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones or, even better, LED ones. Incandescent bulbs use a fantastic amount of energy and put out a lot of heat.
• Many electronic devices in our homes stay on when we turn them off, and they are in standby mode. Two of the largest energy consumers are computers and entertainment centers. The easy solution is to plug your cords into a power strip and then turn that off with one switch.

GARDEN

• Recycle your grass clippings by letting them fall into the lawn. You are adding fertilizer and organic material to your property to produce lush, green grass without using chemical fertilizers.
• Compost your kitchen waste. Your finished compost can be added to your garden plot in the spring. You’ll be surprised at how well your vegetables will grow with the added fertilizer. You’ll have plenty to cook on your Coleman gas grill stove throughout the Summer.
• Save those leaves that litter your lawn in the Fall. They will make excellent mulch for your trees and shrubs next year.
• Plant a tree. The shade from the tree will help cool your house during the summertime.
• If you get a lot of wind, plant evergreens to block the wind from your house.

WHOLE HOUSE

• Turn off lights when you are not using them.
• Opt for online bank statements and pay your bills online.
• Turn your thermostat 2 degrees up in the Summer and 2 degrees down in the Winter. For each 1 degree, you can save about 10% of your energy cost.
• Use the sun to warm your house in the Winter. Just open your drapes or blinds on the sunny side of the house. Conversely, in the Summer, close them during the hottest part of the day.

As you can see, these are six areas where you can easily save money and practice green living simultaneously. Don’t let it be overwhelming. Just pick one thing and start with that. I guarantee it will make you feel good and save you money simultaneously.