Is the Economy Pushing People Towards a Greener Way of Life?

The other day, I noticed that although gas prices are creeping up, my monthly gas bill has gone down. Why is that? The answer is simple; I haven't been driving nearly as much as I did just a few months ago. Not only is it better for my wallet but it is also better for the environment. (If I would start to ride my bicycle more often, it might even be better for my health)

This got me to thinking, as the American dollar loses a bit of its Green-ness, what kind of benefits might we see in the area of Green living? It has been said that Americans tend to think with their pocket book, so let's look at ways to save money while drifting over to the green side. Who knows? This might catch on!

Re-purposing things around the house - I have relatives coming into town later this week and I have a list of chores that, if written on paper, would decimate an entire forest! Sweep the driveway, clean out the garage, buy new patio furniture... wait just a second... several gallons of left over paint in the garage... Patio furniture that is in good condition except for fading and chipping paint? I have an idea.  Total cost= $0.00 - Total benefit = I have new looking patio furniture, I saved over $350 by not purchasing new furniture, I saved a big space in a landfill by not throwing out the old furniture, and I didn't have to drive the old paint to the recycle center. PLUS I now have patio furniture that matches the trim on my house!

Conserve Energy - Power is expensive. If you don't believe me, ask anyone who has lived in California for the past 5 years and they will tell you that energy is REALLY expensive. Saving energy is saving money. Right? I don't have the time or space to address this one topic completely so I will just throw out these two cost saving ideas. First, Compact Fluorescent bulbs save money/energy. They new ones look just like the old incandescent bulbs and prices have dropped significantly. There are no more excuses. I am not saying to replace every bulb in the house all at once. That costs too much money. Buy a three pack of CF bulbs and just replace as needed. Secondly, learn how to use your thermostat! You know that you have never set it correctly! Get out the little booklet that came with it and start saving money. Use the timer function so that you aren't wasting money why you are at work or sleeping or whatever. You can easily save 30% on your heating and cooling bills by spending 5 minutes programming your thermostat.

Conserve Water- STOP DRINKING BOTTLED WATER! In the good old U.S. of A. we have the best water technology in the world. (We got it from the Germans! Lol) Why do we insist on drinking bottled water? The carbon footprint of a bottle of water is astronomical. Each bottle is filtered, bottled boxed, loaded on a ship, unloaded, loaded on a truck, unloaded... over and over... until you drink it and toss the bottle into a landfill! It is absolutely crazy. Your refrigerator probably filters water just as good as the water that comes from the store. Dare to compare and save a few bucks at the same time.

I could go one for ever but instead, I invite you to share your simple and easy ways to green up your life while saving money. Extra points will be awarded for ideas that are FREE or really cheap!

 

photo credits:

Gas pump - bradleypjohnson
Water - kazanjy