January 19, 2009 at 11:52 pm (good things, money savings)
Tags: economy, energy, environment, saving money, shopping
After checking out some of my stats, it seems that one on my oldest post is still one of my most popular posts, so I thought I’d do a recap.
Saving green is not only good for the environment but it’s also good for your wallet. I realize that the wallet is probably why people are looking at this post right now. That’s okay and maybe these simple ideas will carry over when the economy does get better.
But for now by changing a few habits and doing a few simple things you really can make a difference to the environment and your wallet.
I’ll do a quick recap of a few ideas and you can read many of my other posts for other ideas.
Get an energy audit for find out how to do your own.
Buy used, everything from books to clothes to furniture to jewelry.
Take your lunch to work in a reusable sack. Don’t forget to take silverware and use reusable containers.
Shop for the best deals on the web before you leave the house. Try to plan your errands so you cut down on driving.
Use regular dishes instead of paper at home.
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of things you can do that will save you money and help the environment.
2 Comments
December 5, 2008 at 12:33 am (Mother Nature, journey)
Tags: compost, energy, environment, nature, recycle, reusable, thrift
The environment and nature are almost the same thing, but not quite. For anyone with a Christan background think about the trinity. Each part is a whole but all the parts also make a whole. Confused yet?
Anyway, recognizing my connection with nature made me more aware about the environment. Yes I taking better care of my little piece of land but what about else could I do?
Turns out there was a lot I could do, and most of it was painless.
I’ve always composted our grass and leaves. Now I compost a lot of our kitchen waste. Coffee grounds, eggs shells, vegetable scraps, paper towel and stale bread. These are just a few of the things that go into the compost bucket.
I now have canvas shopping bags, all the light bulbs are now CFL’s, we recycle and don’t use things like paper plates anymore. I buy biodegradable soaps and cleaners. I read a lot of labels and consider how something is packaged. I have a reusable lunch bag and a set of regular silverware in my desk at work.
We really watch how we drive and make the most out of those trips. I drive by the grocery store on my way home, now I stop then instead of going back later. I also walk and bike.
Me and my daughter both shop at second hand stores. We also make a lot of our bath products instead of buying them.
We try not to throw anything out. We either try to find a new use for it or find a new home for it. My daughter has a lot of friends that are just starting out. They all love to receive things at no cost.
I’ve researched solar and wind power and will probably be adding solar panels to our home soon. Our next car will at the least be a hybrid if not completely electric. We’re not buying one now because our cars run fine. When your thinking about the environment not throwing away things that work perfectly good is part of the equation. It takes a lot of energy to make new things.
To my surprise, I also noticed that I wasn’t spending near as much money. This is not what I set out to do, but it is a direct result of being more environmentally friendly. So you if you could care less about the environment, then do these things for your bottom line.
Leave a Comment
November 30, 2008 at 11:57 pm (Mother Nature)
Tags: alternative religion, environment, fitness, food, green, nature
With my last post I kind of put the cart before the horse. I’ve been thinking about adding a page about Mother Nature and my belief in this amazing being (goddess if you would).
It was actually my studies into alternative religions that led me to being a more green person. It was not a straight shot from one to the other for me, but more like a twisted road. A journey I’d like to share in part.
Instead of making one long post, I think it would be better if I broke it into categories. It will be easier for me to gather my thoughts that way and if anyone is reading the posts it won’t seem like a novel.
First I’ll write a little bit about my search of alternative religions.
Second will be my connection to nature. Interestingly many alternative religions are called earth based religions.
Third will be how the first two led me to being more environmentally friendly, or more green.
Fourth is food. Being more aware of the environment made me aware of some of the conditions in which our food is grown and raised.
Fifth and final will be fitness.
It’s really been a kind of interesting journey and one I’m glad I started and then continued to follow the twisting route. What started the journey? A simple question that many of us ask, many times. Why me?
Leave a Comment
November 8, 2008 at 2:01 am (money savings)
Tags: environment, family, health, planet, recession, save money
I’ve written about how being green can actually save you money before, but it seems even more relevant now. I just got done watching the nightly news and that news gets bleaker each night.
But there things that we can do to save ourselves a little bit of money. And believe it or not most of them are better for us our families and the planet.
One, eat at home. This can save some serious bucks. Bonus for you, almost certainly less salt and calories. Bonus for the planet, less carry out containers.
Two, drive less. While this won’t save as much money as it would have a month ago it will still put a few extra dollars in your pocket. Plus side for families is maybe by staying home they spend more time together. We all know how less driving helps the environment.
Three reuse. Anything that you can reuse saves you money. I’ll give you an example. I’m using cans to make Christmas lanterns this year. It’s a super simple process and something me and my daughter are going to do together. I got this idea from www.craftbits.com,
Okay, you should get the jest of things by now. We are in a recession. No ones has as much money as they did last year. Things look bleak.
Stop already. Make the best out of this. Stay at home. Cook and eat with your family. Play games and make things. Maybe even talk.
3 Comments
October 12, 2008 at 12:16 am (money savings)
Tags: baking soda, beauty, by-products, challenge, chemicals, coffee grounds, dollars, environment, epsom salt, homeless, lemons, mayonnaise, natural, oatmeal, old fashioned, olive oil, personal care, spa treatment, sugar
Humans are vain and it is costing us millions of dollars each year and dumping tons of chemicals and their by-products in our environment. So here is the challenge. Don’t buy any more beauty products.
Before you get all upset and think I’m I complete nut, go check out the bathroom cabinet. Okay, you probably have enough stuff in there right now to last at least a year. How did I know? Because me and my 20 something daughter did this same challenge about a year and a half ago. Between us, except for shampoo, we had about one years worth of stuff. And just like you we didn’t buy all of it. A lot of it was well meaning gifts. We made a pack to either use it, or if it was still sealed to give it away. Homeless shelters and military packages are always in need of personal care items.
Now that the cabinets are cleaner we use more “old fashioned” beauty aids. Things like oatmeal, olive oil, baking soda, coffee grounds, sugar, epsom salt, mayonnaise, and lemons. You can give yourself a complete fancy spa treatment using nothing but the items I’ve listed above. Our grandmothers and every generation before them did just that.
There are a lot of natural items on the market now, but the “natural” label is questionable at best and more expensive than other products. We don’t need expensive, chemical laden products. We just need the common sense and know how of our grandmothers.
Leave a Comment
