Easy Ways to Save By Going Green

Sustainability starts at home, in your household and in your neighborhood. Following a few of these steps will not only be good for the environment, but will also save you some cash.  

1. Install sink water aerators. These are inexpensive and easy to install and they greatly reduce the flow of water out of your sink, saving you money and water use. 

2. Install low-flow shower heads. A low flow showerhead can significantly reduce the water coming out of your shower head without reducing water pressure. 

3. Replace your light bulbs with LED lights. A small upfront investment in LEDs can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars (and a lot of energy) over the lifespan of these bulbs—which can be as long as 10 years! Buy them on sale and replace them slowly. 

4. Install a programmable thermostat. This handy device allows you to program your heat or AC to come on right before you get home, and turn down while you are gone or asleep. This can save a ton of money on your utility bills, saving energy and reducing pollution.

5. Insulate your hot water heater and your water pipes. Pipe insulation and water heater blankets help your water heater to work less to heat your water, saving you money on electricity.

6. Put all your major electronics on power strips. Even when they are “off”, TVs, electronic equipment, cable boxes, WIFI routers, and computers continue to draw electricity all day. Put them all on a power strip and shut them totally off at night or when you leave the house to reduce energy use and save money. 

7. Shut off your computer and monitor when you are done using them. Unless your company backs up your computers at night on a network, there is no need to leave it on. If there is a nightly backup, then just turn off the monitor. Turn your home computer completely off when you’re done using it.

8. Unplug your cellphone when it is done charging. Once that light turns green, you are just wasting electricity keeping it plugged in.

9. Use rechargeable batteries. Over time, invest in a full set of rechargeable batteries for all of your gadgets, remotes and smoke detectors in the house. Recharging batteries keeps dead ones out of the landfill and saves you money in the long run. Buy them on sale and stock up over time. 

10. Stop junk mail from coming to your mailbox. Junk mail is not just annoying, it uses up tons of trees and gasoline every day. Plus all those ads create a major temptation to spend money on things you don’t really need. There are lots of services to help you reduce the junk mail.

GOING GREEN OUTSIDE 

11. Start an organic garden. If you’re new to gardening, start with something easy like lettuce or tomatoes and work up to more. 

12. Plant some native trees in your yard. By spending some money on trees, you not only shade your house so you can use less AC, but you also help to absorb CO2 in the air. You’ll increase your property value over time, too. 

13. Keep a low maintenance lawn. Do you have a small yard? Why not try a push lawnmower and save on gas and pollution? Better yet, replace that lawn with a vegetable garden or a xeriscape.

14. Install outdoor solar lights. Instead of lighting the path to your door using electricity, install some solar path lights that charge during the day and light up all night. 

15. Rotate your car tires and keep them filled. Keeping your tires inflated to the right PSI and rotated regularly saves fuel.

16. Avoid idling your car. Unless you are sitting in traffic, it actually uses more gas to idle your vehicle for a mere 30 seconds than it does to turn it off and restart it. On top of that, the huge amount of smog created by idling vehicles is a major contributor to hot, hazy summers and diseases like childhood asthma. 

17. Quit buying bottled water! Bottled water is usually no better than your typical tap water–it just costs more, contains plastic toxins from the bottles and leaves a trail of waste everywhere. Get a faucet water filter and a reusable water bottle to save money and help the environment. 

18. Read your favorite newspaper or magazine online. Almost all magazines and newspapers have digital versions now, and many of them are free. Reading them online saves tons of trees and the energy and fuel expended on creating, delivering and recycling paper versions.

19. Use online banking. Online banking saves you time, stamps, gas, and reduces the amount of mail coming to your house. A lot of banks are offering incentives to go online, too. Don’t be afraid: it’s much easier for a thief to grab your bank statements out of your mailbox than it is for them to access your accounts online.

20. Join a credit union. Large banks invest your money in fossil fuels, coal, industrial farming and other environmental and social nasties you don’t want to support. In contrast, credit unions must invest your money right in your local community. They also save you a ton on fees, and often have the best interest rates around, because they have to serve depositors—not shareholders

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