9 Reasons Why Going Green Will Help You Through the Recession
Our economy is in a rough patch. You hear about job losses and businesses filing for bankruptcy every day. These are uncertain times, but our nation has seen worse. There's no reason not to be hopeful for the future. But until that future arrives, here are some tips to help save you money.
A lot of people think that going green is a luxury. That's because the most obvious green upgrades such as hybrid vehicles are very expensive. In actual fact, going green is relatively cheap and the less money you make, the more you'll notice the benefits.
Transit - Take public transit as much as possible. Cutting down on your car use will save you an unbelievable amount of money. If you must drive, maintain your vehicle well. Keep your tires inflated to the recommended PSI, take unnecessary/heavy objects out of the trunk, and turn off your car if you're idling for more than 30 seconds. This will save you money and emissions.
Eating In - Make meals from scratch instead of eating out. Avoid prepackaged meals if possible as well. Starting from scratch is always the cheapest option and teaching your kids how to cook and bake is an excellent life-long skill. And of course it's a lot healthier!
Make Repairs - Don't throw away something that costs $100 dollars when you could get it fixed for $20. There's a repair shop for just about anything you can imagine, just look online or in the phone book. Repairing things is a lot greener than buying a new one because it uses fewer resources and produces less waste. You'll also save tons of money (and maybe even make some money) if you learn how to fix things yourself.
Borrowing/Buying Used - Don't have a 5/8th socket wrench? Don't buy another 50 piece set. Ask your friends and family if you can borrow their tools before buying your own. If you really need to make a major purchase, search the classifieds (online and in the newspaper) first for second hand purchases.
Water Use - Don't buy bottled water. Instead, use refillable bottles and bottle your own filtered water. This will reduce waste significantly. You can put a filter on your tap, or use a refillable filter for your fridge. There is an initial investment, but if you're drinking several bottles of water a day, you will see significant savings in the long run.
Energy-Efficiency - Make small changes around your home like switching all your lights to CFL bulbs, turning off lights when they're not necessary, unplugging electronics when they're not in use, and insulating windows and doors. The more you do, the more you will save. Theses small changes can really add up!
Recycle - Don't throw it in out if you can put it to use. You can reuse almost anything from empty soda bottles to paper bags.
Make Your Own - Why buy new when you can make your own? Building your own things is usually drastically cheaper. For example, you can make your own shampoo, soap, furniture, or just about anything else!
Alternative Energy - Install your own solar panels or windmills and gain Independence from the power company.
But of course you'll want to make your own and save money. I've reviewed a few how-to guides on building your own solar panels [http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome] and windmills. Go to [http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome] to read my reviews and see which one is the best value.
A lot of people think that going green is a luxury. That's because the most obvious green upgrades such as hybrid vehicles are very expensive. In actual fact, going green is relatively cheap and the less money you make, the more you'll notice the benefits.
Transit - Take public transit as much as possible. Cutting down on your car use will save you an unbelievable amount of money. If you must drive, maintain your vehicle well. Keep your tires inflated to the recommended PSI, take unnecessary/heavy objects out of the trunk, and turn off your car if you're idling for more than 30 seconds. This will save you money and emissions.
Eating In - Make meals from scratch instead of eating out. Avoid prepackaged meals if possible as well. Starting from scratch is always the cheapest option and teaching your kids how to cook and bake is an excellent life-long skill. And of course it's a lot healthier!
Make Repairs - Don't throw away something that costs $100 dollars when you could get it fixed for $20. There's a repair shop for just about anything you can imagine, just look online or in the phone book. Repairing things is a lot greener than buying a new one because it uses fewer resources and produces less waste. You'll also save tons of money (and maybe even make some money) if you learn how to fix things yourself.
Borrowing/Buying Used - Don't have a 5/8th socket wrench? Don't buy another 50 piece set. Ask your friends and family if you can borrow their tools before buying your own. If you really need to make a major purchase, search the classifieds (online and in the newspaper) first for second hand purchases.
Water Use - Don't buy bottled water. Instead, use refillable bottles and bottle your own filtered water. This will reduce waste significantly. You can put a filter on your tap, or use a refillable filter for your fridge. There is an initial investment, but if you're drinking several bottles of water a day, you will see significant savings in the long run.
Energy-Efficiency - Make small changes around your home like switching all your lights to CFL bulbs, turning off lights when they're not necessary, unplugging electronics when they're not in use, and insulating windows and doors. The more you do, the more you will save. Theses small changes can really add up!
Recycle - Don't throw it in out if you can put it to use. You can reuse almost anything from empty soda bottles to paper bags.
Make Your Own - Why buy new when you can make your own? Building your own things is usually drastically cheaper. For example, you can make your own shampoo, soap, furniture, or just about anything else!
Alternative Energy - Install your own solar panels or windmills and gain Independence from the power company.
But of course you'll want to make your own and save money. I've reviewed a few how-to guides on building your own solar panels [http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome] and windmills. Go to [http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome] to read my reviews and see which one is the best value.
