Go green to save some green.
By Jen Wittkopf
Published: May 5, 2008
You don't have to make big changes to your life to live green. Small actions have a positive impact on the world -- and on your wallet. Keep reading for simple things you can do in every corner of your home to save money while reducing your environmental impact.
Kitchen
- Go paperless. Clean up kitchen messes with fabric cloths rather than paper towels.
- Good-bye, dishpan hands. Your dishwasher uses less water than doing dishes by hand. Remember to set your machine to air dry and run full loads to maximize energy efficiency.
- Buy in bulk. Save money by buying your favorite items in bulk sizes when available. You'll help the planet by reducing the amount of packaging you bring home.
Family Room
- Light it up. Switch to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which use approximately one-third the energy and last 10 times as long as standard bulbs.
- Eliminate energy "vampires". Even when your TV is off, it continues to draw power. Unplug your electronic equipment when it's not in use. For extra convenience, plug several appliances into a power strip and switch it off.
Bathroom
- Clean green. Simple household items such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice make great cleansers.
- Cool off. Turn down your water heater from 140° to 120° to save energy while maintaining a comfortable temperature for showering.
- Water matters. Save the wet stuff three ways: Shut off the tap while brushing your teeth. Take shorter showers. Install low-flow toilets.
Laundry Room
- Fill 'er up. Rather than doing laundry on a designated day, wait until you have full loads. You'll do laundry less often and save money on water.
- Cool it off. Did you know that around 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is for heating the water? Use your washer's cool setting to cut consumption; most detergents are now formulated to work well in cooler temperatures.
- Fight the fuzzies. Lint build-up increases drying time. So clean that lint screen after each and every load.
Garage
- Keep up the pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated for better gas mileage.
- Stay slow and steady. Driving the speed limit saves fuel as does avoiding sudden acceleration.
- It's a wash. If you choose to wash your car at home, use an environmentally friendly soap and park on your lawn to allow the overspray to do double duty as irrigation.
Garden
- Go nuts. Packing peanuts can lighten the load in planters. Fill large planters halfway with peanuts, put soil on top and plant as usual. Voilá! Excellent drainage and a great way to reuse packing material.
- Old news is good news. Cover your garden with overlapping sections of newspaper and dampen to encourage the paper to stick together. Cover with 2"-3" of mulch or compost. It's do-it-yourself recycling that will save you money and time.
- Get growing. Nothing tastes better than a fresh veggie or fruit from your own garden. No yard? Try container gardening with fragrant herbs or even tomatoes.
These are just a few ways to save money while saving the planet. Try them and you'll see how small changes add up.