Go Green and Save Money

I usually think of going green as a way of helping the environment, but at a higher cost. This is not necessarily so. Check out some of these energy saving ways to help Mother Earth and save you money at the same time.

1. set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer. Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85% of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

2. Take shorter showers to reduce water use. Install a low flow showerhead. Install a faucet aerator on each faucet. This conserves both heat and water, while maintaining high water pressure.

3. Walk or bike when possible.

4. If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat is one of the most costly items in your shopping cart. It's even more expensive when you consider the related enviornmental and health costs. Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs and dairy whenever possible. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy. Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain. This is especially true for seafood.

5. Skip the bottled water. Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it creates large amounts of container waste.

6. Borrow instead of buying. Borrow from libraries intead of buying personal books, videos and movies. This saves money. Share power tools and other appliances that are infrequently used.

7. Make your own cleaning supplies. The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon and soap. This is a huge moneysaver.

Finally, check out the web site http://www.blogger.com/www.worldwatch.org for up to date information on going green and many more tips. If you just pick up one idea from this or other articles on the subject, change will come.