Green Ways to Save Your Green
In this troubled time everyone is looking for ways to save. Some seem easy, others seem hard, but all are possible. If you want to save money and live greener then check out some of the possible ways to save.
1. Carpool
Carpool with your friends, co-workers, or classmates. Save on gas and promote the building of your community. By spending time driving people around you will get to know them. In most cases they will become your friends. Find people that live in the same area as you and then ask them if they would be willing to carpool. Most people will say yes and will jump at the chance to save some money. After all one car on the road is better then two, or three, or thirty.
2. Ride A Bike or Walk!
Ride a bike, or walk, to school, work, or wherever. If you live close enough to where you need to be then hop on a bike, and don’t use any gas at all. This will save you money. If you don’t have a bike, or cannot afford one, then use you feet, you have two of them and most people know how to use them. If, for some reason you forgot – figure it out.
3. Get CFLs or LEDs
Switch your incandescent bulbs to CFLs or LED lights. Both, CFLs or LEDs are more efficient, longer lasting, and brighter then any incandescent. Of course they do cost a little bit more, but they will pay for themselves fairly quickly. LEDs are the best, environmentally speaking, CFLs are good, but, they do have mercury in them, which is not good for anyone.
4. Turn down your thermostat!
Everyone has heard this. If you drop your thermostat down a couple degrees you can save about a hundred dollars on your gas bills every year. If you think it will be too cold in your house, bundle up. You can always grab another blanket. If you have an air conditioner, please don’t be ridiculous. If it is 100˚ outside you probably shouldn’t have your air conditioner set at 50˚. It may be hot outside but don’t forget to conserve your energy.
5. Grow your own food!
This may be harder for some people as it would require you to have your own garden, but, the payoffs are extraordinary. Not only do you get food to eat, but you get a sense of accomplishment that you cannot find by shopping at a grocery store. It doesn’t take much to grow your own food. A window sill garden is one possibility, just put some soil into a box or a pot and plant some seeds, water, take care of them, and you should see some results.
6. Shop locally!
This may not seem like a great way to save money, but it is. If, you spend your money in your own community it tends to come back to you. The products that you buy from a local company may be more expensive, but the money that you gave to them will stay within the community, and will, eventually, be cycled back to you.
Ben Rogers
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