10 Small Green Changes To Help You Save Green

(photo: xJasonRogersx)

There’s a common misconception that it’s expensive to be environmentally friendly and move away from old habits, adopting long term green habits.  Going green can not only help the environment, but also your pocketbook.  Let’s look at ten changes that you can adopt today that will decrease your environmental footprint and increase your savings.

1.  Say no to paper and plastic

When grocery shopping, choose reusable grocery bags instead of one-use paper or plastic bags.  Reusable grocery bags cost as little as one dollar in your local store, can be purchased inexpensively on eBay or made from a pattern with your sewing machine.

2.  Buy liquid soaps in bulk

We all use soaps in the bathrooms, kitchens and laundry areas of the house and all of those little soap dispensers add up to lots of waste.  Instead of buying single units of soap for each room of the house, refill the dispensers you already own.  Bulk liquid soaps are less than a third of the price of single-use dispensers.

3.  Figure out where you’re wasting energy

You can do your own energy audit and get the whole family involved in a fun, new way by playing the Free Energy Game.

4.  Make your own household cleaners

Commercial cleaners are toxic and expensive.  You can sparkle and shine your home for less by using common household ingredients you already own.

5.  Get a library card

Instead of wasting money, space and resources investing in new books and movies, get a library card and borrow items.  Your local library is a great resource for all of these items and more:
====>Books
====>Movies
====>Books on tape
====>Magazines
====>Newspapers

6.  Optimize your computer settings

Did you know that more than 90% of the world’s computers are not optimized to be energy efficient?  You’ll save on your electric bill and lengthen your computer’s life by using “sleep” and “hibernate” modes on your PC and turning it off when not in use.

7.  Try rechargeable batteries

Single use disposable batteries are wasteful and expensive and rechargeable batteries used to be a pain to use.  Not only were the old style rechargeable batteries themselves pricey, but you also had to keep track of a bulky, expensive charger.  Times have changed!  New products, like the USBCell,  let you charge batteries quickly with the USB port on your computer.

8.  Use less electricity

Electricity prices continue to go up and up, but you can significantly cut the amount of electricity you use by adopting new energy saving habits.
====>Turn off lights when not in use.
====>Upgrade to CFL or LED bulbs.
====>Use motion detectors instead of front porch or backyard lighting.
====>Unplug appliances not in use.
====>Turn off televisions, radios and computers at night.

9.  Cut your water bill

You can lower the amount of water you use by taking showers instead of baths, fixing leaky faucets, and upgrading your washing machine and dishwasher to energy saving standards.

10. Go paperless

Do you print every email you receive and still read a daily paper?  Millions of people all around the world have chosen to go paperless.  You can now read the news online and emails can be saved to your hard drive instead of being printed.  Less paper means less waste.

How green is your family?

10 Small Green Changes To Help You Save Green provided by SaveBrite.com.