With the economy the way it is and the environment the way it is, now has never been a better time to be more eco-friendly and frugal. Luckily, both go hand in hand. In most cases, making more earth conscious decisions will save you much more money. Almost every facet of our daily life has an impact on the environment, from the cars we drive to the showers we take. It’s a wonder why everyone is not making greener life choices in an attempt to cut back on costs and their carbon footprint. Every day the reports about our negative impact on the environment are getting worse. And the economy is barely chugging along.
Here are 5 ways you can save money and help the environment at the same time:
1. For one, you can save money on your electric bills and cut down energy use by up to 75% just by switching to CFLs and LED light bulbs. Replacing your energy sucking incandescent light bulbs with CFL or LED light bulbs could potentially save you up to $500 a year on utilities. These energy efficient light bulbs will also save you from having to go out to buy replacements, because some of the CFLs and LED bulbs last up to 35 times longer. Also, they are just as easy to install as regular light bulbs.
2. Purchase a more energy efficient vehicle. There are a number of options if you would like to drive a vehicle that uses less fuel or none at all. You could purchase a hybrid car that uses gasoline and electricity or you could purchase another type of car that uses a gasoline and ethanol mix, which is a type of corn definitive and burns much cleaner than regular fuel. You could even purchase an older model car and convert it so that it runs entirely on vegetable oil.
3. You could also make sure that your home is weather proof. This summer when you are blasting the AC, it might be wise to make sure excess energy isn’t leaking out of your home. This is as energy inefficient as constantly leaving your refrigerator door open. So, make sure that your window frames and doorframes are sealed that you aren’t wasting energy.
4. People are also starting to stand on common ground to make a collective decision to toss away old appliances that are hogging more energy than they should. Plenty of new electronic products, for the office, kitchen and more, are vastly more energy efficient. Some of them pass through rigorous tests to make sure they meet energy efficiency standards. This is a great way to save money too, because you won’t be spending as much money on utility bills.
5. Lastly, you could collect rainwater or create a condensation system to do everything from water your plants to take a shower. There are many new systems created specifically for this purpose or you can create your own system so that you can cut down on your water bill and not deplete the earth’s water resources more than they already are.
1 Comment