This guest post is from Mrs. Money who writes about saving money and living green at her blog, Ultimate Money Blog. I would recommend checking out her blog, or just subscribing to her feed.
We all want more money in our pockets, and going green can help you achieve that. There are so many tips that not only help you save money, but also help you save the environment. Why not do both? Here are a few tips to get you started on the road to becoming a frugal greenie.
4 Tips to Going Green to Save Money
- Start air drying your laundry. When you air dry your laundry, you are saving electricity, carbon emissions, and money. You’re also extending the life of your clothes by not drying them in the dryer. Not only are you saving money on the act of drying laundry, but you also will have to buy clothes less often!
- Switch to CFL bulbs. Sooner than later, the old incandescent light bulbs will be a thing of the past and everyone will have CFL bulbs. They last longer and use electricity, so it’s a win-win.
- Reduce or Eliminate paper products in your home. If you can get rid of paper towels and napkins (some people even eliminate toilet paper!) you will be reducing the waste, carbon emissions from manufacturing, and deforestation. Start slowly by buying some micro fiber towels in bulk and using them instead of paper towels.
- Make your own cleaning products, laundry detergent, and bath products. Not only will you know that there are natural ingredients going in them, but they’re cheap and work well! You’ll do a good thing for your health and the environment by eliminating some nasty chemicals, not to mention adding some cash in your wallet!
These are some tips to get you started going green. I recommend doing one thing at a time so it’s not too overwhelming. Before you know it, you’ll be smelling like patchouli and donning peace signs.
What steps have you taken to go green in an attempt to save more money?
Best thing I’ve done for the economy is continue driving my gas guzzling SUV and NOT buying another car, and esp a new car. If you buy a new car, you ADD to the pollution if you don’t destroy your old car.
Old car drivers unite!
.-= Financial Samurai´s last blog ..Where Americans Pay The Most To Live And Why =-.
FS.. Why not post your blog entry about this?
http://www.financialsamurai.com/2009/11/18/my-suv-will-beat-up-your-hybrid-save-the-world/
Sometimes going green, does NOT add more green to your wallet.
@ FS.
Your post about your car was one of the first I read when “getting in the game”.
My take on “green” will be a post in the near future, but for now let me focus on your car.
The reason you are right is that it is ALWAYS better to improve/optimize your existing system before investing in a new one. Finances aside, the amount of waste generated (both from disposing of the old and in building the new) by upgrading systems far outweighs the short term benefits. This is a common trait in the utilities sector and why you don’t see plant overhauls.
.-= FinEngr´s last blog ..Best Buy or Bogus Bet? Baby Berkshire B =-.
Financial Samurai- Awesome! I was driving a 1994 Oldsmobile Achieva until it died last year. I would have driven that thing for much longer if I could have!
A few points to add.
1.) Air drying also has an added benefit – disinfection. Dependent on the amount of time you leave the clothes outside, solar radiation comes into play.
2.) Don’t forget to turn the lights off! The end-user (us) has a big impact on controlling how well these tools work. If you have all CFLs in your house, but leave all the rooms on 24hr/day there’s no net benefit.
Air Drying disinfects clothing? I had never heard of that. My mom and my wife’s mom always air dried clothing, but alas The Wife and I live in a condo/townhouse community.
The application of solar disinfection applies more to water treatment, but the principle is the same. Whereas a dryer simply dries the clothes through direct heat – solar radiation, under certain conditions, will “cook” the moisture in the clothes killing off any bacteria. I don’t know if there’s any real benefit though.
.-= FinEngr´s last blog ..Best Buy or Bogus Bet? Baby Berkshire B =-.
if the government wants to buy me a $30,000 hybrid, I guess I’ll drive it.
nah, I’ll sell it and build up my emergency fund and pay off debt.
God will care for the planet. Last time I checked its his job.
Air Drying disinfects clothing???
See what I mean, this stuff is absurd. never heard of such a thing… My grandmother hung clothes outside on a line most of her life… never heard her say this. lol.
I am not sure the science behind air drying and disinfecting, but I don’t believe we can just depend on God to fix the planet.
If you prescribe to the general belief that He provided the planet for us (which I do) I don’t think He’d be pumped about just having us destroy it.