Talking About Green

Making your everyday life a little more green is no longer an exercise reserved for the wealthy. Thanks to advancements in household technology you can go eco-friendly in frugal fashion and end up saving yourself some cash in the process. Here are a few ways to go green and save money.

1. Change Those Bulbs

Those traditional incandescent light bulbs you’re using are adding a lot of extra cash to your electric bill. They don’t do the Earth any favors either. One first and most important steps is tossing those bulbs and replacing them with compact fluorescents. Make sure to choose bulbs with an Energy Star rating.

2. Lose The Junk Mail

Most people don’t know you can actually do something about the piles of junk mail that end up in your mail box. Contact the Direct Marketing Association to opt out of getting all that junk. You can even go a step further and cancel your Yellow Pages delivery.

3. Don’t Forget To Turn Off The Computer

We all tend to leave our computers running overnight, but powering down will not only save you on the electric bill, it’ll extend the life of your computer. Leaving it running all the time promotes heat stress and wears down the mechanics faster.

4. Stop Using Paper Towels

This is one of the hardest changes to get used to. However, once you go a couple weeks without paper towels, you’ll forget you ever used them in the first place. Having clean rags on hand will save you a lot of money in the short term. Paper towels aren’t only expensive, but the production has a huge impact on the environment.

5. Buy A Water Filter For Your Faucet

Billions of pounds of plastic end up in landfills every year and can take as long as 1,000 years to decompose. By purchasing a water filter you not only cut out the expense of bottled water, but keep pounds of plastic from going to waste. The average American drinks more than 28 gallons of bottled water every year. Think about how much you pay even for a small 16 ounce bottle.

6. Get A Programmable Thermostat

Programming your thermostat is a smart way to save money and the planet. Simply set it to turn off while your away during the day and kick on right before you come home. Even adjusting the thermostat by one degree will save a noticeable amount of cash.

7. Buy Earth-Friendly Cleaning Products

There’s an eco-friendly replacement for every household cleaner you keep in your cupboards. You’ll have to do a little shopping around to find a comparable price, but these products will save you money in the long run. Natural cleaning agents will be a lot less abrasive on your counter tops, wood surfaces and floors. You will likely feel a lot better too when you stop releasing all those chemical fumes into the air.

8. Unplug Your Chargers When Your Not Using Them

Your cell phone charger will keep sucking up power as long as it is plugged into the wall. Remember to unplug your chargers when they are not in use.

9. Adjust Your Hot Water Heater

Take a look at your hot water heater’s thermostat. It only needs to be set at 120 degrees, yet most are set at 140. Dial it down 20 degrees and you’ll see big savings on your energy bill to the tune of six to 10 percent.

10. Don’t Let The Water Run When You Brush Your Teeth

The average American uses eight gallons of water a day just by brushing their teeth. That amount can be greatly reduced by simply turning the water off while you brush. This is one of the simplest ways to cut down on your bill and conserve water.

Mitchell Gavillion recently graduated with a degree in journalism and is currently writing regularly about topics related to saving money while helping the environment. Mitchell has also written about online shopping tips and advice. Some of his online shopping tips were featured on Savoo, an online coupon site & blog.