The idea of making your home and life completely eco-friendly can be more than a little daunting. However, once you realize that your carbon footprint is literally as deep as your wallet, you might find your current spending to be far more overwhelming.
Being resource conscious is known to be financially beneficial, not just in the long run, but in terms of immediate monetary savings. Here are a few of our suggestions on how to be environmentally conscience without breaking the bank:
Switch Your Lights to LEDs
90% of the energy used by incandescent bulbs is wasted through heat. If used properly, LEDs can last over a decade. That’s a lot of light bulbs you won’t have to be buying over the years.
Go Gas
Gas heating is cleaner than oil and generally cheaper than electric. Services vary by location, so whether you’re researching propane companies in Bucks County or San Francisco, make sure you learn what is available in your neighborhood specifically.
Get an At-Home Water Filter
Bottled water may very well be considered one of the greatest scams of all time. On top of that, faucet water is markedly cleaner than bottled water and faucet or pitcher filters are easy to buy and affordable. Shop around and find the best choice for your home.
Eat Less Meat
No buts about it, cow flatulence is actually contributing to global warming. Going vegetarian for one day a week is an easy way to take action on this issue without making drastic changes to your diet or lifestyle. It also has the added bonus of many varied health benefits, such as decreasing your blood pressure, cholesterol, and risk of heart disease.
Buy Secondhand
The stigma against shopping secondhand is slowly disappearing, as is the strain on your wallet from buying retail markups. Lamps, curtains, candleholders, china sets, costumes, clothes, jewelry, books, you name it — thrift stores and yard sales are home decorating gold mines.
Fill up the Tank, Empty the Trunk
Driving on empty is literally one of the worst things you can do to both your car and you wallet. Make sure to keep your gas tank from dropping below half full — it will make a world of difference.
While we do recommend keeping your tank relatively full, we advise you to keep your trunk relatively empty. The heavier the vehicle, the more energy will be expended in order to get it moving, and the more gas it will burn; on the other hand, the lighter the car, the heavier your wallet, and the greener the planet. Everyone wins!