cynosure

• 01: Reuse.
  • Get a reusable water bottle and save hundreds of dollars every year!
  • Use the blank backs of paper for scratch paper/notepads instead of buying post-its/notepads/notebooks.
  • Keep a washbin underneath colanders when you wash produce (and collect all other surplus water!) and use that water to water your garden!
  • Don’t throw away all that great organic material (fruit peels, food leftovers, etc.)… Compost! I’ll be telling you easy ways to compost in an article coming soon!
  • Be creative! Think of ways you can reuse anything instead of throwing it away– fabric, etc.
• 02: Conserve.
  • Unplug all chargers, electronics, etc., after you’re done with them. Even if they’re not turned on, plugged-in electronics continue to use energy and raise your electricity bill! Better yet, plug everything into a surge protector, and when leaving/going to sleep, turn off the surge protector and unplug it.
  • Unplug USB cords– they also leech energy even when they’re not being used!
  • Turn off lights when leaving each room.
  • Hang your laundry on a clotheslines instead of using the dryer.
  • Pee in the shower. (I’m completely serious. You’re going to get clean, anyway!)
  • Take shorter showers (set a timer and set it one minute shorter each time!) and turn off the water when you’re sudsing up or shaving. (Click here for more ways to conserve water!)
• 03: Buy (and own) less.
  • Only buy, use, and consume what you need, whether it’s food, clothes, electronics, toys, or anything else.
  • Donate any stuff you don’t need (not only are you helping others, but they’re tax deductible!) or sell it!
  • Live in a smaller house/apartment. Before you throw the first stone, think about it: a bigger place means a bigger price, more resources used to not only build but maintain the house (read: higher utility bills!), and often, unnecessary space for the sole purpose of unnecessary stuff. Houses in the U.S. are getting bigger while families are getting smaller, for no reason other than to make money for everyone BUT the homeowner– and waste resources and increase the disconnect between human beings. Who wants to live in a place where you have to call your brother to tell him dinner’s ready?
  • Better yet, build your own house! Total control. Check out Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.
• 04: Farms, not lawns: Start a vegetable garden & plant (fruit) trees.
  • Not only does it GUARANTEE the safety and health of what you and your family are putting into your precious bodies, but you’ll save money on food!
  • For the adventurous, why not have pet chickens as well? Delicious eggs daily that you can be sure doesn’t have the nasty salmonella or e.coli you risk with inorganic eggs from the corporations that make money off our unhealthy eating!
  • Real lawns are nothing but a waste of water. Consider installing a fake lawn instead, saving thousands on the water bill each year!
  • Compost to nurture and fertilize your garden for free! (You’ll find out more soon!)
  • If a garden is too much work, buy local, grass-fed/cage-free, and organic food– WITHOUT additives, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, or high fructose corn syrup. Before you exclaim “How will that SAVE me money!?” think about it– if you nourish your body with healthy, delicious food now, you will save THOUSANDS of dollars on medical bills later.
  • The importance of sustainable food on both YOUR health & wealth and the PLANET’S health & wealth is SO great and significant, it’s going to encompass another whole article (or two)!
• 05: Take public transportation– or better yet, bike or walk.
  • Believe it or not, it’s possible (and even convenient!) to be carless or have only one car if you have a busy family– and save tons on gas bills, car maintenance, and car insurance! There’s carsharing services, not only within the community but within the nation– and other handy car rental or transportation services that are much cheaper than actually owning a car.
  • Shareable.net has some great articles on how to live carfree: to start, read 5 Ways My Son Benefits from a Carfree Life and How to Be a Carfree Family.
  • If you absolutely have to have a car, three words: carpool, carpool, carpool.
  • If you have to go long distances, fly instead of driving.
  • Take the bus, the train, the metro– save money AND commute time!
  • Bike, or better yet, walk– save money AND get healthy all at once!

And of course… there’s recycling, which is a vital part of helping preserve the beautiful planet we live on, and will be covered in the next post. Stay tuned! (Edit: Click here for Simple Ways to Recycle!)

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tags: environmentalism, how to, list, living green, saving money, sustainability, tips

This entry was posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 19:05 and is filed under loving our planet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.