As we celebrate Earth Day this week, I thought it was appropriate to think of ways that we can all be more GREEN, while saving our Cents, too! Here are 5 Tips:
1) Turn it Off- Lights, computers, and other electronics consume energy and our money. Turning lights off when we leave a room, unplugging chargers when not in use, and shutting down the computer (and printer) at night can all help to save!
Did You Know? Lighting consumes up to 34% of U.S. electricity!
2) Re-Use It: After all the FREE reusable totes and shopping bags this week, it will be even easier to use these, and not use the plastic bags at the grocery/drug stores. Getting a reusable water bottle (like the CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Classic Cap
) will also reduce waste, and cost, associated with disposable water bottles.
) will also reduce waste, and cost, associated with disposable water bottles.Did You Know? Each year, Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags (only 0.6% are recycled)!
3) Grow Your Own: Planting your own vegetables, fruit, and herbs can save you money, but it can also reduce the use of chemical pesticides. And just think of the money you’d save by less trips to the grocery store for produce! You can also follow along in my gardening journey.Did You Know? The average food item in America now travels at 2400 kilometers from farm to plate!
4) Buy Used: You probably already know the benefits of buying second-hand, but buying used, also helps the environment.
Did You Know? A cotton t-shirt blended with polyester can release 1/4 of its weight in air pollutants and 10 times its weight in carbon dioxide!
5) Recycle: Of course recycling can help the environment- but have you ever thought of different ways to use all that newspaper that you buy on Sundays? Try using newspaper instead of paper towels the next time you wash your windows. Not only will it save you money not buying as many paper towels, but it will get your windows streak-free! Did You Know? Making paper from recycled content creates 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution! (facts from worldwatch.org)
Do you have other Frugal tips for being GREEN? I’d love to hear about them!
Looking for more ways to be Frugal and Green? Check out 11 (More) Frugal Ways to Be Green.
And don’t miss all the fun Summer FREEBIES & Discounts available for your kids!
Melissa Hurst, the founder of SavingCentsWithSense.net, is a married mom of three young children, so she understands the importance of stretching a family's budget to maximize savings. After working full-time in higher education for seven years, she pursued a passion of teaching both in the classroom and through her articles to help others. Her money-saving tips have been featured on Arizona Midday, and she is a regular columnist for LifetimeMoms.com and Times Publications in Arizona.
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