Making changes to be more green doesn’t necessarily require one to spend money. Two of the most environmentally friendly things we can do are reducing our consumption of everything (even Earth friendly materials) and being conscious consumers. In fact, beginning to go green can be as simple as channeling our grandparent’s or great-grandparent’s way of life. By being to tune with some simple actions, going green can be a simple pursuit that saves a lot of green (as in money). Here are my simple methods for living a green life and saving money in the process:

1) Washing clothes:

• Run a full load in the washer machine.
• Use cold water during the wash cycle. Hand wash delicates.
• Ideally, hang your clothes on a line to dry (outside if possible or inside by a window).
• If you do use the dryer, minimize dry time.

2) Washing dishes:

• Hand wash your dishes.
• Fill your sink basin or a plastic tub with soapy warm water and let the dishes soak for a while. Wash, then rinse.
• If you do use the dishwasher, load it completely before letting it run. And set it to energy saving mode or short wash if the dishes aren’t too greasy or dirty.

3) Yard Work:

• Cultivate your yard to best suit your environment (for example, xeriscape in a desert).
• Plants that are suited to your natural environment require less resources and attention to thrive.

4) Packaging:

• Think about packaging before purchasing. 
• More packaging often means less product for your money. For example buying a head of lettuce or fresh spinach leaves verses purchasing those in a prepared bag will give you more produce at a cheaper price. Or a bar of soap will probably provide more use (and cost less) than a bottle of liquid soap.
• Less packaging means less destined for recycling (an excellent process, but one that requires energy).
• Another component of packaging is thinking about how to repurpose or reuse the container. For example, instead of purchasing peanut butter in a plastic jar (destined for recycling), maybe select a version in a glass jar, since glass jars are great for other uses (e.g., storing soup broth, buttons, coins)

5) Paper:

• Think before you print.
• Print on both sides of paper. Encourage your work to adopt this practice.
• Use both sides before sending your sheet paper to the recycle bin.
• It is better to remove yourself from junk mailing lists, but whenever you get unwanted mail with blank envelopes or a blank side of paper, use those! They are great for lists, doodling, or scratch paper.
• Reduce paper consumption in other areas. Think how much tissue paper or toilet paper you really need before you grab for it. In the kitchen do you really need a paper towel to clean up or disposable napkins during a meal? Cloth rags can clean up spills and cloth napkins are an elegant addition to a table. Plus, both can be thrown in with that load of towels you were going to wash anyways. You don’t even have to purchase these. Consider making them or seeing if your parents or grandparents can spare a few extra sets.

6) Electronics:

• Turn off electronics when not using them.
• If you need to save the session on your computer, it may have a hibernate option for completely shutting down the computer while saving your session. The next time you turn on the your session will load.
• Just say no to phantom energy. Even turned off electronics can zap energy! Consider this especially for your computer/printer/fax and television/video player/game consoles. New power stripes can be turned off so that no energy is going to those units when they are not being used. But if you can’t purchase such a strip right away, the first step is just powering down when your electronic is not in use or keeping phone chargers unplugged until they are needed.

7) Natural Light:

• Follow the natural Sun cycle. Utilize natural light!
• Minimize your active time, requiring lighting, during the night fall. Obviously this is tougher during long winter nights, but at least be aware of the amount of lighting you are using each evening.
• Is there need for more than one light on per person in a home? Hang out together in the evenings. By congregating in the same area, you will minimize the amount of lights that need to be on.

Temperature:

• A programmable thermostat rocks, but utilizing natural elements can make a big difference in the temperature indoors.
• During the winter, utilize natural light from the sun to warm up rooms (open shades/blinds). Remember to shut these at night fall to keep that heat inside.
• In the summer, keep curtains/blinds drawn shut to shield the house from excess heat.

9) Clothes:

• Make the best use of the clothes you already have.
• Often a different accessory or combination of pieces can create a whole new look.
• Consider altering the piece to make it customized to your body. Stitch up any tears to increase the longevity of your clothes. This upkeep and reassessment also applies to shoes and accessories.

10) Cleaning:

• Make your own cleaning supplies.
• Many internet sites describe specific formulations and ratios of ingredients. And use such common supplies such as white vinegar, water, baking soda, lemon juice, or bleach.

Save Earth! Save Money! Honoring Earth Day everyday is a great goal for us all. Every small step we take to live greener is a good step in the effort to preserve Earth and is of benefit to us individually and collectively on many levels.  

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