When you look at the big environmental picture, it can be intimidating. It’s tempting to assume there’s nothing you can do to make a change. But the small things are cumulative, and it starts with the individual. In short, you can make a difference.
Here are some ways to reduce your home’s carbon footprint, and save money in the process.
Recycle, Repurpose & Repair
This is a rather obvious way to reduce waste, but it bears repeating. Recycling goes beyond sending stacks of newspapers and plastic bottles to the recycling center.
You can also repurpose household items into useful things and compost your kitchen scraps.
Repair items instead of immediately replacing them.
I keep items and use them over and over, until it no longer makes financial to do so. I’m talking about my clothes but also my car, appliances, furniture, kitchen utensils and electronics. Some of these are over 10 years old.
Constant upgrades and replacing are a financial drain.
Turn it off
Did your parents nag you about turning out your bedroom light when you weren’t in it? They were right! Now it applies to your whole house – if you’re not in the room, turn off the lights.
Even if you are in the room, use natural light as much as possible. For times when you need lighting, consider LEDs (light-emitting diodes) or CFLs (compact fluorescent lights).
Computers can take a long time to boot up, so it is tempting to leave them on or on standby mode. But try to allow for the extra time required to boot up, and turn off the computer when it’s not in use. This will reduce your power bill, your carbon footprint, and your machine’s vulnerability to viruses, spyware, and other invaders.
Heating and Cooling
Try to cut back on your heating and cooling use. Turn the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer, using fans as much as possible in place of air conditioning. In the winter, wear wool sweaters and socks even while indoors.
Conserve Energy
Don’t hold the refrigerator door open; hang up your clothes instead of running the dryer.
Only run the washer when the load is full. The same applies to the dishwasher. Doing so will clean your clothes and dishes better.
Seal the cracks alongside the windows and doors and insulate them. It’s cheap and easy.
In the bathroom, low-flow toilets and faucets can save water. Faucets are inexpensive to replace, but a toilet can be a big job – if you can’t afford to replace your current toilet, you can do the brick-in-the-tank trick. The brick displaces the water, meaning less water is needed to fill the tank.
Using Rainwater
If you live in single housing, a rain barrel is a great way to reduce your use of treated municipal water. Use it to water plants, your veggie garden, your lawn or to wash bicycles.
If you live in a condo and have plants, use a bucket or a smaller container.
Final Word
The above tips don’t require drastic changes to your lifestyle to be implemented. They don’t require spending money either, or very little of it.
By doing so, you will do your part to protect the planet, and save some money. Guaranteed. Remember, pennies eventually turn into dollars. Dollars eventually turn into hundreds. Hundreds become thousands, and so on.
The Money Savvy Blog 