As I look for ways to save money, I often discover that while trying to save money and live a frugal life, I also end up doing things in an environmentally friendly way. Since today is Earth Day we are starting a new Brainstorm that deals with just that. What tips do you have that are both good for the environment and your pocket book? Here's a few to get the ball rolling.
Car Purchase
Often, the more expensive the car you buy, the more it will cost to fuel. Buying a less expensive car that gets good gas mileage saves you money initially as well as down the road and it conserves fuel which is good for the environment.
Car Pooling
Car Pooling saves you money on gas and wear and tear on your car. It decreases traffic and emmissions.
Composting
Fruit, vegetable and yard waste is treasure that many people trash. It decomposes into valuable soil which can be used to grow tasty vegetables which will save you money at the grocery store.
What tips do you have that are both frugal and environmentally friendly?
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I avoid buying paper towels, paper napkins, paper or foam plates, plastic cups and flatware, and other disposables. When I am served with plastic flatware and the like, I save it and wash it, and keep a small supply in my auto. On those occasions when I *have to* buy food away from home, I can use my own recycled dishes with food from a grocery store.
* Use public transportation whenever possible. One person commuting to work by mass transit instead of driving can save 200 gallons of gasoline in a year.
* Share your ride. Join a carpool or a vanpool. About one-third of all private automobile mileage is for commuting to work. If occupancy increased by just one person per car, more than 40 million gallons of gasoline would be saved each day.
* Don't speed. For every mile-per-hour over 55 mph, the average car or truck loses almost two percent in gas mileage.
* When driving on the highway, use your cruise control to maintain a steady speed.
* Keep your car or truck well tuned. A well-tuned car uses up to 9 percent less fuel than a poorly tuned car and releases less pollution.
* Keep the tires of your car or truck properly inflated. Under-inflation shortens the life of a tire and decreases gas mileage. For every pound per square inch (psi) below the proper level, there is an average increase in fuel consumption of 0.4 percent.
* Remove unnecessary heavy items from your car. Every extra 100 pounds costs you about half-a-mile-per-gallon.
* Reduce drag when possible when you drive. Drag increases fuel consumption. If you drive with the windows open more drag is created. Roof-mounted racks can increase drag by more than 40 percent if you stack luggage, bicycles, or skis on the roof and back of the car.
* Ride a bike or walk to work, the local neighborhood store, or nearby friends. Total vehicle emissions is reduced to zero.
* Use energy conserving oils the next time you change your car's oil. Labeled with "EC" lettering on the container, these oils can improve your gas mileage by one to two percent.
* If your car is equipped with overdrive, be sure to use the overdrive gear when your speed dictates. Your owner's manual will give you further information.
* Don't start your car until you're ready to move, and avoid long idles. Idling engines waste gas. Limit car warm-ups in winter.
* Drive smoothly. Accelerating slowly from a full stop can save you as much as two miles per gallon.
* Drive a friend or neighbor to work. If every commuter car carried just one more passenger, we'd save 600,000 gallons of gasoline and keep 12 million pounds of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere every day.
1. Avoid unnecessary trips anywhere. I now go into town to shop (grocery, discount store, bank, etc.) only once a week. Everything possible is built around that one trip.
2. Recycling becomes addictive! The more you recycle, the more you want to recycle. Urge your local recycling center to investigate ways to recycle even more, i.e., food grade cardboard (cereal boxs, cake mix boxs, frozen pizza boxs, etc.). Anything you can recycle means you don't have to pay to have it hauled off!
3. Composting is a wonderful way to eliminate almost all your kitchen waste. What can you compost? It's easier to give you a list of what you can't! Don't add to a compost pile any of the following: meat scraps; meat fats; oils; meat bones; cigarette butts Even tea bags, egg shells, coffee grounds and hair clippings make wonderful additions to your compost pile. Make your own "miracle soil" amendment.
4. Create a beautiful and productive garden for your family. If you can't use all the produce, take the extra harvest to any of the following: local food pantrys; church; senior citizen centers. We plant most of our garden in watermelon and cantaloupes just for the fun of watching them grow and then taking them to church to share with others. We watched with delight as 37 melons (some extremely large) disappeared in less than 4 minutes, and we talked for days about the sea of happy faces we saw.
You're right, ronsan, recycling is addictive! I started with just pop cans and now recycle everything our recycling rollaways (at a park in my town) will take. I have gone from using 4+ cans a week for trash to using less than one. This would really help someone who has to pay by the can or bag for trash pickup. Even if you can only recycle cans and newspapers, it cuts down on your trash (and may save some trees).
THe reuse of something you might recycle or throw away saves energy and raw materials plus the cost and transportation of such items, and it is fun using your brain making alternatives or copies of an item.
Even the most unhandy person can reuse a soda bottle for hundreds of things like Canisters for flour to weights to exercise with,to Cereal and Salad bowls for a campout or picnic.
You name any item and their are mucho reuses for it.
On throwing out trash; even if you throw out everything, you could take the time to smash it and tear it up. You could save money on trash bags and even without wanting to save a little energy, strengthen you hands with exercise.
My Earth Day I power down or used very little energy . Worked on reuse inventions and listen to the radio my only vice for that day.
washed laundry the old fashion way, washed myself in a small water container and used all dirty water to flush the toilet.
It rained here so I didn'y have much of a chance to get out in Nature.But I observed here through my windows and she is greening nicely finally.
Well Recycle And Green On Folks
Mr. Thrifty
1. I save the cartons that sour cream, margarine, cottage cheese, etc come in and use them to store left-overs in the fridge. Can use for just about anything, such as nails, twistie-ties, rubberbanks, just jot a label on it.
2. I buy kitty litter by the large buckets (28 lb size) and re-us them by poking a few holes in the bottom with an ice pick, some rocks and then soil and plant tomatoes, greens, flowers etc in them. You can paint over them with primer and then color or colors of choice, maybe paint designs on them and have gotten great complements. They are too sturdy to throw away and have handles too. I have even used them to catch rain water. Many uses.
I have gotten really into eco-friendly way of life.
I make napkins out of old shirts now. Just cut to the size I want and zig-zag stitch and throw in a bowl, place on table and grab when need one....and since its only my and my family that eat here.. we wait after a few messes before washing.. Afterall, its mainly for keeping the mouth clean not wiping the plate clean..LO
Also, For Eco reasons. I have now gone all Natural Cloth pads for that time of the month.. Learned that from some other Mamas Out there. Also, going out of my way to get my kid sister to use cloth diapers for her daughter, not having much luck yet... But my daughters say when they grow up they sure will. I am a proud Mama
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