Go Green, Save Cash

1.  Turn off your lights when not in a room.  It seems so simple and can save you a small fortune.

2.  Don't drive if you can walk.  Save gas.  Seriously I see people drive two blocks to pick up their mail.  How rediculous is that?

3.  Don't buy junk you don't need.  Who needs knick knacks?   Most of these products are made from raping the earth of her resources.  Many are made from petroleum based products, like resin.  Most are manufacture in ways that pollute the sky, earth, and/or water.

4.  If you do want junk you don't need, get it from Second Hand stores.  Every thing is green if it comes from a second hand store.

5.  If you don't need it or want it, take it to a Second Hand store.  Rather than dumping it in the landfill - common sense. 

6.  Don't buy a newspaper.  You can get all the news from the Internet or Television.  Newspapers, unless you need them for your birds cage, or recycle, are costly when you add it up.

7.  Make your Coffee at home.  Preferably from "shade grown" coffee beans.  Made coffee from stores is way expensive (figure out what you spend in a year) and especially when served in "togo" cups, very bad for the environment. 

8.  Shop at farmers markets, buy locally made or grown items.  Shipping of items from one place to another is resulting in huge environmental impacts. 

9.  Breast Feed.  Healthier for the baby, cheaper (what can be cheaper than free?) for you.

10 Have a small family.  More people make more problems.  Because our lifespans are longer, even one child per couple is population growth, and every child is a financial consideration. 

11.  Do not Idle your car.  Apparently anything more than thirty seconds is a waste of gas, you would use less gas if you shut off your car and restarted it.

12.  Reduce the amount of meat you eat.  Some people want to make this hard and tell you to stop eating meat altogether, it is more practicle to simple reduce the amount you eat.  Most people eat far more meat than they need.  In many nations people only have meat once a week, if even that.  The meat protion sizes in North American (more than elsewhere) are extreme, a good portion size is about the size of a deck of cards. 

13.  Grow your own food.  This is possibly the best thing you can do, for yourself, your pocket book, and the environment.  Food you grow saves you money and is healthier than food loaded with chemicals or covered in sprays.  This can be as simple as a row of carrots, and a fruit tree, to an entire garden.

14.  Have pet Chickens.  Okay, not everyone can do this, but a few hens in your yard will lay eggs and eat bugs.

15.  Get a reusuable shopping bag.  This does cost you a tiny bit of money, but saves the amount of bags you later have to throw away.

16.  Replace light bulbs to more energy efficient bulbs.  Again an expense, but it would cost you to replace them anyhow with regular bulbs.  A few cents more now, will save money in the long run. 

17.  Look for energy efficient products, like flashlights that work by winding them up, or solar powered lights.

18.  Don't give people gifts they cannot, or will not, use.  This is a waste of money.

19.  Don't forget about residual energy.  Many products suck energy even when not in use.  If you are going away for an extended period of time, unplug your appliances, and computers, don't just turn them off. 

20. Finally, share your green habits with others.  If people see you drinking your coffee from a reusuable mug, they might do the same.  If they see you recycling, they might do it too.  If they see you picking plums off your own plum tree, they might plant a peach tree, and you can share!