Save money,
make money and
save the environment all at the same time by following our Going Green Tips. Whether you're at home, in the car or at the store, there are many ways that you can go green.
How To Go Green Tip #1: Pay bills online
When you pay your bills online, not only are you saving money on postage and reducing the amount of paper used, you're also saving yourself a lot of time.
How To Go Green Tip #2: Buy locally produced meats and produce
Support your local farm's and farmer's markets and help to reduce all of the waste associated with shipping food around the country.
How To Go Green Tip #3: Drink water from reusable containers
Save money and the amount of garbage you create by re-filling a reusable (BPA free) container rather than using and throwing out several bottles of water a day.
How To Go Green Tip #4: Print on both sides
Using a printer that can print on both sides of a piece of paper will reduce garbage and save you money on paper.
How To Go Green Tip #5: Opt out of junk mail
Each American household receives about 1.5 trees worth of junk mail each year. Opt out of receiving junk mail and credit/insurance offers by visiting the
Direct Marketing Association,
Consumer Credit Reporting Industry and
Catalog Choice.
How To Go Green Tip #6: Turn off your computer
Shutting down your computer at night can save you close to $100 a year. Don't forget to do this at the office also.
How To Go Green Tip #7: Reduce Phantom Load
Read our
article on how to reduce the Phantom Loads in your home.
How To Go Green Tip #8: Purchase EnergyStar products
EnergyStar products can help reduce your utility bills by 30%. Check out our list of the
top selling EnergyStar products.
How To Go Green Tip #9: Wash full loads only
Only run your dishwasher and washer machine when you have a full load.
How To Go Green Tip #10: Wash clothes in cold water
90% of the energy used by washing machines goes towards heating the water. Not only will this help reduce your energy costs, but it will also reduce your carbon footprint. Cold water works just as well as hot water for cleaning most items.
How To Go Green Tip #11: Hang dry your laundry
While hang drying all of your laundry is not practical, skipping the dryer and hang drying a couple of loads of laundry a week will help you to save money on your utility bills.
How To Go Green Tip #12: Insulate your home
Insulation keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Making sure your home is properly insulated can yield big savings in your energy bill.
How To Go Green Tip #13: Seal leaks and drafts in your home
Check the exterior of your home for leaks around windows, doors, electrical outlets, plumbing, vents and any holes that are letting air in/out.
How To Go Green Tip #14: Seal the ducts in your home
If your home has a forced air heating and cooling system, then you need to make sure all of your ducts are properly sealed so that you don't lose air due to leaks in the system.
How To Go Green Tip #15: Install energy efficient windows
Windows are notorious for letting air leak in/out of the house. Upgrade to new energy efficient windows. In most states this can be written off on your taxes.
How To Go Green Tip #16: Open/Close your window shades
During the summer, keep your window shades closed to block out the sun. During the winter time, open your window shades and take advantage of the sun's rays to help warm your house.
How To Go Green Tip #17: Get an energy audit
Call your local utility company and find out if they offer home energy audits. Some utility companies even offer free audits. The audit will help you to find the spots in your home where you are losing energy.
How To Go Green Tip #18: Use alternative energy
Visit the
U.S. Department of Energy website for a listing of alternative energy providers in your state.
How To Go Green Tip #19: Use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)
CFLs last 10 times longer and use 66% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Check out our
top selling CFL bulbs.
How To Go Green Tip #20: Install motion sensors for your lights
Motion sensors automatically turn lights on/off when you enter/leave a room. Now you won't have to worry if you left a light on or not.
How To Go Green Tip #21: Adjust your thermostat
For every degree you lower your thermostat in the winter or raise it in the summer, you will save about 1%-3% on your utility bill. Raise your thermostat 5 degrees during the summer and lower it 3-5 degrees during the winter.
How To Go Green Tip #22: Use a programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostats are inexpensive and easy to install. Just set it and forget it and let the thermostat do the work for you. Check out our
top selling programmable thermostats.
How To Go Green Tip #23: Lower the temperature of your hot water heater
Set your water heater's temperature to 120 degrees.
How To Go Green Tip #24: Go eco-friendly with your furniture
Buy furniture made from reclaimed wood or bamboo. Don't throw out your old furniture. Either sell it or donate it to charity.
How To Go Green Tip #25: Use Recycled Toilet Paper
Using toilet paper made from post-consumer fibers lowers the number of trees that need to be cut down to manufacture toilet paper and also lowers the amount of waste going to landfills. Some popular brands are
Green Forest
and
Seventh Generation
.
How To Go Green Tip #26: Don't use your garbage disposal
Garbage disposals use water and electricity and the food that you are putting into your disposal could be used for compost instead.
How To Go Green Tip #27: Install a low-flow toilet
A low-flow toilet uses approximately 1.6 gallons per flush, as opposed to 7 gallons for a traditional toilet.
How To Go Green Tip #28: Install aerators on your faucets
Most faucets come pre-installed with aerators, which mix the water with air to lower water usage. If your faucet doesn't have one, they're inexpensive and easy to install.
How To Go Green Tip #29: Sell or donate your old electronics
While the fast pace of technology leads to constant innovations with cellphones, computers and other electronics devices, it also causes more waste as devices become outdated very quickly. Sell or donate your old electronics to
gadget trade-in services to cut down on the amount of waste sent to lanfills and make money by going green.
How To Go Green Tip #30: Telecommute
More and more companies are giving employees the option to telecommute, a.k.a. work from home. Telecommuting, even just part time, helps (1) employees save commuting expenses, (2) companies save real estate and electricity expenses and (3) the environment because less cars are on the road.
How To Go Green Tip #31: Use Your Coffee Grinds For Fertilizer and Composting
Used coffee grinds can be used as fertilizer for your plants by simply spreading them on your soil like you would any other fertilizer. You can also add the coffee grinds to your compost pile.
How To Go Green Tip #32: Defrost Your Freezer
When ice builds up around the coils of your freezer it causes the compressor to work harder, thus using more energy. Defrost your freezer on a regular basis.
How To Go Green Tip #33: Keep Your Refrigerator Door Closed
Leaving your refrigerator door open wastes energy. Close the door as soon as you can.
How To Go Green Tip #34: Use a rain barrel
Rain barrels can be connected to your gutters to collect water when it rains. You can then use the collected water to water your lawn and garden, rather than paying for tap water. Check out our list of the
top selling rain barrels.
How To Go Green Tip #35: Make sure your tires are properly inflated
Keeping your tires properly inflated improves your gas mileage and also increases the life of your tires.
How To Go Green Tip #36: Carpool
Save on gas, help decrease traffic, lower greenhouse gas emmissions, save mileage on your car, save on tolls. Some employers offer incentive programs to get employees to carpool together, such as reserved parking spots.
How To Go Green Tip #37: Stop idling
Did you know that idling your car for 10 seconds uses more gas than is needed to start your car? Plus, a growing number of municipalities have police officers ticketing drivers who idle their cars outside of stores.
How To Go Green Tip #38: Drive a fuel efficient car
The automotive industry is increasingly investing in hybrid, electric and fuel cell technology cars.
How To Go Green Tip #39: Don't weigh down your car
The more stuff you keep in your car, the heavier it gets. The heavier your car gets, the more gas that it uses. Take some time to clean out your car.
How To Go Green Tip #40: Use mass transit
Leave the driving to someone else.
How To Go Green Tip #41: Use cruise control
Let your car's computer maintain a constant speed for you to minimize accelerating/decelerating.
How To Go Green Tip #42: Turn off the air conditioning
A/C puts additional strain on the motor.
How To Go Green Tip #43: Slow down
The faster you drive, the harder the motor has to work.
How To Go Green Tip #44: Keep your windows closed
Open windows increase drag and forces your motor to work harder to maintain it's speed.
How To Go Green Tip #45: Rent a hybrid car when traveling
If you need to rent a car when traveling, look for a hybrid rental car. Car rental companies such as Hertz are starting to offer hybrid models for rent.
How To Go Green Tip #46: Use your own canvas shopping bags
"Paper or plastic?" Answer: "Neither". Pass on the store's paper and plastic bags and bring your own re-usable canvas bags. More and more stores are offering discounts towards your purchase when you bring your own bag.
How To Go Green Tip #47: Buy locally grown and locally raised food
Become a "
localvore" and only buy food that was grown or raised locally. The fewer miles that food needs to travel before reaching the store, the lower the carbon footprint required for transporting the food.
How To Go Green Tip #48: Shop for products with minimum packaging
A lot of material is wasted with over-sized packaging that isn't necessary. Manufacturers can cut costs by using minimal packaging for their products which not only saves them money, but also reduces the amount of garbage being sent to landfills.
How To Go Green Tip #49: Shop for products made from post-consumer materials
This shows that the manufacturer that you're buying from cares about the environment. Read those labels carefully.
How To Go Green Tip #50: Don't Ask for an ATM Receipt
Most ATM's give you the option of whether you'd like a printed receipt or not. Since you can view all of your transactions online, why not skip the receipt to cut down on wasted paper?
How To Go Green Tip #51: Buy items in bulk
Individually wrapped items waste a lot of packaging materials. Buy in bulk and then separate everything into reusable containers. This will not only reduce packaging waste, but also save you money.
