Simple Ways to Begin a Green Lifestyle

Just over 4 years ago I made a career change and became a stay at home mom. With only one income supporting our (then) family of 3, I began looking for ways to save money. I felt determined to do “my part” in helping the family remain successful with a smaller budget. One way I found to help keep our budget down was by making simple changes to our lifestyle to be “greener”.

Here are a few simple ways to begin a green lifestyle:

• Recycle. Fact: Over 75% of waste is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it. (Source dosomething.org) Just think of how much money you could save on trash bags alone if you recycled!
• Watch your water. Simple things like watering your lawn in the evening or early morning hours can go a long way. Other ways are running a load of dishes only when the dishwasher is full. The same goes for laundry. Plus washing your clothing on cold can save you an average of $214 a year. (Source csmonitor.com) That’s pretty close to a car payment, or one night stay in a hotel!
• Donate. There are so many families in need and begging for supplies, so why not donate something that’s sitting around collecting dust. Charities are making it easy for you by visiting areas once a month and collecting the items right from your doorstep. It can’t get much easier than that! Not in the donating mood? Host a garage sale and make money, or sell items on websites like Ebay.
• Turn off the lights. So simple, and can save you money! While we’re on the topic of energy-saving, unplug too! Fact: Electronics in standby mode, whether they have an LED standby lights or not, account for more than 100 billion kWhs of U.S. electricity consumption and more than $10 billion in energy costs each year, according to ENERGY STAR. (Source entrustenergy.com) So unplugging the following appliances can help you save money every month: TV’s, DVD players, Printers, Coffee Makers, Cell Phone Chargers, and more!
• Buy natural products, like Green Works who use plant- and mineral-based biodegradable cleaning ingredients. They provide a practical way to use naturally derived products without compromising cleaning performance.

We hope these ideas have inspired you to give a green lifestyle too!