Can going green actually save you money? Maybe you are not convinced of that. If so, that would be entirely understandable. Without a doubt, there are a number of consumer items promoted under the “Green Living” rubric that cost more than comparable “non green” items. Evidently, there are enough consumers who are willing to pay a premium for products labeled “green” that marketers can make a good living selling various items this way.
But you don’t have to follow that crowd. In fact, establishing a greener lifestyle can actually save you money if you go about it the right way.
My focus is very much on how consumers can save money as they go green. And it makes sense to create your green lifestyle this way. Cutting back on energy use, conserving water, driving your car less, and buying certain items second-hand are all actions that reduce your consumption of resources. Why should that cost you more?
In fact, it doesn’t. Here are 3 tips for living that greener lifestyle that are guaranteed to save you money.
1) Replace all incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use only one-quarter of the energy of an incandescent and last up to 10 times longer. It is easy to understand why. Incandescent light bulbs convert only about 3-5% of the energy they consume into light. The rest is dissipated as heat. Incandescent bulbs are essentially little heaters that happen to generate some light. Because CFLs generate less heat, using them will reduce your cooling costs in the summer. Another advantage of CFLs is the following: although the earliest version of CFLs did not work with dimmers switches, the more recent versions will.
2) Buy power strips to switch off electronics when they are not in use.Most people probably do not remember the days when you switched on a television set and then waited 30 to 60 seconds for it to warm up and turn on. Nowadays, we have the instant-on feature, which become so much a part of our modern world but which costs us in so-called “vampire power.” Why? Because in order to deliver the immediate gratification of instant-on, the device (television, radio, computer, etc.) must stay in a constantly warmed-up mode, and it must continually draw a little bit of power to accomplish this. Electronics have become so pervasive that this vampire energy draw is estimated to account for around 10 percent of residential energy use in the United States. By plugging your electronics into a power strip that can be switched on and off, you can cut the power completely, saving all that energy drain. In addition to televisions and VCRs, computers and printers should be switched off at night or whenever you are not using them for an extended period of time.
3) Reduce hot water use by taking showers instead of baths. A bathtub will require 40-70 gallons of water to fill, and all of that water is heated. In contrast, a shower uses about 2 to 3 gallons of water per minute (less if you use a low-flow showerhead). A 7 minute shower, therefore, uses only 14 to 21 gallons of water. You get a double benefit, saving not just on water, but also on the energy required to heat that water.
These three simple steps are guaranteed to make your greener lifestyle cost you less, not more.
Living Green and Saving Money: 3 Green Living Tips That Will Save You Money
Green Living Homes That You Create
In today’s marketplace, Green Living Homes have taken on a different connotation and seem to inspire different emotions as well. In these economic times, it seems that you can’t do Green Living Homes without some sort of a major overhaul of your home , or so it seems. When a new administration enters the White House, somebody or some group seems to think they may have a voice. In America, the Green lovers are of the mindset that the next President will be so for them.
Granted, I am not coming at you from an environmentalist mindset. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. I am of the mindset that a lot of the Green thinking borders on the “Guilt” aspect that characterizes you as bad if you aren’t Green for some reason.
Quite honestly, the Green movement can be a bit radical in its propagation of their overall message and, from a design standpoint, the lens that I often gage things, the materials have not been there to justify a Green Living Home. That has begun to change with some great new design materials that has started to spark the interest of the design community, and, more importantly, become more reasonable from a price standpoint.
Now, here are some things you can do to be more Green just by making changes in the things you do everyday and in future design changes that you may be making in your home.
First, if you are about to do an Interior Design change, look at your electrical systems. There can be a tremendous waste in your electrical output systems. Even if you are not doing Interior Design changes , walk around your home and see it there are ways you can reduce some of you electrical waste. If you just did some minor changes in the way you used your electricity by making sure appliances are turned off when not in use, etc, you could probably realize a 6% to 20 % difference in you bill each month a recent study showed.
From a Design standpoint, it goes without saying to spend the extra money for the energy efficient appliances. An option that is not as difficult to do these days, but still needs to be thoughtfully considered.
There are some simple changes from a lighting standpoint by changing out some of the bulbs that are claiming to be more efficient. I am not talking about going crazy and just start changing them out, but when you need to make a change, do so then.
Also look at you filters in heating and air conditioning units. My Dad was a heating and air guy for years and was always shocked as to how people just wouldn’t take the time to change the filters which would cause countless dollars in repair bills yearly. There are some pretty decent filtration systems, but are still a little pricey compared to regular ole filters.
Finally, from a Kitchen Design standpoint, Bamboo and cork flooring should be considered in Interior Design, as they are dynamic looking. Kitchen cabinets can also be redone with similar alternatives to wood which can like just like exotic woods.
There are some great looking Metal and Stone alternatives which are also good for Kitchen counters and cabinets and a great product, IceStone, one brand of recycled glass used to create countertops for kitchens and bathrooms that generally ranges between $100 and $150 a square foot.
The point is that there is finally coming into the market place a great plethora of products that are Green focused to design and live in your Green house. With the changes you can make from a Design standpoint and just the changes you do by walking around the house, you can be Green. Just don’t let it be out of guilt.
It’s kind of like when I used to eat Twinkies that I loved so much and said that sooner or later there would be a low-fat version, and I was right.
Its the same with going Green. They’ll catch up.
5 Green Living Tips That You Can Implement Today
If you’re concerned about the environment and would like to reduce your carbon footprint, it’s essential that you start making changes to your lifestyle. But you don’t necessarily have to live in a cave with no electricity and bike 60 miles to work every day to create change. These 5 green living tips are simple, require little effort, and can be implemented right away.
1. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and they last ten times longer. Not only will you reduce your electricity use and greenhouse gas emission by switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, you’ll also save 30% on your energy bill.
2. Keep your car well-maintained
If possible, stop driving to work altogether and bike, carpool, walk, or take mass transit to get to work. If you absolutely need your car to commute, however, just make sure that it’s well-maintained. By changing your car’s oil and air filters on a regular basis and keeping your tires properly inflated, you will dramatically improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency so that it burns less fuel on your commutes.
3. Wash clothes in cold water and hang dry them
Use cold water to wash clothes and hang dry them outside to save electricity. Hang drying clothes outside also helps your clothes last longer because it doesn’t cause fading and shrinking like dryers do.
4. Buy used products
Buying new products is a green living no-no because of the energy required to manufacture and ship new products. Anytime you need to buy something, whether it’s a couch, bicycle, or computer, buy it used. Good places to find used products include thrift stores, newspaper classifieds, online classifieds, and yard sales. In addition to its environmental benefits, buying used also saves you a significant amount of money.
5. Buy local food products
Buy food that has been produced locally and avoid imported products. Greenhouse gases are emitted to ship foods to faraway places, so buy local when possible.