Most people would like to "go green," but think there is a cost to doing that.
The good news is that you can save money while going and staying green.
You can adopt all kinds of environmentally friendly habits that will keep a sizable portion of your hard earned money in your pocket.
Here are the top 10 ways for you to go green while saving some green.
1.
Turn off your computer when not in use Leaving your desktop computer on all the time is extremely wasteful.
Better yet, consider using a laptop as your primary computer as it consumes a lot less energy.
2.
Stop buying bottled water You could be throwing away hundreds of dollar on the average every year! Worse yet, only about 5% of the empty plastic bottles ever get recycled - the rest end up in landfills! If you still need to carry water in bottles, consider using reusable stainless steel water bottles that can last a lifetime.
3.
Change your home lighting If you use incandescent bulbs, change to using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.
CFLs use about 75% less energy and will last around 10 times longer.
They also produce 60% less heat.
4.
Don't use a hair dryer This appliance is among the top three power-guzzling home appliances.
Besides, it's better for your hair to be gently dried with a soft towel before being left to air dry.
5.
Install solar panels for your home Try a do-it-yourself solar power kit using cheap parts available from eBay or your local hardware stores.
For less than $200, you can build your own solar power system.
You may not be able to completely run your home on solar power but you can do quite a lot with some planning.
6.
Reduce your driving speed Driving at 65 miles per hour is expensive.
A much more efficient speed for the average car is around 55 miles per hour.
You still get to where you are going at that speed while burning less fuel.
7.
Plan a staycation The idea is to stay closer to home, away from the associated cost, gas guzzling jets, and expensive hotels.
You'll save a lot of money and you won't be responsible for tons of carbon emissions.
8.
Buy in bulk Avoid unnecessary packaging and smaller containers.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we generate some 80 million tons of waste from packaging, labeling and empty containers.
9.
Use your own shopping bag Do you know how many plastic shopping bags end up in landfill every year? Close to 4 trillion or about 99% of all plastic shopping bags produced.
That's a sad statistic that you don't have to add to.
10.
Recycle old clothes There are many charity and thrift shops that will gladly take them from you.
This is simply a way of recycling your cast-off clothes.
The good news is that you can save money while going and staying green.
You can adopt all kinds of environmentally friendly habits that will keep a sizable portion of your hard earned money in your pocket.
Here are the top 10 ways for you to go green while saving some green.
1.
Turn off your computer when not in use Leaving your desktop computer on all the time is extremely wasteful.
Better yet, consider using a laptop as your primary computer as it consumes a lot less energy.
2.
Stop buying bottled water You could be throwing away hundreds of dollar on the average every year! Worse yet, only about 5% of the empty plastic bottles ever get recycled - the rest end up in landfills! If you still need to carry water in bottles, consider using reusable stainless steel water bottles that can last a lifetime.
3.
Change your home lighting If you use incandescent bulbs, change to using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.
CFLs use about 75% less energy and will last around 10 times longer.
They also produce 60% less heat.
4.
Don't use a hair dryer This appliance is among the top three power-guzzling home appliances.
Besides, it's better for your hair to be gently dried with a soft towel before being left to air dry.
5.
Install solar panels for your home Try a do-it-yourself solar power kit using cheap parts available from eBay or your local hardware stores.
For less than $200, you can build your own solar power system.
You may not be able to completely run your home on solar power but you can do quite a lot with some planning.
6.
Reduce your driving speed Driving at 65 miles per hour is expensive.
A much more efficient speed for the average car is around 55 miles per hour.
You still get to where you are going at that speed while burning less fuel.
7.
Plan a staycation The idea is to stay closer to home, away from the associated cost, gas guzzling jets, and expensive hotels.
You'll save a lot of money and you won't be responsible for tons of carbon emissions.
8.
Buy in bulk Avoid unnecessary packaging and smaller containers.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we generate some 80 million tons of waste from packaging, labeling and empty containers.
9.
Use your own shopping bag Do you know how many plastic shopping bags end up in landfill every year? Close to 4 trillion or about 99% of all plastic shopping bags produced.
That's a sad statistic that you don't have to add to.
10.
Recycle old clothes There are many charity and thrift shops that will gladly take them from you.
This is simply a way of recycling your cast-off clothes.