Going green can be easy and save money. Here are five easy tips to be green.
We have known for a while now that the Earth is warming. Granted, there was still some debate as to whether global warming was caused by human actions or not up until a few years ago. But now, it is generally accepted that mankind has at least contributed somewhat to global warming. That is why it was so shocking to see that in a recent survey in National Geographic, the U.S. ranked last in terms of green lifestyle choices.
With all of the advertised green household products we see in advertisements, and the campaigns for environmental sustainability and the drastic weather changes we have seen over the past few years, you would think that the U.S. would be on its way to becoming one of the leaders in global sustainability. Granted, the 2008 financial shock and lingering recession definitely dampened the ability of some U.S. families to be able to spend a little bit more for greener options. However, as we have noted in some of our other posts, being green sometimes does not have to cost anything. In fact, being green can save you money.
Here are five ways that you can save money and easily go green.
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Install a dual flush converter
The toilets in our house are old. They are the original toilets from when the house was built in the mid-1980′s. From doing research on toilets and water saving, I know that they are horrendous water wasters. I have looked into replacing the toilets and have come close to doing so several times. New toilets only use 1.6 gallons per flush and only cost about $100 – $150 depending on the brand and model you buy. However, when you replace old toilets, those old toilets usually end up in the landfill. So, even though I knew that our old toilets were wasting water, I still felt like replacing them was not worth it unless I could get the old toilets recycled somehow.
I was pondering this exact issue when I went into our local Home Depot a while ago. As I was walking the aisles, I came across the Hydroright Dual Flush Converter, a device that converts your existing toilet into a dual flush toilet. I wanted to jump for joy, but I was skeptical… would it actually work, especially on our ancient toilets? It was only $19, so I decided to buy one and install it on our worst toilet to see if it would really work.
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Our friend Dave's home solar power system
Are you thinking that it may be time to build a home solar power system on your house? I recently completed an 11 kilowatt solar pv (pv: photo voltaics=electric) home solar power system on my home, and I’d like to share the experience with you.
I had been thinking about installing a home solar power system for several years now. Until recently, though, it has been on the back burner, as life is busy. However, one evening this past spring while I was waiting for my daughter to finish her lacrosse practice at a local high school, I decided to take a walk around the school for a bit of exercise. On my walk, I encountered a couple of the contractors putting solar panels on the roof of the school. I stopped to talk with them and they gave me some great information and advice that got me interested in home solar power again. Read more on Home Solar Power – The Story of One Solar Installation…
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Here's how to build a rain barrel and install it to your gutter downspout
Rain barrels are a great way to collect rain water for use in your yard. It is actually pretty easy to build a rain barrel. There are many different tutorials out there that can help you build a rain barrel, including our own step-by-step guide on how to make a rain barrel. However, not many of those guides take the next step and show you how to install the rain barrel. It can be pretty tricky to modify the ground where the rain barrel will go and change your gutters and downspouts in order to accommodate the rain barrel. In this post, we will show you exactly how we installed our rain barrel on our gutter downspout in our backyard. Read more on How to Build a Rain Barrel and Install it on your Gutter Downspout…
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Make a rain barrel for yourself, just like we did
Not soon after we started thinking about growing our own vegetable garden, we stumbled upon the idea of using a rainwater barrel to help water it. We thought it was a great idea and starting learning all that we could about rain barrels. It turned out that it was not that hard to build your own rain barrel and doing so helps keep the cost of the rain barrel down considerably. So, we decided to make a rainwater barrel ourselves. Here is a step by step guide on how we did it. Read more on Make a Rain Barrel – A How to Guide…
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Naturally unclog a drain the next time one backs up at your house
Recently, one of our master bathroom sinks backed up. I was about to buy a bottle of Draino or Liquid Plumber when I remembered watching a documentary on how millions of man-made chemicals are dumped into the environment each day and how we do not have the capability to study the billions of possible interactions that could occur between these chemicals. However, we do have studies linking a good deal of them to cancer in both animals and humans. That being the case, I decided to look for a way to naturally unclog our drain.
Read more on Naturally Unclog a Drain…
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Programmable thermostats can provide huge energy savings
When we moved into our current house, it did not have a programmable thermostat. Every day, I had to remember to adjust the thermostat when we woke up in the morning, left the house, and went to bed. I knew that homeowners spend over 50% of their utility bill on heating and cooling their homes and that programmable thermostat energy savings could help reduce our heating and cooling costs, so I started to research them. Read more on Programmable Thermostat Energy Savings…
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I must admit that I love Google. I am a devoted user of their web search, mapping tools, email, portal and other services. So, when I read that they were branching into household energy use, I was pretty excited. I mean, can you imagine adding a widget to your Google portal that shows your household energy usage? Way cool. Read more on Monitor Home Energy Use…
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Easy ways to keep the house warm in the winter
Winter means shorter and colder days, which means using the heat more and higher utility bills. Many of us often wonder how to keep the house warm in the winter without breaking the bank. Here are five simple and easy tips to keep your home warm during the winter without having to use the heat. Read more on How to Keep the House Warm in Winter…
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Typically, when the economy goes bad, the price of oil drops and environmental ideals and goals are thrown out the window. After all, it can cost more to be green sometimes.
However, I take the stance that being green actually saves you money. One great way to see how being green can save you money is a free energy audit for your home. Yes, you can do your own energy audit and start saving money by making a few simple changes around your home. Read more on Free Energy Audit for Your Home…
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