Wondering how you could save a little bit of money every month?
Here are some every day money-saving and environmentally friendly choices.
You don’t have to spend money to make your home more environmentally friendly… actually it’s the opposite. By making a few small changes in your home and daily routine you can save money by lowering your electric and water bill. These ideas will help you save your green and the earth’s.
Lower your thermostat.
By lowering your thermostat only a couple degrees in the winter you will noticeably save on your heating bill. Each degree you lower will save about 3 percent off of your bill while saving 1,000 pounds of CO2 a year. So turn down the heat and put on some slippers!
Turn off lights.
During the day time avoid turning on lights by opening the shades and let the sun light your house for you. At night, use candles for dinner and turn off lights in rooms that you are not using. This will cut down your electric bill by using the electricity for lights only when you need them.
Use cold water.
Switch to cold water when doing laundry. Not only does this keep your darks brighter but it can save you an estimated $60 a year on water. If you want to save on drying costs too, hang dry your clothes or at least jeans and thicker sweaters that take more time to dry. You can also use things such as dryer balls to cause your dryer to work more efficiently and reduce your drying time.
Unplug.
Unplug all unused chargers and electronics as these will use a small amount of electricity by just being plugged in. Completely shut down your computer at night to avoid energy being used when your computer is not in use.
Walk & bike.
The next time you need to run to the store for only a few items walk or bike ride and bring your family or friends. This is an easy way to save on gas and spend some outside time with your love ones.
Energy and money statistics take from The Home Energy Diet (New Society Publishers, 2005)
You have many great suggestions here, especially shutting down the computers when you are done with them. We used to let the computers in our home run all day and night. It’s not good for them nor the wasted electricity!