It’s an economic fact: Staying green, means saving green, especially at home. There are many small steps that you can take that will add up to saving you considerable money on energy costs at home. And in these economic times, saving money has never been more important.
Here are ten ways to stay green in your home, and keep a bit more green in your wallet:
- Replace those leaky kitchen faucets: The drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet isn’t just annoying, its like tossing money down the drain. In fact, the typical leaky faucet wastes nearly three gallons of water each and every day! Just think of how much money you’re wasting. Replace those kitchen faucets with a new, stylish faucet like these.
- Take Baths Not Showers: Taking a shower usually uses about fifty gallons of water, while filling up the average bathtub just takes twenty-five gallons. Plus, taking a bath is more relaxing. You can read the paper, or simply rest your eyes. And to save even more water and money, consider sharing that bathwater with your young children.
- Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies: Grandma knew how to clean a stain without spending a bundle at the grocery store. Research these old-fashioned cleaning methods online, or call your grandmother and ask her how. Many stains can be cleaned with baking soda, lemon juice and more.
- Dry Naturally: Use the air to dry both your hair and your clothes. Hair dryers costs $1.20 per month. And the clothes dryer? That will cost $5 per month for a gas dryer and $11 per month for an electric one.
- Cook Meals at Home: Eating out costs quite a bit. Think about it. You gather the family in the car, use precious gasoline to drive to the local pizzeria, and then spend twenty bucks on a pizza that would cost five dollars to make at home. Not to mention, think of all the energy that restaurant is using just to make your meals and clean your dishes!
- Connect by Disconnecting: When was the last time everyone in your house sat down to play some cards or a family game? Or just sat around and talked? Think about the energy you can save, and the family bonds you can forge by simply disconnecting from the TV, internet and cell-phones for an hour.
- Wash Dishes by Hand: An average dishwasher costs $5 per month to use, and uses over three gallons of water per cycle. Wash those dishes and let them air dry. Or better yet, get the kids to do it.
- Use Fans: Air conditioning eats energy in volume. Install some ceiling fans or box fans to circulate the air.
- Turn off the Lights: First of all, replace your old-fashioned light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs. Though more expensive at the point of purchase, they save money in the long run. But even these bulbs eat up precious energy when left on. Install some nice decorative lighting, put in some energy efficient bulbs, and turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Buy Energy Efficient Products: Replace those old energy-hog appliances with new, energy-efficient products. The price you pay for the new appliance will save you money in the long-run.
