Did anyone make a New Year’s Resolution to live greener in 2010?  Well, we’re 3 weeks in to 2010 and you don’t have to install solar panels to make that resolution a reality.  Sometimes, living green is simple and I’m sure most of our readers will find that they follow one or several of these tips already.

For for you green newbies, here are 10 easy ways to live greener while saving money:

1. Flick off.  The lights, your computer, the hair dryer, your cell phone charger – anything that’s plugged in and not in use.  Stop drawing on power that you don’t need.  Reducing your energy consumption will save you money and benefit the planet.
2. Take back the tap with a reusable water bottle.  Do you drink bottled water? One reusable stainless steel water bottle will save you hundreds in the first year alone.  Plus, you eliminate the carbon costs to produce and ship that plastic bottle of water to a store near you.
3. Buy local.  Support local farmers with your purchases and travel less to shop.  Food grown all over the world doesn’t magically arrive at your grocery store — greenhouse gases were emitted to ship it to you by plane, boat, truck or rail.
4. Celebrate Meatless Monday.  Choose a meatless alternative one day a week and help cut down on your carbon footprint while minimizing water usage and reducing the dependence on fossil fuels.
5. Carpool, walk, bike or choose public transit.  Try some transportation alternatives in 2010 that respect the environment and help preserve fossil fuels.
6. Turn down the thermostat.  Bundle up to keep warm this winter and use less heat while wasting less energy.
7. Fill up the dishwasher, washer and dryer before using it.  Don’t waste water and energy with partial loads.
8. Wash clothes in cold water and line dry. Using cold water saves electricity and works just as well as hot with most clothes. Line drying not only is more environmentally friendly, but it will also help keep your clothes from shrinking and fading.
9. Plant a tree.  Yes, it’s simple, but just one tree can offset tons of carbon over its lifetime. It can provide shade in the sunshine which can reduce the use of energy for air-conditioning in buildings and homes.
10. Buy in bulk and choose less packaging.  Less packaging means less waste and plastic production.  Buying bulk is cheaper and enables you to have lots of what you need with considerably less packaging.

And there you have it, affordable, wallet-friendly and earth-friendly green living.  These truly are easy ways to live greener and require little sacrifice from you.  In fact, you save money by deploying these green tips.  Start with one and then work your way through the list.  Already doing most of it? Great.  Encourage your friends and family to follow your earth-friendly lead and the reward will be a healthier planet.  Cheers to keeping green resolutions in 2010!

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Tags: Bottled Water, carbon costs, carbon footprint, carbon offsets, Fossil Fuels, Green Living, greenhouse gases, live greener, Meatless Monday, preserve fossil fuels, reduce consumption, reusable Water bottle, save electricity, save energy, save green, saving money, stainless steel bottle, stainless steel water bottle

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