Four Easy Ways Towards Affordable Green Living

A Greener Lifestyle Can Be Simple

Some may say affordable green living is an oxy-moron but here are four easy ways to start dispelling that myth.

1. Install a programmable thermostat.  They don’t contain mercury which makes them easier to recycle plus they allow you to set the temperature based on time of day and season which will lower your utility bills.  If you have an old analog thermostat that contains mercury, make sure you properly dispose of it a hazardous waste.  Plus your new programmable thermostat may qualify for a rebate as an energy efficient home improvement purchase!!
2. Print only when necessary.  It takes a gallon of oil to product one ink cartridge (plus they are quite costly) plus the average person uses 1.5lbs of paper per day.  Use your email and file backups so you can access your files whenever you want.  Think before you print.  If you do need to print, use both sides and print only the pages that absolutely need to be printed.  The key to affordable green living is being conscious of what you use.
3. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) may cost more than incandescent bulbs, but they save as much as 80 percent of the energy used by incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.  Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps are even more energy-efficient than CFLs and don’t contain mercury, however, they cost much more.  CFL’s can fit pretty much any light socket but when they do run out, make sure you properly recycle them to keep mercury out of landfills.
4. Buy in bulk when purchasing items with a long shelf life.  In almost every situation, the more you buy of something, the less you’ll pay per individual unit. Plus buying in bulk means less trips to the store so you’ll save on transportation costs and carbon emissions too!! Don’t forget to recycle as much of the packaging as possible.

Pretty simple stuff. There is a myriad of ways where going green will save you money but here are a few easy places to start your trek towards affordable green living.

Tags: eco friendly living, energy efficiency, energy efficient home, green consumerism, green daily living, Green Lifestyle, Green Living, green practices, green products, living greener, paper reduction, planet forward, Planet Forward tips, sustainable urban ideas

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