30 replies to this topic

[mariaandrea]

There are plenty of ways to save energy and go green at home that will also save you money in the long run as long as you make an initial investment, such as rechargeable batteries and CFL bulbs. If you can't afford to spend more now to save money later, or just want a few simple ideas for living more sustainably, there are easy ways to live greener that may also help you spend less, starting now.

We live in a technologically advanced society that helps us save time, improve our health and keeps us informed, but the inspiration for these ideas comes from the past. Our grandparents and great-grandparents lived in simpler times that, despite the low level of technology, offer plenty of lessons we can use today. If you're in any doubt, a YouTube video series on Great Depression Cooking that features 94 year old Clara sharing basic recipes, is viewed by millions of people. The website has garnered millions of loyal fans and there's even a DVD out now. Clara teaches us how to make do with less, and that's the foundation of sustainable living.

Line dry your clothes. Some clothes benefit from a tumble in the dryer, but whenever possible, line dry your clothes to save on your electric bill.

Make your own household cleaners with simple, inexpensive ingredients, such as white vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda. Not only will you rid your house of toxic chemicals, you'll save money.

Reuse grocery store bags. Let's face it, we don't always remember to bring our reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. That's okay, because you can reuse the paper or plastic bags for your garbage, rather than buying plastic garbage bags.

Re-use jars. Some products at the grocery store still come in glass jars rather than plastic, and while you can recycle them, it makes more sense to wash them out and save them. Use them to store leftovers in the refrigerator. Small jars make good spice containers, while large ones are good for storing bulk rice, legumes and nuts. Wrap a ribbon around a jar and use it to hold cooking utensils on your counter or craft supplies.

Make your own reusable dryer sheets. A bottle of liquid fabric softener and some fabric scraps are all you need for those clothes that you can't or don't want to line dry.

[mommymumbles]

Great tips Mariaandrea! I am big on re-using jars and containers. I can find all sorts of ways to use them when they are empty. Decorated jars make great homemade gift containers, and since Christmas is right around the corner....I already am getting started with that project. I make bath salts, cookies, and candies to put in the jars, as well as ingredients for recipes with the recipe card attached,

Have you tried adding a little vinegar to the rinse cycle of the laundry? That also helps make the clothes smell clean and feel soft .

[jasserEnv]

Another often overlooked possibility is to wear more clothes in cool climates and let your house temperature be a little cooler. You can also wear lighter clothes in warmer climates. It is amazing how many people cool their house and then where heavier clothes to compensate. All the while, they are breathing the stale air because they haven't opened the door.

One last thing is that if you live in a warmer climate, you can put a trellis over your sliding glass door and grow climbing plants to limit the sun getting inside. That way you don't need to use as much energy air conditioning. This isn't expensive to do either.

[zararina]

I always reuse grocery/shopping plastic bags as garbage bags since it will not be practical anymore to buy garbage bags and it was good to reuse those plastic bags rather than immediately dispose. I also reuse empty jars as containers for some small stuffs and even reuse it for food storage too. Some products do use glasses type of containers that can be also use as glass in the household. And we are definitely not using the dryer when he weather is too hot to save electricity and lower our monthly electricity bill.

[kathie_san]

These are simple ideas I do at home. I always re-use grocery bags/plastics by making them as garbage bags or when I have to pack some stuff at home. Also jars, they're everywhere in the house! I got this habit from my mom who always wash jars and use them as containers afterwards.

[mariaandrea]

I love coming up with creative ways to reuse stuff. I even have several storage boxes I made by covering shoe boxes with pretty contact paper. It only takes a pair of scissors and they end up looking as good as some of those cardboard storage boxes you can purchase. I use them to store photos and craft supplies and all sorts of things.

[mommymumbles]

I love that idea with the storage boxes. mariaandrea. we have a lot of boxes in our garage so I will have to do this one! We also try to use items like vinegar, baking soda, lemons, toothpaste and such for other uses like cleaning, rather than buy products with chemicals in them at the store. I want to start a garden this coming year as well. Every little bit counts!

[Liv]

Thanks for the tips, MariaAndrea. I make my own laundry detergent and I have noticed the difference money wise. I think my clothes smell soooo much better too. It is easy to do and has the same, if not better, results. I just wish I had the opportunity to line dry my clothes, the weather is never nice enough to risk putting them out!

[mariaandrea]

I rarely have the opportunity to line dry my clothes outside. For one thing, I'm in an apartment, so I can and do use the balcony but it's not always possible. For another, it rains here a lot, especially in the winter. I have a drying rack that folds up that I put in front of a heater in the winter and I hang things on clothes hangers on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom. Honestly, only about half of our stuff is line dried, but that's better than all of it!

[kaveg]

I also am a big fan of reusing plastic shopping bags for trash bags, especially the bigger bags I get when I have a big purchase from a clothing store or electronics store.  Those bags are almost as big as a trash bag and can hold so much.  Sometimes the stores pack so little in bags that I end up with so many extra bags and I hate that!  I try really hard to watch as they bag my items and ask them if they could put more items in each bag so as to save on these bags.  It saves the store money, too!

[lovelikewinter3]

Great tips, everyone! I love line drying my clothes (with the exception of a few things that just don't work well), and reusing items is definitely a creative passion. Using simple ingredients to clean your home has definitely saved us money and frustration, not to mention that our place smells infinitely better. Buying second hand is my favourite way to save money and resources, you can find so many unique things for just about anything!

[lucky120]

These are some really great tips to follow. I like the fact that you can make your own cleaners and everything. There are a lot of cheap ways to go green and make sure that you are getting the best products. You can also buy some products that you may need or want. Buy it being so exspensive to buy certain products then you should always try and make your own products. I like your list and you have some great options here. Thank you for the list and good luck to you all. Going green is a good thing and everyone should try it. Thanks again.

[Jabsfreelanceworld]

I pretty much do all of the above, at least sometimes. I especially like to reuse grocery bags for use in the smaller garbage cans around the home, such as the bathroom or bedroom. I also love to reuse jars or other containers and I line dry my clothes (more to save money but I'm glad I'm helping the environment too).

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Power saver bars will save you a fair amount of money, but the best thing is, they reduce your draw.
And let's face it, most of the country is "drawing" from coal.
So less emissions.
When I switched over several years ago, my bill dropped over $30. Almost $400. yearly savings is nothing to
sneeze at.
Except for the frig, everything electrical is plugged into these power saver strips, and when I go out or
go to bed, I flip the switch off. Vampire's can draw a lot of juice, often unknown to you.
http://www.scienceda...20926065912.htm

Microwaves with clocks, instant on tv's, stereos, ceiling fans with remotes. Lots of stuff.
Change your clocks too to wind ups (best) or battery operated (better). (and of course, recycle them responsibly.)
You can buy or rent a Kill-a-Watt and test all your stuff. Some local libraries have them to rent.
For seniors or disabled people, hang the power strip from a hook on the wall for easier access.
Granted, it may take a moment or two to "reboot" these items, but the coal emissions and money saved are worth it.

[sunny]

Really great advices, as always! Thank you !

[yoder]

mariaandrea, on 18 October 2011 - 12:28 PM, said:

Make your own reusable dryer sheets. A bottle of liquid fabric softener and some fabric scraps are all you need for those clothes that you can't or don't want to line dry.

I really like this one.  We used to buy softener sheets, but stopped once we started to read about the downsides of using them.

One thing that I'm worried about is the fabric softener staining clothes, but if you let the fabric softener dry on t-shirt scraps first before using them, I think that would be ok.

Has anyone tried this?

[Germs]

I already follow most of these steps, but thank you for sharing as i am sure this will help out some of our members.

[mariaandrea]

yoder, on 14 November 2011 - 06:23 AM, said:

I really like this one.  We used to buy softener sheets, but stopped once we started to read about the downsides of using them.

One thing that I'm worried about is the fabric softener staining clothes, but if you let the fabric softener dry on t-shirt scraps first before using them, I think that would be ok.

Has anyone tried this?

I think mixing it with water helps prevent staining. I do this and haven't had a problem with stains. I actually do a mixture of both things in that link - I have a spray bottle with fabric softener and water in it and I spray a piece of fabric with it right before I put clothes in the dryer and toss it in there.

[Sandra Piddock]

I like your idea for storage boxes. I use these in our motor home, so I'm going to make my own from now on, rather than buy them. When covered with contact paper, they should be strong and durable, and  you can also wipe them clean if necessary to prolong their life.

I always line dry my clothes, even if I have to wait a few days to do the washing. I find tumble drying seems to shorten the life of most clothes, and when our tumble drier expired a few years back, I never replaced it. Nothing beats the smell of freshly laundered clothes and sheets, dried in the fresh air. I don't even use a fabric softener these days.

[johnygreen]

You can also consider jute made products for your home and your personality, which are totally eco friendly and are contributing towards greener environment. Few years back I was also not aware about so many jute made products which have so many eco friendly benefits and which can be used in our home for example rugs, carpets, decorative crafts & artifacts, stationary products, different types of fancy and trendy bags, apparels, footwear, furniture, furnishing etc. There are plethora of beautiful items made for home which can add beauty and green badge to our home while making our home green.