We are all constantly hearing about what we should and should not be doing to try and save our planet. We know you do honestly care, but let's face it we all get a little too busy to actually do anything. But I can guarantee that if you knew of a few green actions that would mean more green in your wallet, you'd find a way to play a more active role even with a busy lifestyle.
SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL:
Replace all of your traditional light bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. At least replace the five most frequently used lights in your home with CFL's.
I know you may have heard this a thousand times before, but this simple move is guaranteed to not only waste alot less energy but also keep your hard earned dollars in your wallet!
YES, the bulbs are a little pricier than your regular light bulbs but they are guaranteed to last to last at least two years. If one blows before that, the manufacture will replace it. Basically, you use less energy so you save on your electric bill and you won't have to buy more light bulbs for at least two years!
Another way to keep your money in it's rightful place (your wallet) when it comes to your electric bill is to unplug any electrical devices around the home that are not being used! Believe it of not just because your device is off doesn't mean that it isn't sucking up power, raising your electric bill. I like to use surge protectors so that I don't have to unplug everything, I simply turn the strip off! I also have devices that are not used often, such as our VCR, that I only plug in when we do use it. I always unplug my coffee maker once my coffee is done. I have other ways of telling time and really don't need it on 24/7. For those that use the programing feature on their coffee maker, set it up before you go to sleep and unplug it in the morning before you leave for work. Does it really need to be on all day? I also always unplug my cell phone charger once it's done charging. If my phone is not attached to it, I am needlessly wasting energy keeping my charger plugged in. We also use the old fashioned method of air drying some of our clothes.
I know you maybe thinking that it's impossible to save the world while saving money. I will share with you that my electric bill averages $70. Not bad for a 2 story house. the family and I watch TV, I charge my phone, use a coffee maker, microwave, wash and dry my clothes, use my computer, charge the cordless phones, etc.
Another simple thing you can do during those nice sunny days is open your windows and use nature to illuminate your home!
SAVE MONEY ON YOUR HEATING BILL:
We all know the old use a programmable thermostat rule, right? In the middle of winter there is really no reason why the thermostat should HAVE to be over 68 degrees. Any degree above that will significantly raise your heating bill. The heat can also be turned down even lower for times that there will be no one in the home. And no matter how cold it is at night, the thermostat can actually be turned down a few degrees when everyone is sleeping. When we are sleeping our bodies do not require as much heat to stay warm. Plus we have all those blankets and comforters that we hide under.
Another way to help out with your heating bill is to not have to heat up so much water. Let me make something clear to you: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BOIL YOUR UNMENTIONABLES TO GET THEM CLEAN!
You will be perfectly fine washing all of your threads in cold water. Washing you clothes in hot water can cost up to 9 times as much per load, and warm water will cost up to 5 times as much. The water, soap, and agitation are all you really need for all of your clothes to come out clean.
There are a few things, such as oily stains, that do need hot water. You can pretreat it and soak it in hot water. The amount of water needed to fill a bowl or bucket is much less than would be needed to fill up your washing machine. And of course if your clothes were to come in contact with something such as poison ivy, you would need to wash it in hot water. But for the most part you can chill out and live with a clearer conscience knowing that you will cut your annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 320 pounds.
This is just a small sample of what you can do to save money and our world at the same time.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Buying Local
FARMERS' MARKETS ARE RETURNING IN NY! With the warm weather approaching, I not only look foward to getting the kids out just about everyday, I look foward to my weekly trips to my local farmers' market! Buying local is the best thing to do whenever you can. Some stores tend to carry some locally grown food, when possible and in season of course.
Buying local is good for your health, your community and the environment! Your decision to buy local has a huge impact on your community. If you want to lower your carbon footprint and get the freshest best tasting food, all you have to do is shop close to home as often as possible. And spread the word, encourage friends and neighbors to do the same.
When you buy locally you support your neighboring farms, the city, town, state, and/or region. You will find many of the same things that you do at your local supermarket, only it didn't have to ride on an airplane of across 10 state lines before it gets to it's final destination, your kitchen. While you are doing your part to decrease your carbon footprint, you are also doing your part to help keep more money in your own local and surrounding communities. This is possible if you make it a point to buy at least a few local products whenever you go shopping.
Many stores and local farmers markets offer fresh, local poultry, meats, seafood, dairy products, eggs, regional wines, honey, baked goods, jams and jellies, fruits, vegetables and flowers. What is available to you depends on where you live, but there is always something local and fresh!
The benefits of buying locally produced foods are not only to provide your family with the freshest food possible. It helps keep shipping costs out of the price you pay for you items. It also cuts down on the environmental impact of fuels and emissions that come along with getting those strawberries from California when they are not in season in New York. I can also guarantee that local farmers would very much appreciate your purchases, which help them stay in buisness.
When local farmers' markets are not operating, commit to buying at least some of your produce at supermarkets and retailers that are commited to selling more locally produced products in their stores. Encourage local restuarants to buy some of their ingredients from local growers. Our individual and combined efforts really can make a difference!
to find a farmer's market by you click the link below:
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
Buying local is good for your health, your community and the environment! Your decision to buy local has a huge impact on your community. If you want to lower your carbon footprint and get the freshest best tasting food, all you have to do is shop close to home as often as possible. And spread the word, encourage friends and neighbors to do the same.
When you buy locally you support your neighboring farms, the city, town, state, and/or region. You will find many of the same things that you do at your local supermarket, only it didn't have to ride on an airplane of across 10 state lines before it gets to it's final destination, your kitchen. While you are doing your part to decrease your carbon footprint, you are also doing your part to help keep more money in your own local and surrounding communities. This is possible if you make it a point to buy at least a few local products whenever you go shopping.
Many stores and local farmers markets offer fresh, local poultry, meats, seafood, dairy products, eggs, regional wines, honey, baked goods, jams and jellies, fruits, vegetables and flowers. What is available to you depends on where you live, but there is always something local and fresh!
The benefits of buying locally produced foods are not only to provide your family with the freshest food possible. It helps keep shipping costs out of the price you pay for you items. It also cuts down on the environmental impact of fuels and emissions that come along with getting those strawberries from California when they are not in season in New York. I can also guarantee that local farmers would very much appreciate your purchases, which help them stay in buisness.
When local farmers' markets are not operating, commit to buying at least some of your produce at supermarkets and retailers that are commited to selling more locally produced products in their stores. Encourage local restuarants to buy some of their ingredients from local growers. Our individual and combined efforts really can make a difference!
to find a farmer's market by you click the link below:
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Green Gardening.....
With the gardening season approaching I thought I would touch on "green" gardening, specifically composting.
For our garden this year I picked up some organic seeds so that we can grow organic vegetables. Organic seeds are harvested from their organic parent. No chemicals are used to grow the fruits/vegetables yeilding organic seeds.
What better way to feed my garden then to do it in an organic and environmentally friendly way. Not to mention it also stretches your hard earned, already spent dollar.
Creating a compost at home is an excellent thing for both you and the environment! Alot of people know this, but do not know why or if they are into this whole GREEN thing sweeping the nation.
There are TONS of resources out there for composting. Everything from books to articles and even free videos on the internet. I'm here to serve as a helping hand, as someone who is doing it for herself. So for starters....
WHY COMPOST?
I am sure many people out there wonder why they should even bother composting. Whether you have a grand garden in your yard or if you have a container garden, anything that grows in soil will LOVE fresh compost. It is natures best food for growing plants. Plus, composting cuts down on the amount of trash you are contributing to your local dump. On average for the person that eats at home on a regular basis, one third of the garbage you put out each week could be used for composting.
SETTING UP A COMPOST:
When I speak of composting to friends, at first they are quick to talk about how they don't want a big stinky pile in their yard or that they can not afford one of those big compsot bins that are "needed." Well let me tell you that you neither have to have one of those specialty compost bins nor a big stinky pile.
With a compost you are providing a nice muddy place for bacteria to live and thrive. You dump in your scraps and the bacteria decomposes the material. And the heat needed for the bacteria to thrive is not based on the temperature outside, the heat builds from the microorganisms inside. You can even compost in winter if you chose to.
The two basic ingredients to any compost pile are wet stuff and dry stuff. That's it!
First you need to chose where you will have your compost. If you really want or need one of those compost bins that accelarate the process, go ahead, but you don't need to spend tons of money. The other way to build a compost is to literally have a pile in your yard. You can build a box for your pile with anything from wooden pallets to cinder blocks. I keep mine in a rubbermaid type container right outside my kitchen door.
You can start your compsot with a layer of dry leaves or straw. Then you dump your kitchen scraps and cover it with a dry layer. The dry layer is what will keep your pile from stinking!
WET AND DRY
Wet materials are your kitchen scraps from your fruit and vegetables. Banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, broccoli stalks, etc. Pretty much anything except for meat, fish and dairy are fair game. Just be sure to chop up larger pieces so that they can decompose easier and break down faster.
The dry stuff can be leaves that have fallen from trees. So the next time you are raking and bagging piles of dead leaves, save a couple of those bags and you'll have a good supply for your dry layers. If you live in a state where you don't have to rake leaves, you can buy a bale of straw at your local garden store or nursery.
LETTING GO
The final part of composting is knowing when to let go of your pile. Basically after you have built several layers of wet and dry you need to let go. Top everything with a layer of dry leaves or straw. NEVER end with a layer of scraps, it is what will create a not so pleasant odor and attract raccoons. Cover it tightly and protect it from the rain and leave it alone. Nothing more than the occassional monhly jab with a pitch fork is needed. The pile should do it's job in about a year or so.
In the meantime you can start another pile and before you know it, you will have the best fertilizer you didn't even have to buy (talk about stretching money already spent). On top of helping your garden by feeding it the best thing you possibly can, you have reduced your waste, and helped the earth and humanity.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like more information on this post please either add a comment or email me at betterlivingenterprises@gmail.com.
For our garden this year I picked up some organic seeds so that we can grow organic vegetables. Organic seeds are harvested from their organic parent. No chemicals are used to grow the fruits/vegetables yeilding organic seeds.
What better way to feed my garden then to do it in an organic and environmentally friendly way. Not to mention it also stretches your hard earned, already spent dollar.
Creating a compost at home is an excellent thing for both you and the environment! Alot of people know this, but do not know why or if they are into this whole GREEN thing sweeping the nation.
There are TONS of resources out there for composting. Everything from books to articles and even free videos on the internet. I'm here to serve as a helping hand, as someone who is doing it for herself. So for starters....
WHY COMPOST?
I am sure many people out there wonder why they should even bother composting. Whether you have a grand garden in your yard or if you have a container garden, anything that grows in soil will LOVE fresh compost. It is natures best food for growing plants. Plus, composting cuts down on the amount of trash you are contributing to your local dump. On average for the person that eats at home on a regular basis, one third of the garbage you put out each week could be used for composting.
SETTING UP A COMPOST:
When I speak of composting to friends, at first they are quick to talk about how they don't want a big stinky pile in their yard or that they can not afford one of those big compsot bins that are "needed." Well let me tell you that you neither have to have one of those specialty compost bins nor a big stinky pile.
With a compost you are providing a nice muddy place for bacteria to live and thrive. You dump in your scraps and the bacteria decomposes the material. And the heat needed for the bacteria to thrive is not based on the temperature outside, the heat builds from the microorganisms inside. You can even compost in winter if you chose to.
The two basic ingredients to any compost pile are wet stuff and dry stuff. That's it!
First you need to chose where you will have your compost. If you really want or need one of those compost bins that accelarate the process, go ahead, but you don't need to spend tons of money. The other way to build a compost is to literally have a pile in your yard. You can build a box for your pile with anything from wooden pallets to cinder blocks. I keep mine in a rubbermaid type container right outside my kitchen door.
You can start your compsot with a layer of dry leaves or straw. Then you dump your kitchen scraps and cover it with a dry layer. The dry layer is what will keep your pile from stinking!
WET AND DRY
Wet materials are your kitchen scraps from your fruit and vegetables. Banana peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, broccoli stalks, etc. Pretty much anything except for meat, fish and dairy are fair game. Just be sure to chop up larger pieces so that they can decompose easier and break down faster.
The dry stuff can be leaves that have fallen from trees. So the next time you are raking and bagging piles of dead leaves, save a couple of those bags and you'll have a good supply for your dry layers. If you live in a state where you don't have to rake leaves, you can buy a bale of straw at your local garden store or nursery.
LETTING GO
The final part of composting is knowing when to let go of your pile. Basically after you have built several layers of wet and dry you need to let go. Top everything with a layer of dry leaves or straw. NEVER end with a layer of scraps, it is what will create a not so pleasant odor and attract raccoons. Cover it tightly and protect it from the rain and leave it alone. Nothing more than the occassional monhly jab with a pitch fork is needed. The pile should do it's job in about a year or so.
In the meantime you can start another pile and before you know it, you will have the best fertilizer you didn't even have to buy (talk about stretching money already spent). On top of helping your garden by feeding it the best thing you possibly can, you have reduced your waste, and helped the earth and humanity.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like more information on this post please either add a comment or email me at betterlivingenterprises@gmail.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
