The Money Case - Blog

How going “green” can help you save money

First of all, let me start by expressing my distaste for the expressions “going green” and “green” as a way to describe some one who views themselves as environmentally friendly. Green is a color. It is not the only color that should represent our delicate planet. Our planet is blue when viewed from space – this is due the oxygen that we rely too heavily upon – life on earth is mostly aerobic, however there are many microorganisms that do not require oxygen that are a valuable part of our existence. They make the most beautiful colors of all, red, purple, orange, blue. They live in hydrothermal vents, lantern fish, and the bottom of swamps and bogs and inside of our stomachs. The most appropriate way to describe love of our planet, of our environment, of the elements and all of the biota that live in balance with them, is simple – eco-friendly.

So, how can we save money by being eco-friendly? We can do this most simply by reducing energy consumption. This reduces our greenhouse gas emissions and also saves us money. To reduce energy consumption I have listed the most crucial things that will result in the biggest bang for your buck:

1. Replace all of your light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs
2. Check for places in your home that are loosing heat – windows, cracks in walls, etc…, then replace, seal, repair these features as soon as possible
3. Turn the lights off when not using them
4. Wash you laundry in cold water
5. Wash full loads of laundry so that you do laundry less times a week
6. Turn the heat down to 21°C
7. Take showers, limit your time to 10 minutes once a day
8. Wash your dishes when the dishwasher is full
9. Sweep hardwood floors – don’t vacuum!
10. When you need to replace an appliance, get an energy efficient appliance

The best way to actually accomplish these tips is to just make a list and try to do one change a month, so that by the end of the year you have all of them done. Remember, this isn’t just about hugging trees, being one with nature or preaching some message – bottom line, you’ll save money, and to me there’s nothing more “green” than putting more of it in your pocket (the green money, that is)!