Every year we make resolutions; about our overall health, vice reduction, and relationships with others. Sometimes they work, and most times they don’t last through the year. In this time of economic crisis, saving money is top of mind across America. So take Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to the eco level of Re-Solution to save money and the environment across the year. Contrary to popular belief it is also possible to create a healthier lifestyle and save the environment, all while saving money. Sure, driving a hybrid or getting solar panels on your roof would be great for the environment, however here are small things you can do just by slightly changing your behavior.
I RESOLVE to…SAVE MONEY by just ‘tuning’ my lifestyle. Pick one or more…
1. Pack a tasty Lunch. Instead of going out for lunch every day of the week, pack a tasty one. According to the U.S. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the average cost of a lunch meal and drink is $6, which is twice as much as if you made it at home. Over 20 workdays a month, you may spend over $120. You could save $60 each month, but realistically give yourself one day a week to buy lunch out of the office, so the savings come down to $48. Go GREEN and SAVE with this tip: Each week, buy a variety of whole grain breads, meats, and fixings to add variety, plus fresh fruit and veggies to stay healthy. Go for cloth rather than throw away napkins and use stainless steel silverware over plastic. Even pick out a cool lunch box to house your meal.
2. Share a Ride. Make every day “Take Each Other to Work Day!” Save up for a hybrid or new car with better mileage, but in the meantime, start saving more. The calculation is based on vehicles with an average 23 miles per gallon and a weekday commute of 20 miles each way. If you split the average monthly commute cost of $117 with another passenger, you save $60 each month, but realistically give yourself one day a week to run errands solo, so the savings comes down to $48. Go GREEN and SAVE with this tip: Use email and office bulletin boards to find a ‘match’ for fellow commuters at work, and check with friends and neighbors to see who may work close to your office. You may even benefit from the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane.
3. Brew your own gourmet Coffee. Forget Pricy Coffee Stores. The average US coffee shop coffee costs $2.45 for upscale selections. If you have a cup in the afternoon or the evening, you are spending almost $25 a week, or $100 per month. Gourmet home brewed coffee will cost about $0.20 per cup. The cost for the month is about $8, so the savings are $92, but give yourself at least one day a week at the coffee shop and the savings comes down to $73. Go GREEN and SAVE with this tip: Take a reusable travel mug to work for your afternoon fix. Get yourself a good coffee maker without all of the bells and whistles for under $30, and even organic, fair trade coffee is available for around $15 per pound.
4. Cook a Terrific Dinner. Start Cooking More Dinners. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, on average American households spend $3,034 each year dinning out and on take-out food. Eating in saves you over $250 each month and saves the environment from all of the plastic waste. Go GREEN and SAVE with this tip: Save eating out for special occasions and plan meals ahead to add variety and avoid the ‘empty fridge’ syndrome. Get creative with leftovers, hone your freezer skills, and when it comes to the little things for pots and pans…keep the lid on.
5. Keep it Cool. Mind your refrigerator. Control the open door time of your fridge. It will save much more energy if you decide what you want to cook, and retrieve all the items at once, then put them all back at once rather than having a dozen open and closing cycles within just a few minutes. Keep the coils and under workings clean and dust free as well to maintain high performance. If you have a second refrigerator in the basement or garage take a hard look and see if you can pull out those old cases of soda and some frozen food and find a place in your primary Kitchen fridge/freezer. Freezers work most efficiently when they are fully stocked, so this may optimize the Kitchen unit. By unplugging your second fridge you can save over $170 a year. The really old fridges with the big thigh doors cost about $360 or more to operate each year.
6. Help out your Clothes Washer and Dryer. When doing a load of laundry, it is best to pre-soak your dirty clothes before using cold water and concentrated detergent. You should use the max extract cycle on your clothes washer, but make sure that you don’t overstuff the washer or dryer, as the machines will have to work harder, using more energy. Lastly, try to do a few loads of laundry in a row, as the machine will run more efficiently if it does not have to stop and start, or remain dormant for longer periods of time.
7. Take a look at the Car. It is most important for gas mileage to have properly inflated tires, as vehicles use about 6% more gas on underinflated tires. In the winter, the colder temperature creates contraction in the air in your tires. Tires lose about 1 pound per square inch (psi) for every 10-degree temperature drop. Also, try not to drive like a jerk; for every 5 miles over 60 miles per hour, you pay about 10 cents more per gallon.
8. Eat one less burger each month. The greenhouse gas emissions arising every year from the production and consumption of cheeseburgers is roughly the same as the emissions from the 16 million SUVs currently on the road in the US. It takes 6 gallons of water to produce a head of lettuce, but it takes over 1,000 to produce a cheeseburger with lettuce, because the feed for the cows is so inefficient to grow, plus the emissions for the tractors is very high. According to the US Department of Agriculture, one acre of land can grow 20,000 pounds of potatoes. That same acre of land, when used to grow cattle feed, can produce less than 165 pounds of edible beef. Eating one pound of hamburger does the same damage as driving your car for three weeks.
9. See the Light. Change just 6 light bulbs. Lighting accounts for about 7% of a home's energy costs. Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs use 66% less energy and last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs. Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb saves 150 Lbs of CO2 per bulb per year. You will also see the savings on your utility bills. It is important to make sure that your light bulbs and fixtures are as clean and dust free as possible, so your bulbs aren’t working harder to produce less light for your home. If you have $30 instead of $3 go for an LED bulb, which lasts 100 times longer than a typical incandescent!
The New Year is a time for a fresh start. Take advantage of the New Year by making some minor behavioral adjustments and you’ll save yourself some real money. For more tips on how to ‘Green Up’ your home, check out the Return on Investments table for Home Remodeling.
