Tips for Saving Money While Going Green In Your Home

Jori Hamilton is a writer from the pacific northwest who is passionate about environmentalism and social justice issues. You can follow her on Twitter @HamiltonJori

Posted on Tuesday 2nd July 2019
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Do you want to adopt some green practices in your home but aren’t sure where to start? It’s not as difficult as you think! Even small changes can have a huge impact on the health of the planet and the health of your home.

Making an effort to go green in your home can have a lasting impact on the planet, sure, but it can be a boon to your bank account, too. You don’t have to have extra time or money to care for the world around you, all you need are a few simple green living tips to help you get started.

Save Energy

Electricity is pretty fantastic, as anyone who has had to go without power for any amount of time in the middle of a sweltering summer can tell you. But, what’s not fantastic is how many of the ways electricity is generated impacts the environment. In the United States, about 33% of the total CO2 emissions are from generating power. If you can reduce how much energy you use, then you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which is good for the whole planet.

Saving energy around your home can save you a few bucks, too. Try a few of these ideas to bring down your utility bills and create a more eco-conscious mindset in your home:

  • Change your thermostat: Install a programmable thermostat in your home and set it to be a few degrees higher in warmer weather and a few degrees lower in during the cooler parts of the year. This will save on heating and cooling costs as well as utilize less energy to maintain a temperature inside your home.

  • Change your light bulbs: When a light bulb in your home burns out, replace it with compact fluorescent light bulbs, and continue as others go out, too. These are more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs and have a longer life span.

  • Unplug: When you’re not using appliances, unplug them. You may also want to consider using a “smart” power strip that helps to cut “phantom” energy use by sensing when an appliance isn’t in use and cutting power off.

  • Optimize your windows: When windows in your home leak, allow in too much or too little sunlight, or in general are in disrepair, there’s a chance you’re spending way too much on cooling and heating simply because your house isn’t as well-insulated as it could be. Especially with all the options on the market today, buying windows is no longer, “does it fit? OK, put it in”  — there are so many to choose from that will benefit your house.

  • Use cold water: No need to take your clothes down to the creek and beat them on rocks to save the environment. Instead, simply wash your clothes in cold water. Most of the energy used to wash your clothes is from heating up the water, so it’s an easy way to save. You may also want to steer clear of those brightly colored detergent pods. They’re dangerous for children and pets, and not great for the environment  — or your wallet!

  • Forget the dryer: Your clothes dryer is another energy vampire that isn’t always needed. Hang your clothes up to dry outside and you reap the added bonus of sun-kissed disinfection on your clothes and other household items as they bask in the sun.

Save Water

It’s estimated that each person uses 80 to 100 gallons of water per day. Can you guess what the biggest culprit of water usage is? Flushing the toilet!  If you want to conserve water in order to decrease your impact on the environment, then you can start with these tips:

  • Install low-flow toilets and shower heads: These are inexpensive tools that help you to use less water and reduce your heating bills, too. You should make any money you invest in these back with lower water and energy bills relatively fast.

  • Install a faucet aerator: These little gems go on the end of your faucet to keep your water pressure high while conserving water and heat. Put them on every faucet in your home.

  • Go native: Landscape the outside of your home with native, drought-tolerant plants. These plants don’t require much watering, which saves you money.

  • Shorten your shower time: A long, hot shower sure feels good, but it’ll make you feel even better to shorten your shower to reduce water use to save the planet.

  • Clear your drains: If you have a drain in your home that becomes blocked up, don’t throw a bunch of caustic chemicals at it. Instead, try a more natural approach with a combination of baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water to unblock your drains.

Clean Green

Green cleaning products are starting to become very popular and for good reason! They’re beneficial to your health, the environment, and your bank account. When you go green with your cleaning products, you’re reducing water pollution, ozone depletion, and air pollution. Here are some very easy green cleaning practices you can adopt:

  • Make your own cleaners: You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to whip up some homemade cleaners. In fact, you may be surprised at what you can clean in your home with a little vinegar, soap, baking soda, and lemon. Make your own natural cleaners in reusable containers to help reduce waste from packaging and you’ll keep the costs down, too. You can even clean simply by scrubbing with water or other means to empty clogged drains, wipe away dried-on food from your counters, and more. 

  • Improve indoor air quality: Throw out your air fresheners and candles; they release toxic chemicals into the air that damages your indoor air quality and the environment. If you want to make the air inside your home more pleasant, consider adding some houseplants. There are plants, such as spider plants and ferns, that can help purify the air in your home naturally.

  • Get essential oils: Essential oils are a great way to keep the air quality in your home top notch, too. You can also incorporate them into your homemade green cleaning products since they help to disinfect, too. 

Ready to Save Some Green?

Living in an eco-friendlier way is the responsible thing to do. When you choose a greener lifestyle, then the results can be felt in the world around you and your wallet, too. Make changes here and there to ease into the process, and before you know it you’ll be all in and saving money in the process!

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