5 Eco-Friendly Green Living Tips That Save Money

Scientific evidence for global warming is clear and irrefutable. According to Worldwatch Institute, an organization that focuses on environmental issues, the steps that people can take to reverse climate change are simple and lead to cost savings. An awareness of the need to protect our environment will lead people to implement these steps on a daily basis.

1. Reduce Energy Usage

There are many things that you can do each day to reduce the amount of energy consumed by your household. Less energy usage will show up every month in the form of lower bills for gas and electricity. One thing is to lower your thermostat during the winter heating season and raise it during the summer cooling season. Another is to use cold water to wash your clothes in situations where warm or hot water is not needed. When the washing cycle is over, you can save energy and money by drying your clothes on an outdoor clothes line or on an indoor drying rack instead of using a gas or electric clothes dryer. One other energy- and money-saving thing you can do at home is to replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). These bulbs help to reduce greenhouse gases by going through about 75% less electricity than ordinary incandescent bulbs while producing the same amount of light.

2. Avoid Bottled Water

Bottled water is expensive, and it generates a great deal of waste that often times winds up polluting the environment. You can save a lot of money and cut down on environmental pollution by installing a water filtering device on your kitchen faucet. This way, you get pure water without having to spend money on bottled water.

3. White Vinegar

Commercial household cleaners frequently contain harsh chemicals that get flushed down the drain and into the public waterways. White vinegar is a cheap alternative to commercial cleaning agents, and it cleans and disinfects without causing environmental harm.

4. Automobile Usage

If at all possible, you should cut down on the use of your car by walking or biking to wherever you need to be. Driving less reduces the amount of greenhouse gases released into the environment, and saves you money because you need to buy less gasoline. In addition, walking and riding a bike can help to keep you healthy so that your costs for medical care can be kept to a minimum. 

5. Use Rechargeable Batteries

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, batteries contain toxic metals like nickel, cadmium, lead and mercury. Simply throwing batteries into the trash when they are used up can lead to environmental pollution when the toxic metals get into ground water or into the air if the disposed batteries are incinerated. Buying rechargeable batteries not only reduces environmental contamination but also saves you money on battery purchases over the long term.

It is important for future generations that every citizen be a good stewart of our environment by keeping our air and water clean and free of pollution. It is also important that we take steps to reduce the emission of the greenhouse gases that come from burning fossil fuels. Everyone has the power to help accomplish these goals by making a series of small lifestyle changes that in the aggregate have a very large positive effect on the environment. It is a happy coincidence that many of these changes also lead to significant cost savings.

Jan Spears writes about green living, personal finance & more at http://www.creditscore.net.