Today’s guest post comes to us from Misty, who shares her hints for living a frugally eco-friendly lifestyle!
About Misty:
Misty Weaver is a partner in 5 Elements Design, an architectural design firm that creates small house plans and custom home design.
Going green and saving money can go together! Choosing to be friendly to the environment and taking advantage of green products doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, there are ways to buy green and stay within your budget at the same time.
Shop Second Hand or Borrow – Let’s face it, shopping is fun, but it can break the bank pretty quickly. By shopping second hand stores, yard sales, or Craigslist, you can save money, and it’s green because new products aren’t being created just for you. Shopping second hand isn’t limited to clothing and toys, Craigslist is well known for furniture and used cars. New companies are coming on the scene as well like Green Demolitions, which sells donated kitchens and baths at amazing prices when families remodel their homes. Sharing or borrowing pricier equipment like your neighbors chainsaw is another great way to cut costs and go green.
Reusable Coffee Filters – A lot of the newer coffee machines comes with reusable coffee filters that cut down on costs and waste. The costs are fairly minimal for a brand new machine when you compare the savings of not having to buy paper filters each month, and can pay for itself in less than a few months.
Razors – Nothing annoys me more than the price of disposable razors these days, and when you add in how much plastic they are wrapped in, well, there is a better way to do things. Buying safety razors that come in flat packs at reasonable prices will save you hundreds of dollars a year and eliminate 90% of the plastic that ends up in landfills due to disposable razors.
Water Filter – We all know how expensive bottled water is, so switching to a simple water faucet filter will save money, produce less plastic, and give you clean, healthy water.
Bathroom Faucet Aerators – Bathroom faucets produce water at the same flow rate as your shower, a bit much for brushing your teeth. Adding a simple faucet aerator that screws on just like a light bulb for $2-3 can reduce your water flow 50-70%, saving money and reducing water waste. Go a step further an install a grey water system so all the water you use for brushing teeth, showering, washing clothes and dishes can be used to flush the toilets and you’ll save even more water and cut reduce your water bill further.
Unplug – Even when your TV, cell phone, computer and other electronic products aren’t turned on, they are still using energy. Get into the habit of unplugging everything when it’s not in use.
Buy Local – Farmers markets, road side vegetable stands, and even building products that are manufactured locally all help cut down on carbon that is created by buying in stores where the products have been shipped. Organic produce is also usually cheaper when bought locally.
Make Your Own Cleaners – There are lots of green cleaners that are non-toxic, but it’s incredibly simple to create your own cleaning products for almost nothing. The key ingredient is baking soda, just mix it with water to make a paste and you can clean your kitchen and bathroom safely and economically.
CFL’s – Today’s CFL’s come in more sizes and shapes to fit almost any lighting fixture, so if you haven’t switched already, now is the time. CFL’s use less energy, helping your reduce your electric bill, and last longer than traditional light bulbs.
