Living Green Saves the Environment and Money

After living in the city for seven years, my husband and I decided to move out – in search of lawn, sure, but really in search of a much healthier lifestyle for our family. We got our lawn (organic fertilizer only, and thus, tons of weeds, but they’re green!) on a two-acre parcel that’s mostly wooded. That first night in our new home we didn’t hear taxis and garbage trucks, we heard tree frogs and coyote. With an abundance of wildlife living all around us, we were so much more aware of our place in the ecosystem.

Last time I wrote an article for Alternative Energy HQ, I emphasized my family’s decision to put the earth first. It’s definitely meant that spending more money in some areas of our budget, like buying organically grown food, and natural-fiber clothing. So we have looked for other ways of saving money while still preserving our commitment to the planet.

First, we took control of our thermostat. In the winter we set it at 58 degrees. Really. So it means wearing a few more sweaters, but the thousands we’ve saved on energy bills over the years makes putting an extra layer on completely worth it. During the summer we rely on our ceiling fans to keep us cooler. I won’t lie, during a heat wave it’s tough to spend daytime hours in the house, so we enjoy the shade of our trees instead!

I grew up loving the smell of Pledge, equating it with clean. Now the smell of clean is lemon – thanks to the touch of lemon juice I use with water and olive oil to clean all our wood furniture and cabinets. Our wood and tile floors get the water and white vinegar treatment. If we have a clog in the sink or toilet, we pour a 100% live bacteria (non-toxic, non-pathogenic) solution down our drains. Our laundry detergent is plant-derived and biodegradable. It gives me great pleasure to have a handful of all-natural cleaning agents in the house, instead of a cabinet full of chemical-laden ones. Using lemon and vinegar to clean is much less expensive than harsh branded cleaning products.

Yes, we use our car to get around, but if the trip is less than five miles away, we bike or walk as much as possible. A typical morning includes me taking to my bike, in all kinds of weather, wearing a large backpack, then returning books to the library and hitting the grocery store. It’s a workout hauling a gallon of milk and a few days’ meals home in that backpack!

Why spend the time driving to shop when you get a better selection on the Internet? The energy it takes to run the computer is something to consider when going green. But like the car, it’d impractical to live without. I’ve found that I save time, money, and energy even when I use my computer. Almost all of my family’s non-food shopping is done online and I’m a fanatic about scouring Internet for printable coupons to get the best deal possible.

While it’s often more work – like remembering to bring your reusable 100% cotton shopping bags or replacing the decades-old attic insulation – saving the environment AND money can be done.

J. Salvage is a writer, blogger, and lady with a family that she wants to see inherit a beautiful Earth.