The thing I love most about practicing green alternatives in my home is that nine times out of ten, they are the more frugal option. And I love being frugal. Being environmentally-friendly is just good economics – in our home and budget, and with the earth God gave us.
There are many little things we can do to play a small part in reducing landfill waste, cleaning the air, and preserving the natural landscape. To double or triple our efforts, we can involve our friends and family--our children, nephews, nieces, neighbors--helping them understand the why to the what.
When they understand, it’ll be that much easier for them to pass it on to their friends and family; and for children it'll become second nature.
Here are some easy, green choices we can make in our homes. Choose a few that you’re not already doing, and make a point to do them this year.
1. Turn off lights when you leave the room.
2. Switch all your lightbulbs to CFLs (or at least switch a few).
3. Don’t turn on lights at all for as long as you can — open your curtains and enjoy natural light.
4. Turn off your computer completely at night.
5. Unplug unused chargers and appliances.
6. Research whether you can sign up for green power from your utility company.
7. Plant an herb garden. It’s good to have a reminder around where our food originates.
8. Create a homemade compost bin.
9. Stop using disposable bags – use reusable bags (any bag you have at home), or make your own.
10. Make your own household cleaners with Green Cleaning recipes.
11. Buy an inexpensive reusable water bottle, and stop buying plastic disposable bottles. Watch The Story of Bottled Water, a short movie about the bottled water phenomena with your children.
12. Fix leaky faucets.
13. Collect rainwater, and use it to water your houseplants and garden.
14. Five-minute showers – make it a goal for yourself.
15. As you wait for warm running water in your shower, collect the cold water in a bucket and use to water plants, your car or floors.
16. Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.
17. Pay as many bills as possible online.
18. Put a stop to unsolicited mail — sign up to opt out of pre-screened credit card offers. While you’re at it, go ahead and make sure you’re on the “do not call” list, just to make your life more peaceful.
19. Reuse scrap paper. Print on two sides, or let your kids color on the back side of used paper.
20. Switch to cloth diapers – or at least do a combination with disposables.
21. Use cloth instead of paper to clean your kitchen. Be frugal, and make these rags out of old towels and t-shirts.
22. Use cloth napkins daily instead of paper.
23. Before buying anything new, first check your local Craigslist or Freecycle.
24. Watch The Story of Stuff with your kids, and talk about the impact your household trash has on our landfills.
25. Repurpose something – turn one of your well-worn t-shirts into basic play pants for your baby. Or save egg cartons for paint wells, seed starters, treasure boxes, or a myriad of other crafts.
26. Repurpose glass jars as leftover containers and bulk storage, especially in the kitchen.
27. Donate to – and shop at – thrift stores such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You’ll be recycling perfectly usable items, and you’ll be supporting your local economy.
28. Walk or ride a bike to your errands or work place that is two miles or closer.
29. Drive the speed limit, and combine all your errands for the week in one trip.
30. Support your local economy and shop at your farmer’s market.
31. Support local restaurants that use food derived less than 100 miles away, and learn more about the benefits of eating locally.
32. Subscribe to good eco-friendly blogs. I love The Daily Green, The Living Green Solution, and Green L.A. Girl.
Which ones are you going to focus on this year? Any others you can add to the list?
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