Save Money With These Green Tricks for Your Home

Some think being green is a privilege afforded to the few who can — well — afford it. The reality of eco-friendly living is simplistic and requires only a few lifestyle changes, conducted at small stages at any time you choose.

Living simpler stops you from prioritizing the clutter in your life and refocuses your attention on what really matters while saving you money in the process. Here are some easy, green ways to save money:

1.      Use Transportation Alternatives

Carpool with colleagues to work or with a friend to run errands. You'll feel less stressed and have someone to talk to while doing a boring routine.

If you live near your job, consider biking to work on good weather days. The bus system provides another alternative, depending on how often the buses travel hourly in your area.

2.      Ditch Paper for Cloth Napkins

Curbing paper consumption may be tough to beat for those who rely on paper towels for everything, but the benefit for the environment is better in the long run. Besides, paper towels never get all the barbecue sauce up, but cloth napkins do.

You'll become more conscious of when you really need to use a cloth napkin rather than thoughtlessly ripping off a paper square while saving money and lessening the amount of weekly trash.

The idea of reusing toilet cloth wipes leaves many feeling squeamish, but cleaning them is a breeze — without a poop smell. Leave neatly folded family cloths stacked in a box, and provide a sealed can containing vinegar, peroxide or a mix of essential oils.These liquids keep the bacteria and smell at bay until you wash them.

3.      Prepare Homemade Meals

Grabbing a quick bite too frequently not only affects the environment but also your health and waistline. It takes more energy for industrial kitchens to package, store and prepare the food on your menu, and you don't always know what's inside that prepackaged food.

When you prepare homemade food, you know where and how everything is sourced, prepared and cooked. People appreciate meals made from scratch, and it doesn't have to take too much time. Get the family involved with easy-to-prep meals, chopping vegetables, mixing ingredients and making sandwiches for the week ahead.

4.      Cook in Bulk

The world places increasing demands and obligations on people. Cooking in bulk makes it easier to serve homemade meals every day.

Prepare meals that have larger servings as a team, and package the servings according to the recipe as you make the meals. Cook meal components to combine at a later time, adding sauces and dressings later to avoid soggy food. Designate a shelf in the fridge for prepared meals, and store the extras in the freezer.

5.      Eat More Fruits and Veggies

It takes a lot of energy to harvest and cook meat — from feeding and raising the animals to processing them to cooking at home. Meat and pasta make up the bulk of the typical American diet, but fruits and vegetables are important to be healthy and balanced.

Eating more fruits and vegetables doesn't have to be boring or tasteless.Make cauliflower wings slathered in buffalo sauce — coat them in cornmeal and powdered Parmesan to get them extra crispy. Eat hummus with cucumbers and whole wheat, multigrain crackers. Start with meatless Mondays, and include these options as snacks throughout the day when you feel tempted to reach for cheese curls.

6.        Cook in the Microwave More
Many eco-friendly tips encourage you to use the toaster oven over the conventional oven whenever possible, but microwave uses at least 20 percent less energy than a toaster oven. Rethink the purpose of the microwave. Many quick meals can be prepared in the microwave, including chicken.

7.         Fix Leaky Faucets
At first, leaky faucets don't feel like a big deal, but over time, the water loss adds up. One faucet leaking a drip every second amounts to 3,000 gallons lost every year, or 128 showers for one person. Fixing a leaky faucet takes less time than the total number of showers you missed while saving water and money.

8.        Install an Eco-Friendly Garage Door

How does your garage door look these days? Older garage doors suffering from damage make a perfect entry spot for burglars and work as an escape point for heat and air.

Install an eco-friendly garage door to gain energy savings and low-maintenance repair. Manufacturers of green garage doors utilize recycled materials and environmentally conscious packaging and transportation methods. Besides, a new garage door ups your curb appeal instantly as a great way to give your home a makeover.

9.         Install Low-Flow Showerheads
Reduce water consumption by installing low-flow showerheads, which save 15,000 gallons every year per person, or 60,000 gallons for the average family annually. The installation reduces your carbon footprint and water bill, and low-flow showerheads provide several options, including a timer, steam control and pause.

10.   Keep Showers Under Five Minutes
Are you a fan of long showers? The odd long shower is a luxury, but when you do it every day, the environment suffers from your overconsumption of water. Try this rule of thumb — keep showers under five minutes long. After accomplishing the five-minute mark, make it a three-minute limit.

Need to shave? Ladies, move it to the sink. A smaller surface means you use less water, when not running the tap.

11.    Use Eco-Friendly Lightbulbs
Replace energy-sucking lightbulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or light-emitting diodes (LED).  While the sticker price is more expensive up front, you'll save more money in the long term. CFL and LED bulbs last three to 25 times longer and use 25 to 80 percent less energy. Here is a great resource on other energy saving lights! 

12.    Open Windows When Necessary
When running the air conditioner or heat, shut windows to save more money. Open windows when necessary, such as using the air flow in hotter months to reduce the impact of humidity.

13.     Unplug Vampiric Appliances

Leaving appliances plugged in sucks up a large degree of electricity over the year. Turned-off and plugged-in appliances still draw energy, but the difference is in the type of appliance. A table lamp's electric footprint is inconsequential compared to cellphones, TVs and certain kitchen appliances.

If you refuse to turn these devices off due to convenience, at least place them on standby mode. Stop leaving your charger plugged in after your battery is fully charged.

14.     Air Dry Clothing
Your grandparents likely installed a clothesline in the back of the yard, and you remember helping hang and fold the clothes. Today, the clothesline feels outdated and like a hassle compared to the convenience of a dryer, but imagine the money and water you'd save if you air-dry your clothes.

Air flow is important to avoid mold if air-drying thicker and larger materials indoors. Thinner materials dry more quickly. Start with delicates. Your fabrics will last longer.

15.   Stop Using Your Car as Storage

During the winter, it makes sense to store an emergency kit in the car. If taking a long trip, you want to stock up on snacks and water. When driving every day, it makes no sense to fill your car with useless clutter that weighs your vehicle down. Save on gas and stress, and declutter your car.

Going green doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Some changes do require upfront costs, such as switching to CFL or LED lights or replacing your garage door, but the long-term benefits outweigh the initial output. Most changes can be made today: declutter your car, cook from scratch or limit your shower time.

Going green isn't restricted to those who lead a wealthier lifestyle — everyone can do it. Small changes make a big environmental impact, and the more people who participate in doing their part, the more the environment wins in the long term.