I Do 30 Campaign
Want to make a big difference simply by changing the way you wash close? The I Do 30 campaign is urging everybody to turn down the temperature on their washing machine to make a big impact.
Here’s a great video that gives a brief introduction of this movement:
Though this change may seem simple, the goal of this campaign is to get enough people to begin using colder temperatures to wash their close to make a big impact. They currently have over 12,000 supporters on Facebook and growing fast. It’s as simple as following their movement, changing your own habits and spreading the word. The more people that change their habits, the better.
What I love about this campaign is that it follows the same principal that Pays to Live Green does. Making small change change have a huge impact on both the environment and our wallets. My Shower Calculator shows just how much more energy heating water to higher temperatures can actually cost. By making the small change of using colder temperatures for our laundry, we can drastically cut our energy bills.
For great tips on how to properly clean your clothes at low temperatures, check out their website.
Don’t Forget Your Reusable Bags
It’s so easy to forget bringing reusable bags whenever going shopping. It’s happen to me one too many times that I have taken steps to make sure to always have one available when going shopping.
Keep Extra in the Car
The best way for me to always have a reusable bag handy when I need it is to keep some extra in the car. Just put them in the glove box or in the back seats of your car and it will save you from having to use plastic bags. This method doesn’t always work since once you use the bags, they end up in the house. Be sure to always keep at least a few extra bags in the car.
Portable Bags
There are some reusable bags available that can easily fold up and fit in your pocket. These are perfect since they are so easy to carry, especially when you are walking or riding a bike to the store. Just as with the car, you can keep a few of these in your jacket pocket during the winter so they are always available.
Leave Them At The Door
It’s really convenient to leave bags at the door where you leave the house. Coat hangers are a great place to hang you bags and easy visible before leaving the house.
When All Else Fails…
There’s no need to panic if you do end up forgetting your reusable bags at home. The first option is to ask for no bag at all if you can carry your items without a bag. Otherwise, ask for paper instead of plastic and if reusable bags are available for sale and you will use them again, go ahead and buy some. Also, try to fit as much stuff in the bags you do use as possible. I always find that some grocery stores only fill bags partially and use way more bags that necessary.
Please share any methods that you have that make it easy to remember to take our reusable bags.
Save Energy Using Window Shades
Windows can be a major source of energy waste in our homes. One way that you can take advantage of your windows to lower your monthly electric bills is use window shades, blinds, shutters or drapes. No matter what time of year it is, shades can reduce your use of your heating/air conditioning.
Winter/Cold Climates
In colder climates, having shading for your windows can make all the difference. Here are some tips to follow in cold temperatures:
- During the day when the sun is up, keep those shades open to allow as much sunlight in. In particular, windows on the south side of your home bring in more sunlight during the winter. This will help bring the temperature up slightly in your home.
- When the sun goes down, closes the shades to prevent heat from leaving the home.
- Heavier and thermal insulated window drapes and blinds can make a major difference for windows that are not well insulated.
Summer/Warm Climate
Proper shading can also help just as much for your energy bills as in colder temperatures. Here are some tips to follow in warmer temperatures:
- During the hot days, close the shades to keep the hot sun out of your home. If your at work all day, it makes no difference that your home is dark besides helping your energy bills.
- Try using white window shades to reflect the sunlight’s heat from your home.
If you are purchasing new window treatments for your windows, make sure to contact a professional. Also, try to buy them with materials that are environmentally friendly including bamboo and organic fabrics.
Reusing Glass Drinking Bottle
Having an environmentally friendly and safe drinking bottles doesn’t mean you have to go out an buy an expensive drinking bottle. One alternative is to reuse a glass drinking bottle that you would normally recycle or throw out. What better way to save a little extra money while going green.
Glass bottles are thought of as one of the safest options available for drinking bottles. They are fairly easy to clean ( can be put into the dishwasher as well) and can be reused for a long time. The bottles with wider mouths are easier to reuse, but almost all will work just fine.
My favorite part about reusing glass bottles is that you can get them for practically free. The next time you have an extra glass bottle, and it doesn’t necessarily even have to originally have been a drinking bottle, clean it out and now you have your new drinking bottle. I have seen some restaurants that use Ball preserving jars as our water cups. Instead of spending 20 some dollars on a bottle, you now have one for practically free.
There are some downsides to using glass as opposed to other popular forms of bottles like stainless steel. One being that it’s breaks easily, which I am notorious for doing. The other being that it’s not as lightweight so therefore not quite as portable as the other bottles. For athletes in particular, it can be extremely difficult to carry around a glass bottle without the worry of it breaking.
For most situations, I would stick with reusing a glass drinking bottle to save money to get an extremely safe and effective bottle.
Does Closing Vents Save Energy?
From when I was a child, my parents would close off several vents in our house in order to prevent cold or warm air from going to areas of our house that we weren’t occupying. Just the other day, I was recommended to close my vents to save on my energy bills. I was excited to write about this topic since it seemed like a legitimate way to save additional energy, so I did some research on if you can really save on energy on closing your vents.
After doing some research on this topic, I found so many varying opinions on this topic. On some websites, they will have you believe that closing off most of the vents in your home will continue to save you money. Others warn from closing any of the vents in your home says that most homes may actually use more energy. Logical thinking would lead you to believe that the more vents you close, more cold/warm air will go to the rooms with vents still open. It turns out that neither method is fully correct.
Various forums and sources on the topic seem to agree with a mixture of both arguments above. It’s seems ok to close a few vents in most home, but closing too many vents could actually increase you energy use and possibly cause damage to a home’s heating or air conditioning system. That’s pretty scary that you could do such damage by simply closing your home’s vents.
To answer the original question in the title…well, I’m actually not really sure how to answer the question. You should be able to save money by closing your vents if you only close off a few and be sure to be extremely careful. Something that may seem so harmless on the surface though could actually be extremely costly in the end. So before deciding to close off too many of the vents in your home, I would consult with a professional. It’s better to be safe than sorry in this situation.
If you are a heating/air conditioning expert or have talked with a professional on this topic, please share your thoughts on this topic.
Top 10 Ways to Use Less Water Every Day
Saving energy and saving water are two of the most important and financially sensible ways to go green, and you don’t have to sacrifice as much of your comfort as much as you’d think. Just by changing a few bad habits, you can commit to saving water in the bathroom, kitchen, outdoors and even while you’re out in public, at work or on vacation. Here are top 10 ways to use less water every day.
- Start noticing how much water you use. You may not realize how much water you’re using – or wasting – until you make a point to notice how many times you flush the toilet, how long your showers take, and how many times you fill up your water filter. Once you start tracking your water usage, you’ll find that it’s easier to cut back little by little.
- Don’t rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Most modern dishwashers can handle a few crumbs, so once you dump out (or compost) the scraps, go ahead and load up the dishwasher.
- Take faster showers. Start washing your hair once every other day, and turn off the shower radio to speed up your shower time. If you just can’t bare to step out of the steamy shower any faster, lower the water temperature until you’re ready to hop out.
- Don’t dump dirty water out. Use leftover water from guests’ glasses to fill up your pets’ water bowls or water your plants.
- Evaluate your pipes and faucets. Check for leaky pipes and faucets that are left dripping water.
- Flush the toilet less. If it’s just you at home, flush every other time (unless you’ve got to go number two!) Throw tissues and waste in the trash, not down the toilet.
- Start composting. Kitchen garbage disposals depend on large amounts of water to work properly. Throw your waste in the garbage or a compost pile to reduce water waste.
- Turn the water off when you wash your hair, brush your teeth or wash dishes. Letting the water run when you’re not directly using it is the fastest way to waste it.
- Only wash clothes when you have a full load. Wait to run the washing machine until you have enough clothes to fill it up.
- Use mulch. Put mulch around your plants to help them absorb water, letting them benefit from fewer waterings.
This post was contributed by Emily Thomas, who writes about the online colleges. She welcomes your feedback at Emily.Thomas31 (at) yahoo.com
Bring Your Own Eco-Friendly Drinking Bottle
Next time you get ready to go for a trip, don’t forget to bring along an eco-friendly drinking bottle. Whether it’s to go shopping, grab a bite to eat or for vacation you can save big by simply bring along a drinking bottle.
It makes me mad whenever I go out somewhere and see what they are charging to buy a bottle of water. Here is just a sample of what it could cost you if you buy a bottle of water at various locations:
| Location | Price |
|---|---|
| Airport | $4.00 |
| Movie Theater | $3.50 |
| Amusement Park | $3.00 |
| Mall | $2.00 |
| Restaurant | $1.50 |
| Vending Machine | $1.25 |
There is no reason that we need to continue to buy expensive plastic water bottles, when we can bring our own bottles that are much more eco-friendly. My favorite variety of environmentally friendly water bottles are stainless steel ones. They are much safer than others like aluminum and plastic and last for a long time. With an initial investment of $10-$20, you can end up recouping the cost within a short period of time. On top of just the financial savings, bringing along a drinking bottle can allow you to bring a healthier beverage like water or juices. You can even buy one for your young ones to make sure they are properly hydrated at all times.
Some of the places I listed may not allow you to bring water bottles in, so be sure to check their policies before going. If you are not allowed to bring in your bottle, you can always ask vendors or restaurants for a free cup of water. You will never see a free cup of water advertised, but it’s a much more cost effective than buying other types of refreshments.
