More saving the world. And money

Ever think to yourself SELF! :) How can I save money and reduce my carbon footprint at the same time?
Of course you do. We all are worried about the price of energy and food and gas and clothes and hmm, everything.
And if you haven't been living on another planet, you know this one has issues.


So what do you do? Well, you can insulate your home and install energy star appliances and replace your old windows with new tight fitting ones. Oh right you're trying to save money. Sorry.


Here's a few everyday common sense items you can do. Without breaking the bank.

1) Recycle your bottles, cans and glass. Reducing trash and getting money back!

2) Take shorter showers. Try to shave a minute off your average shower time.

3) Shower in the dark. If your bathroom has a window don't turn the overhead light on.

4) Plant a garden. Yeah, I know it's Nov. So what? You got a window somewhere in your house. Buy a few containers, some potting soil, your favorite vegetable seed and stick it in a sunny spot. Or flowers, or herbs. You are cleaning your air(remember they exhale O2 and take in CO2.) and brightening up the place and you've got fresh herbs, or vegetables.
(I had a friend in college who grew an orange tree in her room. Yes, really. And she got oranges.) Better yet get more than one! Aloe in the bedroom, herbs in the kitchen, Mums in the living room. Just go crazy.

5) Compost (I had to say it) if you have a garden. I mean it's right there. Your grass clippings, leaves, vines from the tomatos, those herbs that didn't work out. Your coffee grounds...you name it! Free fertilizer for next season.

6) Buy a wooden clothes rack and dry your clothes on that.

7) OR dry your heavy things( jeans, towels, woolen sweaters) in the dryer and everything else on the rack. (I used to use the steam iron for some things and toss them on the clothes rack when I ran low on quarters.)

8) Use cold or warm water when washing clothes.

9) Buy a crock-pot. Plug it in and toss in your favorite stuff. Voila a meal with leftovers and you didn't have to use the oven or stove.

9) Get those reusable bags(or dig out your own) for grocery stuff. Stop and Shop gives you .5 off your order for every reusable bag. Hey, it's something.

10) Change your light bulbs to the new CFL's. And turn out the lights when you leave the room.

11) If you can pick air dry on your dishwasher. Saves energy and shortens the cycle.

12) Do the powerstrip thing for your major appliances. Plug in your printer, computer, TV, stereo, whatever into it and if you aren't using the appliance turn it off. Takes a second for it to turn everything back on.

13) Unplug your cell phone charger and electric toothbrush charger when you aren't using them. Or any little appliance.

14) Be aware of your plastic consumption. Bags and wrappers from the grocery store, bottles and tubes in the bathroom. It's a lot. Reuse some. Save some oil!

15) Turn down the heat when you're not there. Yes, it's easy. Saves energy and money.

So even if you only do a few of these you add some pennies or dimes to your wallet and treading more lightly on the earth.