Saving the Earth will save you some Money
Posted
Friday, October 26, 2007 12:09 PM
I'm very about saving the earth. Not because I'm a Democrat, not because I'm a huge Al Gore or Leonardo DiCaprio fan (although hello, Leo is a hottie). I want to save our earth because I believe we are destroying it little by little, and I hate to think of a world that my future grandchildren have trouble breathing in, that my future great-grandchildren cannot even survive in. I know all the really bad things are generations away, but look at California. Does that situation not scream of Mother Nature releasing her fury? Things need to change.
Good news is that it's not that hard. It really isn't. I have made several small changes that have not impacted my life at all. I'll share, just in case it seems like something you could do as well:
1. While waiting for my sink water to get warm, I gather the cold water coming out from the tap into a big bucket. It takes no extra time to stick a bucket in there and collect that water that would have gone down the drain. And believe me, you'll be shocked at how much was wasted before you got the right temperature for doing dishes or washing your face. Use that water later to brush your teeth without ever even having to turn on your sink. Use it to water plants. Use it to boil water later for your corn on the cob or pasta. Save that water too. Water used to cook food has so many nutrients in it and will really help your flowers or garden grow, so reuse it! Think about how long it takes to get your shower water hot, and how many other uses you have for that water.
2. Recycle paper. Everything from the newspaper, junk mail, magazines, and receipts/letters you would throw away. If you don't have a recycling program in your community, get a fire pit and burn that extra paper. Make it a romantic night under the stars and by a fire for you and your spouse.
3. When a light bulb goes out in your house, replace it with an energy efficient one.
4. After going to the grocery, save all the plastic bags that are still in good condition. Use them over and over again, to gather trash, to take your lunch in to work, or even to take back to the grocery to reuse the next time you go shopping.
These things are extremely easy steps you could do that will make a small but significant impact on our planet. Now for the big payoff. Our first bill since saving water went down $40. Yup, no other changes made, just saving and reusing water, and it went down $40 from the usual $140. That's a 29% decrease in our quarterly bill. Worth it to me, with the added benefit of knowing I'm making a difference.
End of sounding preachy (I apologize in advance).