When we talk about going ‘green’, some feel it takes a lot of time and there’s got to be a drastic change in their way of life because they have to change everything about them – the way they act, think, and its all going to be too much of a hassle and very expensive!
You see, this really isn’t so; being green and taking Eco friendly steps to do what is right for our planet will only make our earth a better planet for us and unborn generations.
Above all, adopting these easy green tips I have for you today will save you lots of money every year!
1.Pressure cooker
Pressure cookers are great energy saving cookers. They do not allow air or liquids to escape from the pot. Did you know that as the pressure in this type of cooker intensifies, the boiling point of water becomes higher? In fact, the liquid in the pot surpasses 100 degree c before boiling due to pressure built up in the cooker. From experience, pressure cookers are time savers and can cut your cooking time in half or even more! Overall, you save time and money! Here is a delicious pressure cooker recipe I’d like to share with you.
2.Use towels or cloths
Some of us rely heavily on paper towels for convenience despite the fact that we have multipurpose cloths and towels that can be used for cleaning and hosting family and guests. Try giving your guests cloth napkins instead of paper towel and see if you wouldn’t receive lovely compliments. I know I have received lovely compliments from my guests :). Saying no to paper towels will reduce the amount of waste you produce in your homes and you also get to save money!
3.Say No to disposables
Disposables only end up in our landfill and constitute a nuisance to our environment. Why not opt for reusable items that would last longer and save our planet.
4.Residual heat…yes please!
I love this tip because this is something I practice all the time. When cooking, turn off your cooker 3 to 5 minutes just before the food is ready and leave the pot on the cooker! If you’re cooking in the oven, the same principle can be applied. Save money and energy too!
5.Faucet leakage..fix it!
It is a fact that 90 gallons or more per day of water is wasted by some homes that have leaks. Here are great tips for finding leaks in your home. Ensure you shut your faucet at all times. If you detect any leakage fix it immediately to prevent heavy bills!
6.Make your own food from scratch
The saying goes, ‘you are what you eat! This is so true. Eating fresh foods is key to living well. When you make your own food from scratch, you’re in control of your salt and sugar intake. You know the ingredients you need to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal and you know that it is way cheaper cooking your own meals rather than buying packaged store bought ready to eat foods that have been shipped to your store over a long distance.
7.Low flow shower head
Setting your shower to low flow is good for the environment and will also save you money. Don’t let those words ‘low flow’ put you off, you still end up having a great shower!
8.Have a yard sale
Instead of storing items that can be reused in your room, garage or basement, why not give them a quick clean and have them ready for sale? This can be done right there in your garage. One man’s waste becomes another man’s resource! Dispose of unwanted items and make money too!
9.Remove unnecessary items from your car
It’s always a good idea to keep certain items in your car. What about those items that have just been sitting in the car for months? Take out items you don’t need and you would realize that you use less fuel and of course you’ll save money too!
10.Use energy star appliances
Energy star appliances will save you money. If you’re thinking of buying an energy star appliance, do a thorough research here. Energy star appliances use less energy and you get to save on utility bills. According to energystar.gov, an energy star dishwasher can save you over 3,870 gallons water
11.Turn off the tap when not in use
Sometimes when the tap is not in use, you can hear that trickling sound especially if you’re not too far away or if the environment is quiet. In an environment where there are kids, it is best to check the faucets at random to ensure that faucets are shut and not left running. Little trickling of water can add up quickly and that means huge water bills. Let’s be kind to our planet.
12.Make use of the library
Libraries are packed with useful materials and books. Before buying a book, why not check and see if it is available at the library. Consider borrowing books before making purchases.
13.Line dry your clothes
Instead of relying on your dryer to do the drying why not air dry your clothes and let the sunshine and wind dry your clothes. You save money and save the planet.
14.Remember to Unplug
Fond of leaving the television and other gadgets plugged in? Turn off appliances when not in use and remember to unplug at all times.
15.Are your windows open or closed?
Do you remember to close all windows when you have the heater on? Remember to close all windows; this way your heater wouldn’t have to work so hard; over working the heater results in higher bills and more use of energy.
16.Insulation is key
When you go into a home that is not insulated, you kind of know. Insulating your home will keep your energy bills down. The following signs will let you know if a room is insulated:
a. Uneven temperatures in your home. For example: one bedroom is freezing cold while the other is warm and cozy.
b. Insects and rodents are a great sign of detecting if a room is well insulated. They make their way through tiny holes. Also, note that warm air makes its way out while cold air seeps through! Therefore, ensure all rooms are insulated and keep creepy crawly bugs out! This will reduce the energy bill costs.
17.Quick showers
Take shorter showers instead of sitting in the tub. Showers should be 5 minute or less and I can tell you from experience that 5 minutes is enough. Save resources and save money.
I’m sure these tips would be helpful. Let’s protect the environment.
Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
item 9) remove unnecessary items from the car. I don’t know this can save the cost of fuel. Thanks for the informative post.
Hi Jamin, removing unnecessary weight from your car will save you fuel. You can also check out my post by clicking on this link for more ways to save on fuel https://planetearthisours.com/8-tips-on-how-to-improve-your-fuel-economy . Thanks for stopping by.
Hi some very useful tips here which ibwouldnt have thought about.
I still dry my clothes on the line though as I hate my tumble dryer being on all the time.thanks for this
Cheers
Matthew
Hi Matthew, I’m glad you found this post helpful. Drying your clothes on the line is a great way of conserving energy. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Hi Bea. Love this post. I’m looking for a pressure cooker myself to cook my dinner in.
I don’t own a dryer as I’ve always thought of them as wasteful.
With number 15- If you have vertical blinds that sit away from the window, ensure to cover the gap at the top. It’ll help keep your place warmer in winter.
Cheers
Hi Nyssa, I’m glad you love my post. If you’re looking for a pressure cooker, I recommend trying this Tfal pressure cooker. It is very easy to use and cuts your cooking time in half. Just follow the safety precautions for cooking with this type of cooker. Vertical blinds will definitely keep you warmer. Thanks for stopping by.
I stumbled across this site. And after scheming through it I had to stop and start reading the tips. I have to say I appreciate a site that gives needed information about saving and paying attention to the only place we ha e to live. Every tip here is simple to incorporate into any lifestyle. Good job
Hi Maurice, thanks for leaving great comments! I’m glad you read my post. When we incorporate ‘green’ habits into our lives we are not just doing it for ourselves;we are also doing it to protect the earth!
Articles like these are very important as many people don’t realize how the smallest saving equates in the bigger picture. My City is currently experiencing a drought and has been declared a disaster area. Water use is limited to only essentials and no use is allowed outside the house.
People should save where they can.
Little savings really do go a long way. Try adding up how much someone could have saved in a year if for instance they always left the tap running even when not in use. Hopefully ways to fight drought in your area would be looked at and issues would be addressed soon. All the best to you and thanks for dropping by.
Wow, it was really interesting, I enjoyed reading. Look forward to reading more good materials on the subject. Thank you for sharing this!
For tip #14, does this apply to pretty much anything? For example, what about a lamp that isn’t turned on? Or does it only apply to larger appliance type items like a TV or a computer? I had heard of ‘zombie appliances’ in the past, but wasn’t sure how far it went…
It is important to unplug unused devices in order to save money. Lamps that are turned off won’t use up electricity. However chargers are known to consume a lot of power even when items such as phones and computers are not connected to them. A good idea would be to control power with a power strip. Energy star appliances will lower utility bills, so when replacing appliances in the home this might be something to consider.