‘Save You Money’, yes you heard right; by going green or adopting an eco friendly lifestyle can save you more money than you think. In the current doom and gloom about the global economy everyone man and his dog is trying to save pennies and keep the pennies for the so called ‘rainy days’ to come. This is all negative talk; my positive spin on this is that we can adopt a green way of living, benefit mother earth and save money. Saving money and adopting a lifestyle that will benefit future generations are two very powerful things we can do immediately without much effort.
Applying any of the 3 going green principles ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ in our daily lives will lead to savings. People have a misconception that going green will cost a lot of money. Ok, I must admit some of the green technology will cost an initial investment fee but in the long run you will see some pennies back in your pocket. In this blog post we will look at some simple acts that can save money for you and your families.
8 Simple Eco Friendly Tips That Can Save You Money
1) Grow your own veg – saving £30 -£45 per month
Growing your own fresh produce can save significant amounts on the monthly food bill. Not only will it save you money it will also benefit your health. The vegetables will be grown organically with love and care free from any harmful chemical agents. Believe me, things will taste better if you know they are good for you and its saving you money.
2) Adjust Water Heater Temperature Settings – saving £3-£6 per month
Adjusting your water temperature by 2-4 degrees lower can save you money. Your boiler will take less energy to heat the water and thus save you some money. Also washing your clothes in the coldest temperature possible will also save you some extra cash each month.
3) Switch your light bulbs to approved energy saving ones– saving £6-£8 per month
Lighting in the home accounts for about 7% of the cost of energy bills. Changing to Compact Fluorescent light bulbs will save you money each month. These bulbs require less energy to run and last 5x longer than normal light bulbs.
4) Harvest rain water and get a water butt – saving £5-£10 per month
Water bills keeping increasing every year making more dents in our precious savings. We need to reuse and recycle water. One-way of efficiently doing this is to invest in a water butt. This smart but simple device will allow you to harvest rainwater. This can then be used to water the garden, wash the car or fill the pool.
5) Invest in a flask – saving £2-£3 per month
Boiling water for coffee, tea and other drinks consumes energy. Think! Every time you want a hot drink has a small cost associated with it, as this requires some energy to boil the kettle. Invest in a flask that can hold a couple of litres of hot water. This will required less re-boiling of the kettle and will save you money.
5) Zonal Heating – saving £8-£12 per month
Only heat areas of the home where you will spend most of your time. Unnecessary heating of passages or bathrooms will add to your energy bills.
6) Make your own cleaning products – saving £5-£10 per month
Surprisingly cleaning products are a big part of our monthly bills. I started experimenting by making my own non-toxic products using basic things like vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. So far my concoction have been pretty good and has saved me some extra dosh to spend on myself.
7) Inflate your tyres – saving £2-£5 per month
Check the tyre pressure. Lower tyre pressure means your rotation of the tyre is longer i.e. more rubber hits the road. This means your car in essence is travelling ‘further’ and burning more fuel. Lower your fuel costs but checking the tyre is correctly inflated.
8) Purchase intelligent power strips – saving £8 -£12 per month
All your appliances and gadgets are continuously consuming power. Even if they are standby they are slowly eating away at your savings. Solution is to unplug appliances if they are not being used or invest in an intelligent power strip that will cut the power to certain appliances or gadgets if they are not being used or fully charged.