Since this whole “green” trend started, there have been a ton of articles about simple ways to go “green,” about saving green (money) by going “green,” and so on, so forth.
However, what I realized is that not everyone around my age can do all of those things. As a matter of fact, unless you already own a house or have the money to buy a new (overpriced) Prius, most of those “green” tips won’t help you “go green” at all.
Luckily, there is a lot more that you can do (trendy or not) by adjusting your lifestyle, rather than spending a small fortune on the newest “green” bells and whistles.
So how can a twenty-something contribute and save some cash?
Go Paperless
1. Stop printing things out. Save things as PDF files or bookmark the link for later viewing. Same goes for newspaper or magazine subscriptions - most publishers provide their material online (sometimes cheaper), so swap your paper subscriptions for electronic ones.
2. You can also change your paper billing statements to electronic ones. It’s better than waiting for a bill to come in the mail - and you can it’s accompany that with electronic payments, which are faster and free (no postage).
3. Here’s a neat thing for your email - help other people remember to go paperless by adding the following to your signature (the tree is not a picture, it’s a Webdings font in Microsoft Word: Hit Shift P):
Recycle
4. Quintessential: Recycling. Make sure you have a recycling program where you live - if you don’t, demand one. An even better idea: Establish one for your community.
5. Use reusable shopping totes - not the nylon/plastic woven ones, but ones made of cotton or other natural fibers, like hemp.
6. Craigs list - instead of buying something new, which uses resources, buy something used, which will save it from being tossed in a dump (one step to recycle).
7. Buy glass or metal products - not plastic. Or if it has to be plastic, make sure it’s made from recycled plastic.
Get Energy-Wise
8. Get a solar cell phone charger - or if you’re handy, make your own from an Altoids tin.
9. Heed your Mom: Turn the lights off when you’re not in the room!
10. Use less energy by unplugging things (like your computer or Wii) when you aren’t using it. Standby may not use a lot of energy, but over time it adds up. Simple solution: use a power-strip for multiple items and turn it off to cut off power.
11. When you sign up for electric, go with a power company that uses wind energy or renewable energy sources. If you are in Texas, go to the Power to Choose to learn more.
12. Turn up the thermostat to 80 degrees when your not home in the summer, and down to 60 degrees in the winter (if you don’t have a programmable thermostat already). Don’t turn the AC or heat off completely… it actually takes more energy to bring a room back to temperature from an extreme vs. maintaining a cooler or warmer temperature.
13. Walk, use public transportation, get a bicycle or carpool - it’s cheaper, saves on gas, and can keep you in better shape.
14. Change over to energy efficient bulbs (sorry, had to say it). If you are in an apartment or dorm, save the old bulbs to switch them back out when you move out. Trust me, they save you a ton and last a lot longer! Hint: Price-clubs have the best value and a variety of sizes.
Show your Purchasing Power
15. Choose to buy products made from renewable resources and organic materials, like bamboo furniture or organic cotton.
16. Buy fewer products that contain harmful chemicals - like makeup, shampoo or conditioners.
17. Use a metal thermos (not a plastic one) and a water filter (like Brita) rather than buying bottled water. I’ve saved a small fortune by filtering my tap water rather than buying a $1.50 bottle every time I get thirsty… plus, I’ve foregone using plastic disposable bottles which sit in the landfill and take centuries to break down.
18. Bring your thermos to the coffee shop rather than using their paper cups. Most places, like Starbucks or Seattle’s Best will give you a small discount for using your thermos as a thank you for considering the environment.
19. Thrift store - funky clothing and furniture from a time past - don’t laugh, some people like that style and can totally pull it off!
20. Look around your apartment, dorm, or room… there are a lot of products out there already that you can change over to, like cleaning products that are environmentally friendly and nontoxic - ie: swap Clorox for SimpleGreen (it smells good and cleans very well).
While most of these seem like common sense, sometimes people miss the obvious. Just don’t go overboard by throwing out everything that you already have… while it’s a step in the right direction, it would be very wasteful. Simply purchase your greener options as you need to replace items, like cleaners or other household items.
And to not leave out the young homeowners (and maybe just the curious), check out these websites for more ways to go green and saving money by being green:
The Daily Green - My personal favorite. You can subscribe to their daily green email updates. They even have yummie recipes!
Tree Hugger - Another great website. Quirky but awesome name. Not just for hippies!
~K
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What I want to know is how you got so smart already and you’re not even 30 something yet.
Great post- Lisa
P.S. A fifty something
Would the appropriate thing to say be: I did all my homework in school, read a lot (probably too much) and ate my green veggies?