Saving "Green" by Going Green

This week on Wheel of Fortune, the set and the contestants are going green!  This made me think about all the ways to save "green" by going green!  For instance, in the Opinion Poll on WheelofFortune.com, they ask about your favorite way to be green, and all of the options would save you money as well as saving the planet.  So for this week I figured we'd feature a series of blogs on the topic.

Tip #1:  Shorter Showers
Everyone knows conserving water is good for the environment, but what we don't always remember is that conserving water is also great for our wallets!  You can conserve water in multiple ways, so if you love your long, hot showers, don't worry - there's more than one option here.  Below, I've listed a few ways to conserve water in your home.  Whether you rent or own, these are great ways to rein in on your water bill and start saving money.

• Shorter Showers  (Not only is this good for water conservation, but it's also great for energy conservation.  You may cut down on your overall water useage, but you'll definitely cut down on Heated Water useage.)
• Fewer Washes  (You can either wait to wash more items in one larger wash instead of two smaller washes, or you can hand wash some items which would otherwise go in a Mini Delicate load with one or two other items.  Just be sure to fill that washer when you can!)
• And the Kitchen Sink!  (If the dishwasher isn't full, don't run it!  I know we all want clean dishes and don't want to have to wait, but it's worth it.  Hand-washing dishes takes just as little time if there are only a few dishes, and conserves so much water.)

Tip #2:  Reuse Containers
I know lots of people who wash out their nice, relatively new Tupperware sets and reuse those every time, and these same people sometimes miss valuable reuse-ing opportunities.  Most food items we purchase at the grocery store nowadays come packaged in containers of some sort, whether it be bottles, tubs, jars, or resealable bags.  All of these containers can be reused!  Just wash them out like you would a Tupperware container and use it again!  When you buy pre-packaged foods, be sure to look for foods packaged in glass instead of plastic, as the carbon footprint of producing glass is a lot smaller than that used to produce plastic (plus, glass containers hold up to washing better than most plastics).  Below I've listed a few types of containers that you probably see every day.  You can wash and reuse these products, save yourself money, and save the environment, too!

• Glass Jars (Great for dry goods, and can also be made into cups!  Remember Grandma's Jelly Jar Glasses?)
• Glass Bottles (Useful for everything from olive oil to maple syrup - if you buy a large bulk tin of either, you can reuse a smaller glass bottle to store in the kitchen instead.)
• Resealable Plastic Bags (Good for smaller items and also for airplane travel.)
• Plastic Tubs (These can be used for pretty much everything, from leftovers to dry goods.  Just don't put them in the microwave!)

All in all, most of us are doing our best to try to go green but make sure we're thrifty with our dollars, too.  Stay tuned this week for more tips on how to keep saving green while going green!

(Be sure to check out this link to the Ecology Center to see where I got some of my facts about Plastic vs. Glass.)