18 December 2013

Spending Money to Save Money

Green living is a lifestyle that many wish they could emulate. And there are plenty of ways in which green living can be introduced into your home in small steps. Easy little things, such as sorting out your recycling, or remembering to turn the light off when you leave a room, can build up over time into a sizeable contribution to the reduction of your household’s environmental impact.
Growing Money
Going the Extra Mile
Some people, however, find themselves wanting to go that extra mile and reduce their carbon footprint down as much as they possibly can. But doing so isn’t always easy, and many find themselves put off by the extra effort and money this requires. Green living can often mean having to make an initial financial outlay, and it’s often the case that a household simply won’t have the funds to spare to make such a change – especially when doing so might mean making sacrifices elsewhere.
This is perfectly understandable, especially in the current economic climate. You may be living within your means, and might even be doing well enough to put some cash aside every month in your savings account. But when the economy is so unstable and layoffs are still happening with regularity, it’s important for you to feel financially secure.
Money Saving Solutions
So, if this situation sounds familiar to you but you’d still like to make some significant green changes to your home, what you really need are some solutions which will help you not just reduce your carbon footprint, but also to save money.
Perhaps the best way of doing this is by reducing the amount you spend on your bills every month. This includes water, heat and gas. Sure, you could probably get away with simply reducing your consumption, but sometimes this isn’t possible – especially in winter. So instead, it’s time to investigate some of the different ways in which you can still consume the same amount, but make that consumption more efficient.
Great Ideas for Improving Your Home
One of the ways to do this is by improving your home’s insulation. More heat energy is lost in homes through leaks in the floors, walls and ceilings, as well as around doors and windows, than in any other way. Paying to have your insulation improved might set you back a few bucks, but in the long run you’ll see a return on this investment.
Another great idea is to switch over from just using your regular heating method to using a combination of this and solar thermal. Solar hot water systems can typically generate about 60% of your home’s hot water, without costing you a penny. Again, investing in this kind of system might mean having to make an initial financial outlay, but over time you’ll recoup this amount and more.

32 comments:

  1. This has been so helpful! Thank you!

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  2. Great post here. Solor hot water systems are a huge savings on water and electricity.

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  3. Great post here. Many people hesitate to "go green" for fear that it will be too costly. Thanks for the money savings solutions especially the one about Solar hot water systems. Saving money on big household bills like this will pay off in the end.

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  4. I have that allowing window fans to run 24/7 adds a lot to the electric bill.

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  5. This is such helpful information!!

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  6. Thanks for the tips on energy savings in my home. We will try to do some of these in the future.

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  7. I completely agree with this. I have pinned tons of things to my pinterest board for my "dream home" down to every single detail. I want to live a substainable home and lifestyle. Ive noticed a lot of the older homes had all the charm that I love. Down to the mini stained glass windows in the hallways and on the top of each doors to let in light naturally, to the solar panels! I want it all!

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  8. I have lots of good insulation and a programmable thermostat that helps keep the house cool when I'm not home.

    slehan at juno dot com

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  9. This is a great article. I think we all need to get back to the basics in a huge way right now and conserve!

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  10. Great article. I believe we all need to get back to the basics in many ways right now and conserve. things are not looking so good for our future.

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  11. I like that even small steps can help when it comes to green living. I am known (in my family) for being vigilant about wasting electricity, etc. I tell my kids that no lights are needed on during the day. I was actually reimbursed by my electric company a few times for being an energy saver.

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  12. What a great article, thanks for posting. Something that I do is use items people normally throw away to reuse, recycle and save money on crafts.

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  13. helpful information thanks for sharing the great article

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  14. Some of these suggestions do not take alot of money and some do. If you can afford them go ahead. If not do what you can to recycle and reuse what you have . If you can save money do it. Its easy to shut off a light when not using it and use cold water for laundry and dry clothes on your wash line and the list goes on.

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  15. I lived in Hawaii for about a year and a half and I'm originally from Alaska. Being green was a lifestyle choice or else you had to pay for your water or go by the side of the road and fill up your 5 gallon jugs. We used a catchment, which was a small swimming pool basically, for running water. Recycling is very very big there. I even recycled enough to put a tank of gas in our car? I would suggest stop using the dishwasher and not be so lazy to do your own dishes with your own two hands. Electricity bills LOVE dishwashers. Check with your local provider. Don't take my word for it though. :)

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  16. I have tried to be "greener" without spending too much money. I recycle a lot, and cut down on the oil and electrical bills. I shall look into more ways.

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  17. I live in a townhouse complex that doesn't allow solar panels which I think is short-sighted on their part.

    slehan at juno dot com

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  18. Thank you for the post. I know I could do better to conserve energy. We have been actively making steps to make our family "green".

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  19. Great ideas! I really need to try some of these!

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  20. i think just cutting back, putting plastic on the windows as i have to do for winter, plug up any wholes ,we switched our light bulbs also , they say we should save money.. thanks for sharing @tisonlyme143

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  21. We invested in a Nest thermostat this year and I can't wait to see our savings.

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  22. Thanks for the helpful hints in going green and saving money:)

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  23. You have great green tips on this site! I think a ton of people would switch to at least some solar power if it were more affordable. I'd love to have a solar water heater and multiple panels on my roof, but the cost is prohibitive. I'm on disability and bringing in about the same per month as minimum wage, so most of the more ecologically-friendly housing updates are way, way out of my means. I know there are programs to help some people, but I haven't qualified for any. One of the smartest things we could do to make people more self-sufficient and less carbony (no, not a word, but you get what I mean) is to outfit thousands or millions of homes with at least some solar energy.

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  24. Another option you might consider is passive heating, where you put in ground pipes which act like heat pumps during the winter and coolers during the summer.

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  25. Every year, we try to do a little more to conserve in many areas of our lives. Unfortunately, many times it does mean there is a need to spend money to save money. For years we had to pay for our recycle truck to pick up, now, finally, our regular trash pickup service includes free recycle pickup, yay! Our neighbor just had solar panels installed on the entire back side of his roofing, not so much to look at for us, but I'm sure he is using quite a bit of that solar energy.

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  26. Great post and I think everyone can do there part in being more green, I know for us we sort out from papers to plastic and cans, we don't have much of a yard for a garden but we do pretty good in the house with our own little spices, We did have to spend some money on shades and dark curtains to help out in the summer so we don't run our electric so much and a few other things... thanks for share

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  27. I try very hard to go green within my means. Little things like turning heat down, keeping unused rooms closed off help. I reuse the plastic bags the daily for use as "pooper scopers" on my daily dog walk also contribute if only in a small manner.

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  28. We are in the middle of insulating the upstairs. My husband gutted a room and put it in. Now, he's adding drywall to finish up. It's quite a big job.

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  29. there are many ways to live greener that cost little to nothing. There are green power companies that will feed green power right into your grid if you sign up. Recycle & research what you buy. Buy 2nd hand if possible. Plant some food, in containers if you have to, I'm told you can buy seeds with snaps bennies. Feed the birds. Walk to work and pick up litter on the way.

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  30. I followed a link for Solar hot water systems and the post stated that if your home faces south the solar panels will all be placed on that side of your roof. The picture that was on the site showed a house with most of the roof being covered with panels and it was not pretty. Yes, going green comes with a price tag and sometimes the result is an eyesore.

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  31. These are all wonderful suggestions. Thank you for sharing and have a sweet day.

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  32. Thank you! It is very kind of you to take time out of your day to share!

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