You can benefit from doing a few things that are good for the environment. It’s not all about mother nature, some of it impacts your wallet. You can also make your neighborhood a little cleaner. While going green may seem extreme, it isn’t. It’s a good way to save money. So, what do you have to do to be green and save money? Here are some options.
Repurpose
One thing that saves money and the environment is reusing and repurposing things you may otherwise just throw away. For example, many gardeners have at one time or another started new seedlings in an old egg carton. That’s often cheaper than buying a seed starting kit. It saves money and repurposes something that would otherwise be quickly thrown away. Also, it takes the place of a new item that would have had packaging you would need to recycle or throw away.
With every item you repurpose, you save a little money and reduce the amount of junk sent to the College Station landfill with your residential trash pickup.
Save Energy
There are some easy things you can do to save energy in your home. It’s environmentally and wallet friendly to not waste energy. Here are some ideas you can try before you go all out and buy a green energy solution like solar panels:
- Check the weather stripping on doors and windows
- Buy a smart thermostat that will keep your heating and cooling costs down.
- Check your attic insulation to make sure it’s the right thickness for your home.
- Consider a power strip that will shut off idle devices. For example, when your phone is done charging, it stops getting electricity.
If you’re not sure if you’re weather stripping is adequate, light and candle or incense and carry it to the window or door in question. The smoke will show you where any air leaks are. If the candle goes out, you know the air was moving pretty fast.
Donate or Sell Old Items
Donating items that you no longer want or need can be a tax write-off. Selling old items is also good for the environment. The more items are traded and sold, the fewer items have to be produced and shipped. While supporting local Bryan-College Station businesses is important, it can be balanced by not being wasteful and throwing away items that are still useful. After selling your used item, you can always buy something new from a local business with the money.
Being green isn’t just for the wealthy or especially environmentally conscious. There are things everyone can do that preserve the earth and benefit us. Sometimes, it can even save time. For example, if you repurpose an item instead of buying a new one, you’ve saved yourself a trip to the store. You don’t have to always think about the environment, just think about being more efficient. Making sure you use materials and energy efficiently is the best way to be good to the environment and your wallet.
