Earthbound Savings: 22 Green Ways to be Frugal

Attention Earthlings: It's time once again for that annual celebration of all things green. Earth Day is nearly upon us and, while many people offer advice on being kind to Mother Earth, too many of these tips don't quite coincide with frugal lifestyles. In an effort to dovetail these two purposes, we offer 22 budget-friendly ways to go green in honor of April 22.

1. Sign up for the "no solicitation" registry.
That way, you can avoid getting credit card offers and other ads which will reduce paper clutter and save trees.

2. Shop online to reduce your carbon footprint and save money. According to a study by Carnegie Melon's Green Institute, shopping online reduced carbon emissions by 35 percent. The abundance of online coupons from such sites as FreeShipping.org makes this green practice a no-brainer.

3. Get out of the gym and exercise outdoors.
Freeze your gym membership and save up to 75 percent (or more) per month during the summer. You'll also rely less on those energy-sucking cardio machines.

4. Close blinds on hot days. Before you head out for the day, close your blinds to keep the sun from warming your home while you're gone. Doing so will reduce your dependence on air conditioning and save energy.

5. Send an e-gift certificate for special occasions. Not only are e-gift cards super convenient, you're also using less plastic resources and reducing fuel associated with shipping. If an e-card isn't available from a desired retailer, purchase gift cards at a discount from sites like Gift Card Granny. That way you recycle someone else's unwanted plastic and score great savings.

6. Eliminate paper invites and digitize your event announcement. Save on postage and printing while reducing paper by using sites like pingg.com to create electronic announcements and invitations.

7. Use an irrigation controller to manage watering. 20 to 50 percent of your water use goes toward the landscape, even more in certain areas of the country. Invest in a controller to schedule irrigation to reduce overwatering.

8. Swap your stuff! Use Swap.com to trade books, CDs, DVDs, sporting equipment, and other goods. Not only are you saving money, but you're reducing future trash by re-using someone else's stuff.

9. Walk or bike to work to save on fuel. With gas prices peaking at nearly $4 a gallon, you're doing your wallet and your health some good by walking or biking to work. If this isn't feasible, try public transportation.

10. Wash clothes with cold water. Though some clothes suggest warm or hot water for washing, you can reduce your monthly heating bills and save energy by turning all cycles to cold. Don't worry, your clothes will still get clean.

11. Use mobile coupons to cut paper clutter. Download the Coupon Sherpa mobile app to access discounts without using paper coupons. You can also save coupons to your supermarket loyalty card for paperless grocery savings.

12. Plug electronics into power strips. Buy a surge protector for pricey electronics to save your valuables in the event of a lightning strike, and power down when not in use to cut five percent from your electricity bill.

13. Power down cable boxes. Doing so will save you $40 per box, annually. You can also cut down on DVD waste by opting for Netflix, Hulu and Amazon streaming.

14. Go paperless. This is a no-brainer -- when banks and service providers offer you the option to go paperless, take it. Check out Lifehacker's guide to going paperless for more ideas.

15. Hang dry your clothes. Do laundry on the weekends and hang dry your clothes to save energy and reduce your electricity bill.

16. Shop garage and estate sales for clothes and home goods. Recycling other people's unwanted items will not only save money but also reduces trash build-up in landfills.

17. Put the blow dryer down. Consider going "au natural" several times during the week to save on energy spent by blow dryers, flat irons and other electronic hair products.

18. Take short showers. The feeling of hot water on your skin is often hard to resist, but taking short, cooler showers reduces your heating bill and saves water and energy.

19. Wash dishes in a sink full of water. Instead of washing dishes with the tap on, fill one side of the sink with soapy water to clean dishes, and only run the dishwasher when it's full to save energy.

20. Get a water filter and reusable water bottle. Over 80 percent of plastic water bottles are tossed -- not recycled -- yielding 1.5 tons of waste per year, according to Mother Nature Network. Invest in a reusable water bottle (or two) and a filter, if your tap water is lacking.

21. Plant native shrubs and plants. Native plants and shrubs subsist on whatever precipitation occurs in your area, making them an eco-friendly alternative to non-native plants that require additional watering and maintenance.

22. Use an eco-friendly shower head. Basic showerheads disperse quite a bit of water per use, so investing in an eco-friendly one like the Oxygenics PowerMassage Handheld Shower Head can save up to 70 percent in water and energy consumption.

Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles.andrea@andreaworoch.com.

Tips to avoid water waste and save money

Of all of our natural resources, none is more precious than water. We can't live without it. And while the media continually draws the public's attention to the rising cost and consumption of oil and gas, very little attention is given to what will become the most serious resource issue in the next century--the international water shortage.

Flushing our toilets alone accounts for a staggering 40% of our water usage, with the bathroom being where we use a whopping 75% of our water inside the home. With a bit of thought and effort, though, we can save money and be "green" at the same time. Use these tips to save cash and conserve our most precious resource:

Bathroom

§  Add food coloring to the toilet tank. If it's leaking, color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, easily installed, and can save more than 600 gallons per month.

§  Place a plastic bottle weighted with pebbles and water in the toilet tank to use less water.

§  Install a low-flow showerhead to save more than 500 gallons of water per week.

§  Keep showers under 5 minutes to save up to 1000 gallons a month.

§  Turn off the water when brushing teeth, shaving, or face washing to save 200 gallons a week for a family of four!

Kitchen

§  Install a low-flow faucet aerator to cut water use in half.

§  Don't rinse dishes and save 20 gallons of water per dishwasher load.

§  Store drinking water in the fridge to avoid running the tap every time you want a cool glass of water.

§  Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or microwave instead of under running water.

§  Cook food in as little water as possible to save water and retain nutrients.

Around the house

§  Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.

§  Never put water down the drain. Use it for watering a plant, a garden, or cleaning.

§  Insulate water pipes for faster hot water and less waste. 

§  A faucet dripping at the rate of one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year, so fix it.

§  Wash full loads of clothes to save up to 600 gallons each month.

SAVING MONEY…Child Style

      Photo Credit: Alan Cleaver 

Although there are several opinions about whether or not kids should get an allowance, and, if they do, whether or not the allowance should be attached to chores, I think that most parents would agree that all children should learn how to handle their money wisely. Learning the concept of saving money at an early age will, hopefully, allow our kids to thrive financially (or at least be wise about their spending) when they are adults.  Personally, if my boys learn how to spend and save wisely, I will be thrilled!

So, what’s the first step?

Determine where you want to “store” your children’s money. Should the money be stored in a piggy bank or a jar, so our kids can watch their savings grow; should they open an account at a local bank so they can hand deliver their loot; or should an online account be opened so that their money is out of sight and out of mind?

Again, parents will differ in their opinions on the best way to help their children learn about saving, but I think all of the options listed above are good ones. I also believe that parents may want (or need) to tailor the method to their particular child. For example, I have one son that cannot stand to see his money – it burns a hole in his pocket – but my other son loves to watch his money pile up.  So, to handle the different money relationships of our boys, we’ve had to alter our teaching style, for savings, with each of them.

Piggy banks might be the way to start. If your child is young, you may want to start with the piggy bank or jar method. This way, your little one can physically watch their savings grow at home.  Also, coins are easily found and can make a big impact on how quickly the jar or piggy bank fills up. 

Interest gets interesting as the savings pile up. Older children, who have a real concept of numbers, will really enjoy learning about simple and compound interest. It will be fun for them to watch their money grow faster and faster because they are earning “extra money” just for letting the bank borrow their money temporarily. A good resource for teaching children about interest (simple and compound) is this article on The Mint: Saving & Earning Interest…How Savings Works – It’s all about interest.

Deposits…online or in person? Whether you use a physical or online bank will depend on your child’s relationship with money, their age, and their ability to grasp the concept of where their money is going. A younger child might learn more about savings accounts by hand delivering their deposit to the bank…allowing them to grasp the idea that their money is going to an actual place. An older child, who is undoubtedly familiar with computers and the idea of a virtual, online existence, will not have a problem with handing their money over electronically.  

A big advantage to online banking is the fact that most of them offer a better interest rate than physical banks. Also, there is a tremendous amount of financial learning that can be done online. If your child is interested in learning more about their money, it’s all right there for them to pursue.

Teaching our children about money, early on, can only be helpful to them in the future. I wish I had learned to have a better relationship with cash as I was growing up. I tend to be the “money burns a hole in my pocket” type, which hasn’t always been helpful.

What about you? How do you handle money? Also, have you started teaching your children about a good, healthy relationship with money? If so, do you have tips you’d like to share with us?

-Lisa Bakewell