13 Ways to Go Green and Save Money
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Dear Daniel A Stafford,
Grow your own, unplug, and reuse-reuse-reuse. These are some of the many strategies Green Americans are using to go green on a tight budget – and build community and have a great time. Check out all 13 ways to go green and save green below – and plug into great resources to help you take your next steps.
And speaking of a great time, here at Green America, we just wrapped up our spring Green Festival season, with our Chicago Green Festival this past weekend on the shores of Lake Michigan at Navy Pier.
At all three Festivals this spring – Seattle, Denver, and Chicago – I had the chance to meet so many Green Americans who are excited that the time for the green economy to take off is right now.
You can see a sampling of the great green ideas that people across the country are implementing in their own lives by checking out our new YouTube channel, "I am a Green American", where we've posted video from all three Festivals of Green Americans stopping by our Green Festival booth and sharing their wisdom. (You can check out photos from the events at the Green Festival Flickr streams, here.)
Also, I want to congratulate Kelly McNichol, a Green American from Dallas, TX, who won this spring's Green Festival Getaway and was able to join us for a green weekend in Denver.
You might remember that to enter the Green Festival Getaway contest, we asked for your best going-green-on-a-budget strategies for 2009. Some of the best and most-often-mentioned ideas appear below, along with links to Green America resources that can help you take this green step in your own life to save resources, save money, and protect people and the planet.
Be on the lookout for our next Getaway contest in your e-mail newsletter. We'll be launching it over the summer, for the chance to win a trip to the Green Festival this fall in either Washington, DC or San Francisco. Please forward this e-mail to all of your friends who could use these tips, or who might be interested in the next Green Festival Getaway.
It's great to be working together for a greener America,
Alisa Gravitz,
Executive Director,
Green America
1. Grow Your Own
"The biggest thing I'm doing this year is growing my own vegetable garden. It will be organic, and it doesn't get any more local than my own back yard. Plus, it's one heck of a money saver. It will even help me build community, because I will surely have extra fruits and vegetables to share with my neighbors."
— Jessica S., Littleton, CO
Real Green: Food That Nourishes
People and the Planet »
"I don't own a car. Even in the cold Minnesota winters you'll find me biking. Riding a bicycle obviously saves money and resources, but I believe it also builds community. When I am on a bicycle, I feel more connected to my surroundings, and I'm more approachable. I'm always saying hello to people as I ride past, whereas in a car, that interaction would be lost."
— Sarah P., Minneapolis, MN
Real Green: The Case for Electric Bikes »"Although I get 48 miles per gallon with my hybrid car, I still make every effort to plan my trips to avoid needless driving, to carpool, and to take public transportation and telecommute, as often as possible. I write and call my political leaders in support of laws and funding for mass transit, and for greener cars."
— Jeanne T., Springfield, VA
Real Green: Carpool for the Climate and Community
(online tools make carpooling easier than ever) »Green American: Fuels for the Future »
"One way I have discovered to keep items out of landfills and save a bunch of money in the process is FreeCycle – an online group where members post things they are looking for, and what they have to get rid of. I have received a dining room set (complete with six chairs, buffet, and hutch), bunk beds for my kids, a set of night stands, and a really good juicer for no cost. And I've used FreeCycle to give away all the clothes that my kids have outgrown."
— Lea P-W., Painesville, OH
Real Green: Finding Used Items Online »Green American: 25 Ways to Green the World
(get what you need without money) »
"I'm unplugging the toaster, lamps, cell phone chargers, laptops, and other electronic devices when I'm not using them. These things leak energy needlessly when they are plugged in all the time. It's the quickest way to save energy and it saves me money on the electric bill too."
— Rachelle N., Nashville, TN
Green American: Efficiency First! »23 Steps Toward Energy Efficiency »
"We installed solar panels on our townhome in March along with another family in our homeowners' association. Several others had expressed interest before the economic meltdown and then backed off, but we hope that with our example others will see that in the long-run it's a money-saver, and they will understand the benefit for both the planet and their bottom lines."
— Ellen S., Boulder, CO
New Tax Credits for Going Solar in 2009 »Real Green: Making Solar Affordable Now »
Faces of the Green Pages: Evergreen Energy »
"I compost. I keep my garbage creation to a minimum. I refuse packaging and bags whenever possible (bringing my own cloth bag). I explain to the checkout person why I am refusing the bag or giving back the packaging. Also, steel is 100-percent recyclable. The recycled steel isn't downgraded or 'downcycled.' I recycle every unusable nail, every screw, every wire, etc., at my local transfer station. Even my steel roof will be recycled when it is done being my roof."
— Ruth O., White Salmon, WA
Real Green: Pick a Composter, Any Composter »Green American: Getting to Zero Waste »
21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle »
"This may seem like a minor thing, but it really helps on my limited budget. I have ceased purchasing paper towels and instead use old rags for cleaning and wiping up spills. I wash the dirty rags and reuse them until they wear out. I didn't realize how many paper towels I used to go through before I started this new system."
— Sarah F., Tullahoma, TN
10 Things Never to Buy Again »
"Our path toward sustainability began when we realized the value of doing things for ourselves. I began by making our own laundry detergent. It is all-natural and costs less than a penny per ounce to make! We used the money we were saving to take bigger steps: buying our meat in bulk from local farmers who raise their animals on pasture and sustainably, and buying Energy-Star appliances for our house."
— Carrie C., Salem, VA
Real Green: Ten Simple Ways to Clean Green »Green American: Heal Your Home Guide »
Real Green: Buying the Best Appliances »
"By becoming vegan I cut my carbon footprint to at least 60 percent and the amount of money that each meal costs me by an average of 78 percent. Beans and legumes are so inexpensive compared to meat! I cut costs even more by growing herbs and vegetables for myself, and I earn fruits by offering to do the picking for friends with fruit trees, in exchange for keeping the surplus. I preserve them in glass jars and make pickled fruits and vegetables to extend them even further ."
— Sarah F., Tullahoma, TN
Real Green: Eat Less Meat, Cool the Planet »Real Green: Think Globally, Can Locally »
"On June 20, I am getting married green style. Oh, green wedding, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: 1) Used wedding dress from eBay, $10!,
2) Organic, Fair Trade apparel for the wedding party that they can use afterwards,
3) Asking guests to carpool to save gas, money, and the environment,
4) Sending plantable wedding invitations [That's right, you bury the invitations and wildflowers spring forth, just like love blooms…],
5) Using leftover supplies from my cousin's wedding,
6) Buying organic flowers from the farmer's market … and more.
My fiancé Mark and I will be celebrating our day free from wedding-induced debt and the weight of a heavy carbon footprint!"— Michelle B., Oshkosh, WI
Faces of the Green Pages: The Green Bride Guide »Real Green: Green Weddings and More »
12. Invest Wisely
(and Needs vs. Wants)"We're always asking ourselves whether this next purchase is a 'need' or a 'want.' When we actually stop to think about it, there are precious few needs. People say things like 'I need cable TV,' but that's probably not true. Calling such things 'needs' cheapens the meaning of the word. We've also begun investing some savings with a community bank. Interestingly, in our experience, the smaller community bank with the social mission has been reliably beating the pants off of the mega-banks in terms of rate of return. We know that we're saving more by getting the higher rate of return, but we are also proud that our money is doing good in the community as well!"
— Steve O., Mamaroneck, NY
Break Up With Your Bank »Green American: From Greed to Green
(shift society's underlying values) »
"I'm trying to stay focused on people and relationships rather than stuff. This helps me consider who is affected by what I do buy and from whom I buy it. I save by buying only thrift store clothes, but splurge on Fair Trade chocolate. I support locally owned businesses. I volunteer my time. And with some of the money I save, I use it to support organizations that help people help themselves. I do without stuff; that isn't what matters anyway!"
— Kelly G., Charlotte, NC
Green America's Fair Trade Guide »Real Green: 7 Fixes from the Green Economy »
BONUS #14: Get everyone you know involved in going green and saving green.
Send this list of ways to go green and save money to all your friends and family, or post it to your blog or Web site. Engage others to help them save green in these tough economic times, and get more involved in going green for the sake of their health, people, and the planet. Together we can shift our economy from greed to green.
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Visit us for natural, recycled & organic cotton totes, string bags and dozens of other eco-friendly products. ECOBAGS®: The Original Reusable Bag Company since 1989™ »
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Join CREDO Mobile, and we'll automatically donate a percentage of your phone bill to groups like Rainforest Action Network, Wilderness Society and Defenders of Wildlife, at no extra cost to you »
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Join the Ironweed Film Club. Support independent film and Green America »
Use our spring gift guide to save money and buy green >>
Are you concerned about major corporations using sweatshop labor? Get the dirt on the worst offenders in our Guide to Ending Sweatshops, and find the greenest companies that ensure a fair supply chain »
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A personal quest to promote the use of wind energy and hydrogen technology in the Great Lakes area of the United States. The Great Lakes area is in a unique position to become an energy exporting region through these and other renewable energy technologies. *Update 2014: Just do it everywhere - Dan*
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