Going
Green:
1. Reusable Grocery Bags:
I
looked into getting some grocery bags that I can reuse and that we functional. The
ones they had on the Oprah show were a really heavy duty organic cotton canvas bag that were around $9 a bag. I did not want to spend that much on the bags so I called a few health food stores and looked online.
The
ones I ended up buying that I really like are from amazon. I bought 2 sets (one
set has 5 bags) and with shipping they came to about $28 for all 10, or about 2.80 a bag.
They are machine washable and have an insert that make the bags stand up like a paper bag would.
I
have been complimented by the cashiers at the stores every time I have used them. They
say that they are the best ones that they have seen for bagging purposes. The
grocery stores around here (Kroger and Meijer) sell some reusable ones that are similar for $1 a bag, but the cashiers told
me they like mine better than their store ones. The ones I bought are bigger
and have a hook for the cashiers to attach to the bagging station.
Just
wanted to let you know what I have found and what I like about them. But any
reusable bag is great. I have so many plastic bags and I do use them around the
house, I just do not need any more of them for quite awhile, but if I do I just will not take my grocery bags with me one
week for shopping.
http://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Grocery-Assorted-Colors-Printed/dp/B000XSEZFU/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1202654352&sr=8-1
Just
a note…you will save on shipping if ordering some for friends or multiple sets.
2. CFL light bulbs:
My
birthday is tomorrow and I asked Greg for these light bulbs, because they are expensive initially to change out your whole
house. And keep in mind that my house is only about 1300 sq feet so it would
cost more for more lights than my house. Greg thinks he paid approx $200 for
our whole house and we do have some extra too. He bought ours at Lowes. They will save us quite a lot of money in energy so even though we had the upfront
initial cost, we will start seeing it over the years since they last up to 7 years.
For
example: One of our 3 way light bulbs cost $9, but on the package, it reads:
Save
$117 per bulb on energy costs as compared to using a 150 watt bulb at 12cents per KWL.
The
3 way bulbs are more expensive than the regular ones, but I had that package handy.
So
not only are you saving on your energy costs…you are also saving energy…so great for the environment.
3. Reusable water bottles:
We
will not buy any more bottled water (we mostly used them when going out, not on a regular basis at home since we use our Brita. So now instead of taking a water bottle on the road we take one of our reusable water
bottles with us. They have all different kinds and you can search the web or
you can just buy some at your local store. Try not to use any plastic ones as
they are finding new health scares with BPA materials that leak into the bottle! (Meijer, or Wal-Mart, or target).
4. Linen napkins
I
have 2 sets of linen napkins. So instead of using paper napkins I use these and
throw them in the wash a couple of times a week. I bought mine at Kohl’s
and spend about 1.80 a napkin, but I think about all the napkins we threw out all the time and that adds up. If I have a large gathering I will use the paper ones.
5. Smart Strip
Here
is a product description of the Smart Strip:
Basically
is turns off your electronic devices when you shut down…for example even when I shut down the computer, the other electronics
are still on (printer, monitor etc) or using energy. So if you shut down your
computer and have the smart strip everything automatically shuts down completely. The
same for the TV. If you turn off the TV with the remote the smart strip shuts
everything completely down automatically (DVD player, speakers, etc)
Energy Saving Smart Strip by BITS Limited
With Auto switching Technology
Seven outlets work together, auto switching your devices on/off automatically, to save you money on your electric bills.
1225 joules of surge protection keep your equipment safe from even the harshest power spikes. Conveniently-spaced outlets
and a 45-degree, angled space saver plug make the Smart Strip a friendly addition to your electronic systems.
Key Benefits Include:
* The Smart Strip makes shut down fast, easy & complete
* Turn on/off your computer or TV and your peripherals turn on/off automatically
* Payback in a matter of weeks based on energy savings. One study demonstrates payback in as little as 6 weeks,
with an average of just three months (depends on peripherals and electricity rate).
* No more bending over to turn off your surge protector
* No more turning off multiple switches
* Peripherals that do not have power switches are not a problem anymore
It's As Easy As 1-2-3:
1.) Plug computer or television into blue CONTROL outlet.
2.) Plug peripherals into white
SWITCHED outlets to maximize energy savings.
3.) Plug other electronics into red CONSTANT outlets.
Smart Strip Specifications:
https://www.chooserenewables.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16160&cat=0&page=1
6. Unplugging appliances:
I
have started unplugging my microwave, toaster, coffee maker every time I am done using.
I learned that just having the appliance plugged in can use up to 40% of energy and cost you money. So anything that that is not hard to get to and unplug I try really hard and even Greg has been remembering
to do so!!
I
think that might be it for right now. I have also started looking at more earth
friendly cleaners and recipes for making my own. I cannot say too much about
that right now as I have just started to look into that.
Thanks
for reading the novel if you have gotten this far. These products are not the
only ones out there, but it is just what I have found works for our family. So
I hope maybe you will look into some of these tips and ideas and see if your family can become more earth friendly too.
There
is always more that I can do, but I am starting with these simple steps and feel good about helping Leah and Jonah learn the
value of taking care of our earth.
Tiffany
Heim
