How Going Green Will Save You Green!!

How going green will save you green

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Recently, a news story struck a cord with me in a major way. ABC News anchor Charlie Gibson reported that in an effort to be green, major cities like Washington D.C. and New York City have invoked a plastic bag tax on grocery shoppers. Washington D. C.’s bag tax is $.05 per bag. Just imagine! My weekly trips to the store warrant at least 12-20 bags. If Wilmington passed such a tax, my annual shopping budget would need to be expanded to $1,040 just to cover the cost of transporting my purchases home! Most reusable bags cost $.99. I will gladly spend $20 to save $1,000.

Now consider the costs of the following “green” tips, and add up your annual savings!

Bottled Water: The average household purchases 167 bottles of water per year at $1.25 per bottle: totaling over $200 annually. Why not consider a water pitcher filtration system? The national leading brand costs about $25 and requires 6 replacement filters per year at $8 each. This totals only $73!!

Lighting: Switching from conventional incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs will save you about $270 in one year’s time.

Water Heater: 13% of your utility bill is from your water heater. Tankless water heaters save on average 20-45% each year. We have a timer on our water heater. Installing a timer on your water heater allows the water to only be heated about an hour before times of routine usage. The U.S. Department of Energy reports using this type of device can save you an additional 5-12%. This means the $60 cost of a timer is regained in the first year of use.

Heating and Cooling: Investing $30-$100 in a new programmable thermostat will easily be recouped within the first year as you enjoy a steady home temperature. You will also eliminate unnecessary heating or cooling while sleeping or away.

Gasoline: To improve your gas mileage try these tips: cut back on your speed, use cruise control, maintain a 2 RPM speed, fuel up in the evening, and turn the engine off during idling (such as at the drive thru, waiting on a train, etc).

Electric: Unplugging appliances when they are not in use is a fast growing trend among families trying to save on their utility bill.

Gardening: Consider growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs, not only for consumption, but also for medicinal and homeopathic uses.

Consumer Products: Watch for my article titled “Home Make It” for great cost saving ideas of everyday products that can be simply made from home, such as dryer sheets, dishwasher cleaner, etc.

Green up!
This column is provided by Tara Roark. Tara conducts Coupon Boot Camps training consumers how to save hundreds on their groceries, shopping, dining and entertainment through couponing. To contact, please visit her on the web at www.couponbootcamp.com and follow her blog, http://mommysgotworktodo.blogspot.com, or on Twitter, couponbootcamp, for exclusive HOT deals and tips.