Most of us could do better when it comes to taking care of the environment. Here are some easy ideas to help. The first thing to do is take stock of what you own-clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, kitchen gadgets, computer gadgets-and ask yourself which of them do you really need. If there are things you haven't used or looked at in at least a year, take them to a charity shop or have a garage sale. Often libraries will happily accept books. If they don't put them on the shelves, then can use them for their library sales to buy new volumes. There are many worthwhile charities that will accept clothes, furniture and almost anything you want to give away. Even putting furniture on the curb can help. I know many people who furnished their apartments totally from wonderful items other people were throwing away. I have a few items myself that were gathered from the curb thirty years ago and I still use them everyday.
After you've done a complete clean-out of your home, attic and garage, and this is the most crucial part, determine to simply stop buying so much stuff. Instead, swap items with friends and recycle as many toys and clothes as possible. Surely someone you know is having a baby and can use the things your child has outgrown (clothes, crib, toys). Yard sales are a lot of work, however you can make a lot of money if you won't mark items too high and are willing to adjust your prices. Another thing is that don't be afraid to put items out at a yard sale that seem completely useless. I have had people willingly take broken microwaves and appliances, because they think they can repair them. I happily will give away for free anything that is broken. Don't underestimate what people might want. I've seen people buy half used make-up and lipsticks, broken costume jewelry, cans half full of paint and even just empty jam jars. You never know what someone might find attractive.
Invest in a bike or take the bus, leaving your gas guzzling car at home. Put on your iPod and relax on the way to work. Let someone else do the driving and save gasoline. Get to work refreshed. You'll improve air quality by cutting back on car journeys. If you must drive, drive better. Constantly accelerating and then braking creates more pollution. Aim to drive smoothly. Car pool, too. If you and your co-workers live in the same area, then why take four cars when you can take one? The same goes for taking children to school. Surely your neighbor's children go to the same school your child does, so help each other out. Try to plan your shopping trips so that you go to the stores that are close together all at the same time. Must you really go to Wal-Mart every day? Shop once a week, make lists and plan your shopping route. It saves time and gasoline to plan ahead.
Have your car serviced. A regularly serviced car means that your car pollutes less and it's cheaper to run. When you get ready to buy a new car, switch to a hybrid. If that's not an option, then look for anything that's more efficient. That usually means the car is smaller and new, but do you really need something as large as an SUV? They take a lot of gas, are difficult to park and are much more expensive to insure.
Save energy by switching to energy efficient light bulb, which can last up to fifteen times longer than ordinary ones. Switch off lights when you aren't using them. Don't leave your gadgets on "stand by." Every little red light is using and wasting electricity. Don't overcharge your mobile phone. It's not necessary to leave them charging all night. Invest in solar heating. Make sure doors and windows are tight and, if not, use some weather stripping. Add insulation to your attic. Turn the thermostat down by one degree. The only difference you will notice is in your electric bill. Put on a sweater and sweatpants if you feel chilled, instead of turning up the heat. Don't dress for summer in the winter. After you use the oven for cooking, leave the door open after you turn it off. There's a lot of heat that can warm your kitchen in that oven and it should not be wasted. Cook several times at once in the oven. Open the curtains and let the sunshine in. The sun can warm a room significantly in the winter.
Shop green by buying locally produced products. Select items that come without excess packaging. Use old carrier bags or cloth bags to carry food home. Buy rechargeable batteries. Switch to cloth diapers. Recycle paper, plastic, glass and anything else you can. Cut back on the use of paper-you can always print the draft of something on the back side of typing paper you have already used. Don't throw away leftovers. Make soup or a casserole out of the things you find in your fridge. Use biodegradable cleaning products. Hang your laundry outside to dry. It will smell better and save on gas or electricity. Make sure you are using a low setting on your washer if you don't have a full load of laundry. Better yet, make sure you have full loads to wash. Use cold water. It's better for your clothes and they will be just as clean.
You can save water by switching off taps when cleaning your teeth. Shower rather than taking a bath. Fix dripping faucets. Use the water left over in your kettle after making tea to water plants (after it cools of course). You can even catch rainwater in tubs or buckets and then use that for watering outside plants and flowers, but be sure to empty these right away. Stagnant water can breed germs and insects. If you buy ice for your picnic cooler, let the ice melt and use that water for watering the lawn or washing the patio. Don't use excess charcoal and lighter fluid for your grill.
Take stock of every room in your home and the areas of your yard. What can you rid yourself of and not miss at all? Take one month to cut back and save, then you'll be surprised at your electric, gas and water bills. Better than saving money, you will also be saving the environment.
