What are some ways to "Go Green" but still be on a budget?

Question

What are some ways to "Go Green" but still be on a budget?

Answer 1

don't take a bath, eat your food cold, wash your cloths on a rock reuse water to rinse, and don't water a lawn, don't use toilet paper use tree leaves unless you have tree hugger in your hood. And then buy some paint and paint yourself green cheapest way to do it.

Answer 2

Insulate your home! Most cost effective green thing you can do.  

Answer 3

http://www.gomestic.com/Personal-Finance...

this link is about going green and saveing money... very interesting ideas for you

Answer 4

Going green can be about saving money or maintaining a budget. The products I use are from a specific website. They use recycled materials, their products are natural and and organic and highly concentrated to they actually last longer which helps reduce waste in the environment. If your interested in learning more about these products or are interested in buying any products email me at [e-mail].  

Answer 5

  There's a lot of easy things that you can do and save money.

-Change your light bulbs, you might have to go and buy new ones but it will lower your electric bill

-shorter showers or take a bath: save water and lower water bill

-recycling is free! Or collect cans and go to a recycling center and exchange your cans for money!

-when possible, walk, ride bike/skateboard, carpool, use public transportation instead of your car and save on expensive gas

-ask for paper bags at the grocery store instead of plastic bags, it's free =D

-unplug everything that isnt being used, so if you're done charging your phone or laptop then unplug the cord

-turn off the lights

these are just a few, as long as you do one and try then you're helping =D

Answer 6

Growing your own weed will cut down on tiny little plastic bags. Take other peoples trash and hoard it. Don't commute whatsoever. Live in a box that was used from recycled materials.

JW.C, The new RX8 needs to do something considering the current RX8 POS rotary get's like 2 MPG and the new V8 Corvette get's 30+ MPG!

Answer 7

Just a few:

Recycle

Use Freecycle

Change all bulbs to CFL bulbs

Use cloth napkins

Take a plastic container to a restaurant instead of using the their styrofoam

There's a list of 50 things you can do to be more green here:  

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Save money and the environment by making your own foam soap:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Answer 8

Here are some easy green things that I do at home:

I use paper shreds instead of cat litter. I happen to know someone with a paper shredder who uses it to destroy junk mail, old checks, and etc. Then I take that shredded stuff and use it for free kitty litter, and just pitch it when kitty has used it for a few days. No scooping, no sifting, and no lifting heavy bags of cat litter, and it's reused and free.

We have a compost pile where we throw all the clippings and kitchen waste. We never have to buy potting soil or fertilizer for gardening.

I Freecycle! You can join a local freecycling Yahoo Group, and see if anyone will give you what you need for your home for free. Also, when you need to get rid of things, you can post them and give them to someone in your community who will use them.

I buy only used books whenever possible. I love to read, but I know that the book industry uses up a lot of paper. You can order used from Amazon.com, there is usually a big selection of cheap used copies from independent sellers, and you can pick a seller in your state or close by to reduce shipping distance. Even with shipping charges included, you can often get a better deal than buying new books.

I frequent Buy-Sell-Trade style stores for books, CD's, movies, clothes, and furniture. Another benefit here is that you can get some cash or a discount at the store for your old things.

I got a lot of furniture from cruising around apartment complexes and college dorms during move-out season. People run out of space in their moving trucks and don't have time to sell things, so they just leave them by the dumpster, and you can go get them. The other day I saw a whole set of nice china dishes and a really nice end table left out there. I got several bookshelves, a dresser, a mirror, and a lot of houseplants in this way, all free of charge and not dirty or old or anything like that.. people who leave stuff like that are the ones who can afford to get new ones every time they move!

I wash my clothes in cold water WITHOUT DETERGENT. I don't recommend this if you have children or really dirty work clothes. However, it is mostly the agitating action of the washer that cleans your clothes. I am allergic to most detergents, so I just stopped using them, and my clothes come out perfectly clean and fresh. If you do use detergent, you don't need very much, despite what the label says.

You can also make your own laundry detergent with washing soda! I've never tried this, but it seems easy, you can find recipes for things like that on the internet, and it is super cheap.

A smaller lawn. I put a large garden in instead of a lawn, and now have only a tiny strip of grass to keep mowed. You could do anything with the garden to make it easy to maintain, or grow a lot of veggies for your family! Seeds are cheap and young plants are easy to get a hold of from other gardeners in the spring. They germinate too many and often have extras they are willing to get rid of. There are Yahoo Groups dedicated to trading and sharing seeds and plants. With a little planning, you can get your own seeds for free from the vegetables you eat in the summer! This is called "seed saving" and it isn't too hard. Make sure you use organic produce or home grown stuff for this, because some commercial varieties are engineered to grow without seeds or with seeds that aren't viable. This prevents people from cultivating commercial varieties for themselves.

There is a lot you can do! If you have a "waste" try to think of a way to use it or prevent it from happening in the first place! That is the basic idea of Green Living.

Answer 9

Wait for the new RX8, it runs on both gas and hydrogen. Just buy one and run it on hydrogen all the time. Then you are totally green and don't have to worry about it anymore :)

Answer 10

go amish

Answer 11

Get reusable grocery bags.  Lots of places are selling them for super cheap (like $1), or make your own or go to thrif6t store and pick up some sturdy bags to carry your groceries in.

Buying in bulk is cheaper and cuts down on packaging.  For example.. if you use hand soap, get one pump style dispenser, and then buy those huge bottles and just keep refilling it.

Cut down on cleaning products by making your own.  You can pretty much clean and disinfect everything in your house with vinegar, baking soda, lemon and borax.  These items are cheap, and eco-friendly.

Buy local produce (organic preferably).  Local produce is cheaper because it costs less to ship it.  Plus you're stimulating the economy.

stop using paper towels.  They are super expensive and wasteful.  For cleaning jobs, use an old t-shirt cut up into sections then when you're done, throw it in the washing machine.

Wash everything on cold.  Seriously... I know people say hot water kills things... it does, but detergents take care of that as well.  Also, you can pre-soak your clothes in baking soda and warm water which helps to loosen dirt so you only have to use about half of the detergent.

Dry clothes outside on a line.  The UV rays from the sun kill anything left on your clothes, and it's free and saves energy.

Switch light bulbs in your house to compact fluorescent lighting.  They are initially more expensive than regular light bulbs, but they last MUCH longer and reduce your electric bill.  

Make use of natural daylight.  Keep the blinds/curtains open during the day and steer away from artificial light.

Take shorter showers.  I know lots of us like to take long relaxing 15 minute showers... but find other ways to relax.  Get in, clean yourself and get out.  

RECYCLE!  most communities offer it for free or charge a very small fee.

If you have an older home, have your windows and insulation checked.  If they aren't in good condition, it will add to energy costs.  If you need repairs on these things, it may cost a chunk of money initially, but they pay themselves off by the money you save from having energy efficient heating and cooling.

And of course, don't use your car as much.  Walk or cycle when you can, and try to carpool with others or use public transit if you must drive somewhere.

when it comes to green eating, try to buy organic.  I know it can be more expensive, but at the very least substitute certain items.  Fresh produce and dairy are a must.  When I started doing this, my grocery bill was a little more expensive, but I could afford it because I made other changes that lowered my utility bills and quit buying unnecessary things (like paper towels, disposable plastic bags, and cleaning products).

Answer 12

How about inspiring other people? Check this article for very cool ideas

Answer 13

Going Green and budgeting usually go together.

The obvious ways are -

Switch off when not in use.

If you have a car, either get rid of it or cut down on usage, and walk or cycle.

Take a shower instead of a bath.

Also -

Only boil enough water in a kettle for your needs, or if it's for coffee heat a mugful in the microwave to a drinkable temperature.

When buying fresh fruit and veg, loose is better and often cheaper than prepacked, you only buy what you need and can make sure there are no bad ones included.  If you can, grow your own.

Cut down on the use of power gadgets, eg in the kitchen wooden spoons and a hand whisk are cheap.

Answer 14

Invest i power saving devices Creating fresh clean air using Laundry pure From ECO-QUEST so you don't have to use detergents or hot water . go to www.ecoquestintl.com/dtw and I can give you some answers

Answer 15

The 1st principal of going green is reduce, that is always a great thing for a budget. Reduce can be applied to every aspect of your life. Reduce energy use, reduce packaging, reduce waste, reduce disposable items, reduce travel, reduce toxins etc. For me going green isn't about buying things, it is about not buying things and making a decision when you do buy.

I am spending less on my grocery bill even though I now buy almost excusively organic. I buy more items from the bulk aisle, I buy fresh items, I rarely buy prepackaged food or kits. My packaging and waste has dramatically reduced. I shop with a list and I make a menu, I check to see what I have in my pantry and freezer and use that to determine what I should make. I do most of my shopping at a local organic farmers market, we eat fresh fruit a lot more than cookies and junk food.

I've switched to non toxic cleaning supplies, instead of buying a bunch of cleaners filled with chemicals I can't pronounce I use a natural soap, vinegar and baking soda for almost all my cleaning, this is much cheaper than buying a bunch of cleaners for specific tasks that cost a lot.

I buy classic clothes that will be in style for more than a season, I also line dry them which is better for them and they will last longer.

I have very few disposable items in my home, there may be an initial investment, but over time not using single use items like water bottles or disposable dishes I will save time. I have a brita water filter pitcher and reusable water bottles.

A great book on the subject is "The Green Book" you can also check it out online at www.readthegreenbook.com

Answer 16

Pick up returnable bottles in your spare time. You will not only get exercise but will clean up the planet and make a little money on the side!

Answer 17

Most "green" habits are also good budget habits. Remember the buzzwords reduce, reuse, recycle in that order.  

We can save money by reducing what we consume, buying in bulk to reduce packaging, and reducing our energy and water usage. This can be anything from walking, biking or taking mass transit instead of driving to turning off and unplugging appliances and managing our heating and cooling efficiently, or replacing light bulbs with CFLs to turning off the tap when brushing your teeth or making sure the washers contain full loads.

Reusing is also a form of reducing since you reduce what you need to buy and consume.