Going Green And Saving Money, Can I Do Both?

I know a lot of people are concerned with the environment and would like to help by going green.  I also know that a lot of people are struggling financially and think that it would cost too much money to go green.  The truth is that there are many things you can do to help the environment that will also save you money.

One of the best places to start is at home,  simple changes there can save you a lot of money.

One of the biggest expenses of most homes is the utility bill.  Heating and cooling a house are where most of the utility budget gets spent.  That's why it makes sense to target these areas in your efforts to save money and be environmentally responsible.

To save money on your heating and cooling costs the first step is to make sure you only heat and cool your house, not the outside.  To do this you want to make sure you have adequate insulation as well as plug any cracks and gaps around windows and doors.

Another way to save money is to make sure your heating and cooling unit is working at peak performance. Have it inspected annually by a HVAC professional, and keep the filters clean by changing them at least monthly during heating season.

Adding a programmable thermostat is another way of saving money since you are only paying to keep your house toasty during the hours you are home. 

And last, but not lest, consider investing a few hundred dollars and building your own wind turbine.  It's easy to do, it's cheap, and it can generate up to 60% of the electricity you'll need for your home. That's 60% less you'll have to pay for.

Going green is easy.  Just follow one or more of the tips above and start today.

Best Ways To Go Green and Help Yourself

It's like many of us have just gotten a double whammy, we want to help the environment and go green,  but we are struggling to keep our heads above water and can't afford to buy more expensive green products.

The good news is that you don't need to spend more to be green.   While it's true many organic foods and green household products do cost more money, there are other things that you can do that will help the environment and actually save you money.

Most of these things revolve around your energy use either at home or in your car.

To cut back on the amount of fuel your car uses try these simple steps: drive less by combining trips when possible, make sure you have clean air and oil filters, and properly inflate your tires.

None of these steps will save you so much that you'll be the next millionaire, but the diminished fuel use will help you and the planet.

There is even more potential for saving on fuel costs around your home.  The biggest part of most household budgets are heating and cooling costs.  If you take some simple steps to be more fuel efficient around your home you can really save a bundle.

Some of the things you can do in your home is to make sure it's properly insulated, have your furnace inspected to make sure it's running properly and change the filters monthly, replace or repair leaky windows and doors.

If you want to do even more to save money on fuel costs you can actually generate your own electricity. That's right, technology has advanced to the point where it's now feasible to have your own small wind turbine.

You can easily build one yourself for a couple hundred dollars with parts from your hardware store in just a few days.  One turbine can save you about 80% on your utility bills.

So go for it, take steps to go green and save money, it's easy.

Wind Power VS. Solar Power, Which Is Best?

Trying to save money?  Want to be environmentally friendly?  If you've answered yes to these questions you've probably wondered which way is the best way to go: solar power or wind power.  Well, the answer to that question is: if depends.

Whether you use wind or solar or even a combination of each will depend on several factors. 

The first thing you need to consider is how much do you want to spend to upgrade your home to wind or solar power?  With each type of power you can build your own collection systems: panels for solar and turbines for wind. 

Another thing to consider is do you expect to generate enough electricity so that you can completely sever all ties with your utility company?  If so than you will need way more than one or two solar panels or one turbine.

What type of climate do you live in?  Do you get a lot of sunny days?  Even if the answer to that question is yes you have to remember that approximately half of every day is spent in darkness so your solar panels won't be generating electricity.

Do you live in an area where there aren't a lot of open spaces such as in a low lying area or an area with a lot of tall trees or buildings.  Wind turbines aren't as effective if the wind flow is obstructed by trees or other objects.

These are just a few of the things you have to take into considering when trying to decide between solar and wind power.  Oh, and not to confuse you further, but you may want to combine the two and install solar panels and wind turbines, that way you can maximize the prevailing weather conditions.

So now that you've got an idea of some things to think about take a little time, ask a few more questions and decide which source of energy makes the most sense for you and your needs.

Everything You Need To Do To Go Green

Since winter is on it's way now is as good a time as any to find ways to save energy.  The great thing about that is that you can save energy and go green at the same time.

Going green can be as big or small as you want it to be.  You can buy organic foods, buy totally green environmentally friendly household cleaners, use reusable bags, etc.

None of those things will cost a lot yet the positive impact they will make on the environment can be enormous. 

If you want to do more, like use renewable energy sources, the impact will be even bigger and the savings to you will also be significant.

Many people will use either solar power, wind power, or a combination of both as renewable energy sources.  Both have their good and bad points.  It's up to you to decide which ones will work best for you, your home and your overall goals.

In order to harness the power of the sun you will need solar panels. These panels are designed to absorb the heat, and convert it into electricity that can be used to power your home.

One of the problems with solar power is that even on sunny days it will only work about 12 hours, since it won't work at all during the night time hours.

Wind power is another alternative for a homeowners energy needs.  To use the power of the wind you'll need a turbine. You can easily build your own turbine for less than $250 yet it will save you around 80% on electric bills. These turbines can be small enough to be mounted on your roof.

If you want to go green you have many choices.  Something as simple as using reusable water bottles to something as elaborate as building your own wind turbine.  No matter which option(s) you choose you can be happy in the knowledge that you're doing your part for the planet, and saving money in the process.

Going Green Today - It's Easier Than You Think

With the economy in free fall,  many people out of a  job, and the approaching winter months with the accompanying high utility bills, now is a great time to consider going green.  Following some simple advice can help the planet as well as help your bottom line.

There are a lot of things you can do to go green. Some things are simple and will save you a little money, other things are more involved and will save you a ton of money.  It doesn't really matter if you decide to start big or small as long as you start.

I know there are people who are just worried about hanging onto their house and it seems like just too much at this point to worry about the planet.  But the thing you have to remember is that one can help the other.  Helping the environment can help save you a bundle on your utility bills.

Below is a list of some simple, and not so simple, things you can do to save money.  Some will pay off with bigger dividends than others, but they'll all help.

1. Get your furnace inspected to make sure it's running as efficiently as possible, and don't forget to change the filters every month.

2. Install a programmable thermostat.  This may not sound like a lot but it can add up big.  No one wants to pay to keep their house really warm when they're not home. 

3. Take advantage of the tax credit and install energy efficient windows and doors.

4. Build your own wind turbine to supply 60% of your own electricity.  It only costs $200 and you don't need any special skills.

I hope this brief list has helped get you thinking.  Saving money on utility bills is one great way of going green and it will save you a lot of money too.  That way you and the planet both win.

Going Green, Is It Hard

With the economy in such a shambles and millions of American families scrambling just to keep their heads above water, it might seem like just too much effort to worry about the environment right now.  The thing is, it can actually put some money in your pocket by going green and 'worrying about the environment'.  I'll show you how.

No matter what paper, magazine, or t.v. show, you look at you'll see something about becoming more environmentally friendly.  There's so much information in fact that it can get confusing and overwhelming.  Don't let it get to you.  There are dozens of simple things you can do today, that will save you money. 

Just keep your car tuned up, your tires inflated, clean the air filters on your furnace, let the sun come in during the cold winter months, etc.  These are simple changes that can add up and you can start today.

If you are in a position to make some big changes, changes that will take some time and cost some money, you should consider building and using your own wind turbine.  This can help you cut down on the amount of electricity you have to buy up to 60%.  That will add up to a huge savings, now and in the future.

You can buy a wind turbine for anywhere from $600 and up.  That is a viable option but with such a big upfront expenditure it will take you longer to recoup your investment.  You may also be eligible for a tax credit of up to 30% if you go this route.

Or, you could build your own turbine in a few days for a few hundred dollars. 

It doesn't matter which option you choose, by installing and using your own wind turbine, not only will you be going green, you'll be saving green too!

Going Green At College Is It Possible

With so many young adults interested in doing their part to help our environment and heading off the college they are probably wondering if going green while at college is a viable option.  The good news is that, yes it is.  The bad news is that your options are somewhat limited.

Of course there are many things you can do pretty much anywhere you go, including school. 

1. Drive less.  For many college students they don't have a choice since they can't have their car on campus anyway.

2. Recycle.  Don't throw away those pop cans (or beer cans), you can easily recycle them along with papers, cardboard,etc.

3. When you finally have a little money to go to the grocery store take, and use, reusable bags.  If you forget your bags at least recycle the bags you get from the store.

Another thing you can do in your dorm room to help the planet is using solar power for your laptops, cellphones, PDA's,etc.

Companies are now making solar powered backpacks and briefcases that you can use the recharge your electronic devices.  They will get a charge just by be carried back and forth to classes.  You don't even need to do anything out of the ordinary.

To find a complete listing of what's available just go online and do a search.  You'll be amazed at the number of companies that have these types of solar powered items.

The point is that even though you have no control over where the thermostat is set or other options while living in a dorm, there are still many going green steps you can continue to take.  You don't have to stop saving the planet just because you're getting an education.  Being environmentally aware should be life long habit.

What Do I Need To Know About Going Green

Going green has gotten a lot of attention lately and it can be a little overwhelming.  Is it all about recycling, or is it about using alternative sources of energy, or what?  The truth is that anything, big or small, that you do to help the environment can be considered green.

Recycling, driving less, tuning up your car so you don't use as much gas, all of these things can help.  It is small but if everyone did them the outcome would be enormous.  These are the simple day to day changes anyone can easily make.  It will not only help the planet it will also save you some money.

Things like using alternative sources of renewable energy like wind and solar power are also things you can do that will help the planet and save you money.  The difference is that these things are a little bigger in scope: they will make a bigger difference and they will take a little more effort to implement.

So I guess that means you have to decide for yourself what are you ready for, big changes or small changes? 

If you've chosen to go big here is a little you should know about solar and wind power.

You can make your own home sized wind turbines and solar panels.  A small wind turbine will cost around $200 to build and can be put together over a couple of days.  You can mount it on your roof or in your yard.

Solar panels can also be built for home use relatively cheaply in a fairly short period of time.

Unless you have a lot of panels and/or a lot of turbines you won't generate enough electricity for your household needs, but you can still cut your utility bill considerably.

It doesn't matter if you choose to start off big or small...just start going green today. You'll save yourself some money and even help out the planet.

Going Green Today Its Easy

I want to save the planet, don't you?  I also want to save money, and I'll bet you do to.  The great news is that we can do both at the same time.  Going green can be as big or as small as you want it to be.  There are  a lot of things you can do, and here are some suggestions.

If you are like me and you tend to think big than you may be thinking of ways to help the planet and save money in a big way.  Like, say, building your own home wind turbine, or solar panels.  That is a great way to go.  Even with just one small turbine you could save up to 80% on your electric bill, every month.

Making your own turbine is a relatively easy thing to do. You can build one for around $200 in a day or so.  You can get the parts you need online or at your local hardware store.  There are manuals available at your local bookstore or online.  You have a lot of options.

If, on the other hand, your idea of saving the planet is a little smaller in scope, you still have many options.

1. Cut back on the amount of electricity you use by unplugging unused electronics.  Even when they're not turned on they are still on stand-by mode and they are using electricity. 

2. Insulate.  Caulk around windows, add insulation, replace windows or buy window kits to plug up leaky windows, use insulating curtains and blinds, keep your thermostat set low, change furnace filters.

Whether you want to start big, building your own solar panels and wind turbines, or small, making some simple changes around your house, going green is something we can all do.  It will save our environment and save us some money.  What could be better?

Going Green, What Does It All Mean?

It seems that we can't open a paper, magazine, or turn on the t.v. without hearing the phrase 'going green'.  What the heck does it all mean, and can it help me save money?

The answer is: it means trying to be more Earth friendly in the choices we make like cutting back on chemicals, pesticides, and using less harmful energy sources, and it can save you money when you use alternative energy sources.

Many people immediately think of solar power as the renewable energy source of choice, and it's a good choice, but there is a relative newcomer: wind power.

Not that using the wind is really all that new, windmills have been around for centuries, but only now are they moving from the huge turbines to smaller varieties for home use.

Wind turbines do come in sizes small enough for your backyard and even your roof.  Not all of them are designed like the traditional windmill shape either.  Some almost look like a modern art sculpture. 

If you want to go green and save money you could easily build your own wind turbine for a few hundred dollars in a few days.  The materials that you'll need can be bought at your local hardware store.

Once you have the parts you will need an easy to follow guide that can quickly and easily walk you through the process of building your own wind turbine.  These are also readily available at your local bookstore or online.

Remember that while building one small turbine probably won't be enough to supply all your home energy needs, it can cut your utility bill significantly.

If you are interested in going green, you couldn't have picked a better time.  Technology has advanced to the point where we can make our own wind turbine to help supply some of our electricity needs.