I’ve got two words for you: Live. Green.

Living green is probably one of the fastest, easiest ways to save money.

√ You spend less because you end up buying less, which lets you save more.

√ The shifts you make to greener products and services improve your quality of life and are better for the planet – saving energy, saving water, reducing pollution, and creating a healthier environment.

Here are 13 of the easiest, quickest shifts you can make to start saving money right away, with thanks to the Trust Deed Scotland, our sponsors for this post.

 13 Ways to Save $5,000 a Year

• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb ………………………………… $5 – $10/yr/per bulb
  (shift from incandescent bulbs to CFLs or LEDs for electricity savings)

• Reusable Water Bottle ………………………………..…….………………   $250 – $500/yr
  (shift from throwaway bottled water to a reusable bottle you refill at home or out)

• Take Lunch to Work ………….……………….……..…..………………               $1560/yr
  (shift from buying lunch in throwaway packaging to taking lunch in reusables)

• Programmable Thermostat ……………………………..………………                 $150/yr
  (automatically set your heating & cooling temps to save money summer & winter)

• Low Flow Shower Heads, H2O Saving Toilets ………..………………         $72/yr
  (reduce the amount of water you use by installing water saving faucets, toilets)

• Smart Power Strip ……………………………………..…………..………………   $94/yr
  (save electricity by turning off all electronics plugged into the same power strip)

• Window and Door Weather Stripping ……………………………………     $129/yr
  (reduce heat loss by sealing leaks around doors and windows)

• Improve Car Fuel Economy ……………………………..…………………… $1780/yr
  (get a tune up, replace air filters, keep tires pumped up & drive the speed limit)

• Skip One Driving Trip Each Week ………………….…………………           $225/yr
  (telecommute, car pool, use mass transit, walk or bicycle)

• ENERGY STAR Washing Machine …………$50/yr on energy, 7,000 gallons H2O
  (Use less energy, save water using an ENERGY STAR washing machine)

• Make-at-Home Non-toxic Cleansers ……………….…………                  $500/yr
  (make your own basic cleaners out of baking soda, H2O, & fragrance-free liquid soap)

• Total ……………………………………………………………..…………….       $5,070/yr

Source: Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World

Simple shifts make all the distance. A sponge instead of paper towels. Buying gently used rather than brand new. Sharing rather than buying new. The savings will mount the more you do!

What’s your favorite way to live green and save money? Please share!

NOTE: Trust Deed Scotland helps people who are struggling with their unsecured debts. It creates an opportunity for people in debt in Scotland to freeze interest on their debts, then make one affordable monthly payment to reduce debt over time. For more information, contact TrustDeedScotland. 

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How good are your kids at saving energy? Here’s your chance to find out. Team ENERGY STAR, the Environmental Protection Agency’s program to teach kids about energy efficiency, is holding an essay contest for kids. The purpose of the contest is two-fold.  First and foremost, Team ENERGY STAR wants to recognize kids for the wonderful steps they’re taking to use energy more efficiently, and they’ve got all kinds of great prizes to award to show their appreciation. But here’s another important reason: They want to inspire other kids to use energy more efficiently, too.

The Essay Contest: It couldn’t be simpler. Kids who submit an essay to the Share Your Story page and then click on the DoSomething Team ENERGY STAR Challenge immediately become eligible for a number of prizes, including:

• The new Lorax DVD, which will go to the first 100 kids to submit essays
• 25 winners will receive ENERGY STAR certified electronics products donated by LG Electronics, including televisions, computer monitors, smart phones, and mouse scanners
• Top winners will also be featured in Times Square on the LG billboard.
• Plus, some of the winners may have a chance to participate in ENERGY STAR day in October with EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Essays will be judged based on the following:

• Creativity/Ingenuity: How did you use Team ENERGY STAR resources to develop a home energy-saving idea that both worked for your family and saved energy? Make sure you explain the energy-saving approach and its relationship to ENERGY STAR as well as how it fits with your family. For example, where your home energy-saving opportunities are and how your family functions day to day.
• Energy Savings: How effective was your idea in engaging the family to save energy? How much energy was saved? Explain how you and your family implemented your idea. For example, what worked, what didn’t, and why you think it was successful. What did you learn from the process and how do you plan to use your ideas and lessons learned to keep saving energy?

The “essay” can be a written story; a photo essay; a video; a slide show; a drawing; or any other way kids want to show what they have learned about energy efficiency, just so long as it can be uploaded to the ENERGY STAR story page here. Kids can submit stories any time between now and September 17.   Prizewinners will be announced by October 10.

By the way, if you’re a blogger and you repost your child’s essay to your blog by September 9, I will include your blog in an online carnival (like this one many parents participated in for the launch of Team ENERGY STAR earlier this summer) that is planned for September 10.  Essays and blog posts will be heavily promoted through EPA’s social media networks. Kids who write essays will also receive a certificate of appreciation from EPA Administrator Jackson.

I don’t think this will take a lot of time, and it could be a fun way for parents to see what their kids are actually learning about energy. Plus, maybe the essay can do double-duty for kids needing to write a school essay over the summer.

I hope you’ll encourage your kids to write up an essay for the contest.  (The identities of all those who submit essays will be protected. No last names or home addresses will be required for submissions. Only first names and last name initials will be used in the contest.) It’s a great opportunity to showcase their involvement, get other parents and kids involved, and be part of something that will have a big impact on our health and the health of our world.

 RELATED POSTS

Tired of Telling Your Kids to Turn Off the Lights? Let Team ENERGY STAR Do It!

Kids Drive Moms’ Passion to Save Energy, Join Team ENERGY STAR

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