Going, Going, Gone GREEN

We went 'green' long before it was the popular thing to do. Not only to protect the environment, but because it saves money. In today's economy, every dime helps. For many years we have been recycling. Friends have commented and teased about how much 'trouble' we go through. And folks will ask 'is it OK to throw this in the garbage can?' The answer - more times than not is No.

We have a trash can for aluminum cans, which we squash before putting them in there. A trash can for tin cans, which we rinse and remove the labels before throwing in. ( Recycling does not mean you have to live with ants and bugs. ) We have a bin for plastics, a bin for clear glass and a bin for colored glass. We also have a box we use to hold the pasteboard boxes that cereal and many packaged products come in, as well as a box to hold newspapers and other types of paper. 

We feed the outside dogs some of the leftovers, but coffee grounds, vegetable peelings and the like either are composted or go down the disposal. So, the only things that go in the trash.... is well... trash.

Living in the county, we do not have trash pick up, so my husband goes to the dump. With our recycling, he has to go less often. Which, saves gas, and in turn, saves money.

90% of our bills come via email. The few that do not, have not yet committed to provide this type of billing... yet. I pay our bills through the bank provided 'bill pay' over the net, or through secure sites.  This saves money for gas and stamps.

We use energy efficient light bulbs. The are a little more expensive that the regular light bulbs, but they use less energy and last 10 times longer. So, there is real savings using them. 

We reuse the thin plastic bags most  supermarkets provide. We line small waste baskets, as well as return them to the stores for recycling.

I bought a fuel efficient car (average 35 mpg on my Toyota Corolla). My daily commute is 72 miles - 36 each way. When looking for a new car, I did the research and the math. When gas was averaging between $3-$4 per gallon I was driving a mini van that was getting 20 mpg. Since 2007 I have cut my fuel consumption in half. And with the recent decrease in fuel prices the money I save on gas each year makes 3 car payments a year. 

Brown bagging lunches saves gas and money. I cook almost every night. Rare are the times we go out to eat. My husband must eat a low or no fat diet due to his extremely high triglycerides. Few restaurants offer the healthy choices he requires. So I cook. I enjoy cooking. Its not only good food - but its good for us. Eating healthy is not cheap.... but - cooking and carrying leftovers help offset the price. Spending roughly $120 per week sounds like a lot of money for 2 adults. ( that is not counting the money we spend on pet food but it does include health and beauty aides ).... but when you consider it equals 21 meals a week per person it averages out to less that $3 per meal. Thats a bargain anywhere! And - we have a lot of folks that stop by and fix a plate to eat while they are hear. Its just how and what you prepare. No one has ever left our home hungry.

Every dime we save adds up. It seems like everyone is trying to cut back and save now. We do live on a tight budget, especially since my husband is now unemployed. We are a one income family, and with all our extra efforts we manage to get by. We are making it.... which is more than I can say for some. 

One other thing I am proud of. When we can.... we give... be it through charitable donations, time  or simply food  we try. We consider ourselves lucky..... and try to remain positive during these tough times.