With global warming and the general condition of the Earth's environment increasingly becoming a major concern, there has been a significant effort to promote eco-friendly living around the world. The green living movement encourages people to live in a way that is not harmful to the environment, and it can mean reducing energy consumption, recycling or conserving natural resources.
Consider Alternative Energy Sources
If you're looking to go green and save money on your energy costs, considering employing an alternative energy source to provide electricity to your home. Depending on where you live, you can install solar panels or a wind turbine system to convert natural energy into electricity. While these systems can be expensive to initially install, they can potentially provide you with significant savings on your utility bills.
Green Clean
Traditional cleaning agents often contain chemicals that can potentially be harmful to you and your family. Green cleaning involves making your own cleaning products from natural materials and it can save you money while helping the environment. Baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice can be combined in a number of ways to clean just about anything in your home, including carpet stains, bathroom mildew, dusty furniture, dingy windows and vinyl and hardwood floors, or used in the dishwasher and washing machine. Old newspaper makes a great cleaning tool for windows in place of paper towels.
Freecycle
Freecycling is a great way to reduce waste and save money. Freecycling means taking things that you no longer use and giving them away to someone who can use them rather than throwing them away and vice-versa. By freecycling, you are reducing the amount of waste that can potentially end up in a landfill and you also save money by recycling still-usable items rather than buying them new.
Grow a Garden
Growing a garden is beneficial not only to the environment and your wallet but to the overall health of yourself and your family. By growing a garden, you reduce the amount of money you spend on fruits and vegetables and you can also offer your family fresh produce that hasn't been chemically treated. You can also create a garden compost for your organic waste, which will fertilize your soil and reduce landfill waste. You can also encourage your neighbors to contribute to a community garden to increase the variety of crops available.
Solar Cooking
If you can't afford to install solar panels in your home, there are alternative ways to harness the sun's energy and save money. One option is to use a solar oven in lieu of your regular electric or gas stove or charcoal barbecue. Solar ovens reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your electric bill by using the sun's energy to bake, boil and steam foods without burning them. Solar ovens are portable and convenient to use.
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