Going Green Is Easy

Being eco-friendly is energy-efficient and a great help to the environment.  At the same time, you'll save more money if you're going green just by doing little things.

For starters, check each door and window  for wasting energy.  Hold a ribbon near the openings and see if it flutters.  If it does, then you have air leaking inside.  All you need to do is add some weatherstripping or caulking to save that escaping energy.

Another way to go green is by pulling plugs from your electronics when not in use.  Computers, TV and stereos continue to draw power even when they're turned off.  Believe it or not, most of us waste enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb just because we leave everything plugged in. 

Try to do your laundry at night--not at peak energy consumption time in the day.  Also, if you can get your family to use their towels more than one time, your laundry pile will shrink.  Even one load less of laundry saves you work and that washing machine and dryer from eating energy.

Often we jump into our cars and make wasted shopping trips.  Make a list and plan a route to shop or do errands at one time, instead of making several trips.  Shopping less often helps save your budget and even more gasoline.  Better yet, if you live close enough to any store, try walking or biking instead of jumping in the car.

Learn how to compost your vegetable peels, fruit skins, etc.  You'll save money from not buying garbage bags and improve the soil once those materials decompose.

Swap your old light bulbs for the energy saving bulbs!

If you have an old furnace, you may want to eventually switch it out for a newer model.  The energy alone it takes for a pilot light to work on some old furnaces would shock you.

These are just a few quick ways to help you go green.  With just a little thought, your efforts will make a change in bettering the planet and your budget as well!

Have You Ever Heard of A Water-Powered Alarm Clock?

Bedol Water-Powered Alarm Clock

If you're like me, you may have been unaware there are environmentally friendly clocks that do run on water instead of batteries or electricity.  However,  I recently won a Bedol Water-Powered Alarm Clock.  I was skeptical at first about how well this clock would work until I gave it a try.  Now I am nuts about this clock.

All  I needed to do was unscrew the top and fill it up with water to the appropriate level.   A few more presses and I set the alarm, which in my three months of use, has never missed a beat and sounds off at the exact designated time I set.  This clock is fantastic because you never have to worry about replacing any battery or worrying about the correct time if you lose power.  

You do, however, need to change the water when the time begins to fade, usually after a few months.  My screen didn't fade; but, the water looked cloudy so I decided to clean it out according to the directions.  All I added was some white vinegar, then allow the inside container to dry before resetting it.  

My only complaint with this clock is the complicated set of directions themselves--not the clock itself!  Why companies fail to write simple instructions instead of assuming all customers have a technical background stumps me.  Anyone else feel the same way?