5 Simple Ways of Saving Money and Living Green

With the price of gas at more than $4.00 in California, and still going up, everyone is wondering how to survive the state of the economy we are in. What can one do to survive? Those of us that came from poor families seem to have the knack of surviving hard times. Our parents went through difficult times in the past and we saw how their persistence and hard work and without government assistance have made the family stronger, and the children all went through college and got their degrees.

Simple Steps to Living Green and Saving some Bucks

Being careful with our natural resources – conserve energy by turning off lights in rooms you don’t use. Do your laundry after 7 p.m. after the peak usage has eased during the day.

Don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth. Fill a cup with water for use to rinse your teeth when brushing.

Plan your errands carefully, so that you lessen driving time. Now more than ever, practice better planning. Plan your trips well, plan your meals for the week, make a list of the ingredients for your recipes, and look carefully in your cupboard, freezer and refrigerator for ingredients you already have.

Recycle and re-use – recylce your bottles and cans and newspapers. Buy a couple of grocery bags that you will use over and over for your groceries.

If you can telecommute at least one day a week, ask your employer if you can. Otherwise, look for someone you can carpool with to go to work. In Seattle, employers encourage their employees to carpool or ride public transportation which they subsidize. Another alternative to driving is riding the bike. I have been lucky that my son rode his bike to go to school everyday. Now that he’s in college, he rides his motorcycle to go to school and to work..

Turn off your tv at dinner time. Enjoy your family during meal time, catch up on what’s going on at school, or at work and then help each other put away food, and dishes and pack leftovers for lunch for the next day. With the tv off, you can have a peaceful and enjoyable family time.