10 easy, New Year's resolutions for the eco-slacker

These resolutions will help you save money, cut your carbon footprint and decrease your home's waste.

Going to farmers markets and becoming a weekend vegetarian are two easy green lifestyle changes you can make in the new year. (Photo: JohnnyRokkit/Flickr)

It's easy to think about all the big changes you're going to make in the New Year as the old year comes to an end — but by the second week of January, most of us are already finding reasons to skip the gym or break the spending freeze. That's why we've come up with ten green New Year's resolutions so easy you'll have no excuse not to keep them — and as they help you save money, cut your carbon footprint, decrease your home's waste stream, and improve the quality of the Earth, you'll be glad you did.

1. Never buy bottled water again

Trade your bottled water habit for an at-home filtering pitcher and you can help make a dent in the 1.5 million barrels of oil used to make plastic water bottles each year; pair it with a reusable bottle (like one made of glass, aluminum, or recycled plastic), and you'll always be prepared to tackle your thirst. Bonus: With bottled water no longer on your shopping list, you could save as much as $1,400 this year.

2. Brew your own Fair Trade coffee

Carrying your own coffee in an insulated travel mug helps you reduce waste from cardboard cups and carrying sleeves — which are thrown away at a staggering rate of 58 billion each year. For greener at-home brewing, choose a Fair Trade blend that supports farmers; add organic milk instead of artificial creamers; and try a French press (instead of a traditional brewer) to save electricity.

3. Remember your reusable bags

With more than 1 million plastic bags ending up in the trash every minute, taking reusable bags to the store is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint — but the hardest part about using them is simply remembering to take them with you. A set like this one from Blue Avocado is almost impossible to forget: It comes with six different bags, sized for everything from frozen goods to fresh fruit, and the entire collection folds down into a slim packet for easy transport.

4. Cut back on paper towels

If you're grabbing a paper towel for everything from wiping up spills and cleaning your counter to scrubbing the bathroom and keeping your hands clean at dinner, it's time to make a change. Instead, invest in a few cotton cloths and some fabric napkins; then drop them in the wash when you run a load of laundry. Using the cloth alternatives is just as easy as using the paper versions, and you only need to buy them once — plus you can help eliminate the 3,000 tons of paper towels that end up landfills every day.

5. Use a bike for short trips

It takes a certain amount of dedication to permanently give up a car in favor of a bike, but even an eco-slacker can make it work for short trips that don't require hauling a lot of stuff: picking up milk at the local grocery store, after-dinner ice cream at your favorite dessert spot, your morning yoga class, brunch with friends at the coffee shop. Ride your bike for trips shorter than 2 miles and you could cut your carbon footprint significantly, save money on gasoline and car maintenance, and increase your fitness level — all at the same time.

6. Order from your local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Going to the farmer's market always sounds like such a great idea — until Saturday morning rolls around and you realize you have to get up early, have enough cash, and fight other customers for the best strawberries. Instead, have your local CSA program do the hard part for you by putting together a box of their best produce each week — and, if you're really feeling lazy, have it delivered right to your door so you get fresh, local fruits and vegetables without giving up your lazy coffee-and-crossword mornings.

7. Become a weekend vegetarian

Cutting meat out of your diet just two days a week can decrease your carbon footprint by about 1/3 of a ton — and coming up with meat-free meals for Saturday and Sunday isn't as hard as it sounds. Try pancakes and fruit for breakfast; fresh salads or roasted vegetable sandwiches for lunch; and veggie pizza, bean soups, and creamy risottos for dinner. And since doubling a recipe rarely adds any time to your prep work, you can make extras to eat throughout the week (and trim your carbon footprint even more).

8. Eliminate phantom power

It takes approximately one second to unplug the charger for your cell phone, mp3 player, e-reader, or iPad — but if you really can't be bothered, then let nifty, energy-efficient gadgets do the work for you. Use power strips to turn off all your appliances at once; put your television, DVD player, game system, and stereo on a timer so they automatically shut off overnight; and invest in chargers that stop drawing current when the device's battery is full. You could cut your energy bill by as much as 10 percent annually — without lifting a finger.

9. Switch to green power

Switching your home to run on green power sounds like a big job — installing solar panels, geothermal energy, or a tankless hot water heater is not a job for the construction-impaired. But you can also make this happen without getting out of your chair: Call your local energy company and see if they offer renewable options (most do). You might see a small jump in your bill, but it's an easy way to make a big change.

10. Replace your lightbulbs

Replacing your lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lights may be the ultimate change for the eco-slacker. Despite all the jokes, it takes only one person to change a lightbulb — and since CFLs last longer than traditional bulbs, you'll be saving time for years down the road while cutting your energy use by as much as 80 percent. Can't even face the hardware store? Order your bulbs online and have them come straight to your door.

Resource:  Mother Nature Network

Make Your Air Conditioning Dollars Go Farther

Make your air conditioning dollars
go farther this summer.

When temperatures rise outside, it's natural to seek cool shelter indoors. For many people, that means flipping on the air conditioning unit and taking it easy. Keeping the air cool is more than a luxury for some families; elderly parents and young children cannot tolerate excessively high temperatures. However, the need for air conditioning puts many families at financial risk. A pricey combination of rising fuel costs and high electrical demand make summertime electric bills hard to manage.

According to Energy Star, the American family pays nearly $1,000 a year on heating and cooling their homes; that figure is above other electrical costs! You don't have to risk exposing your loved ones to brutal heat to save money. Take advantage of some money-saving tips and beat the summer heat.

-- Help circulate cool air through the home by placing an oscillating fan in family rooms, like a living room or dining room.

-- Keep the temperature at constant temperature and avoid dropping the thermostat too low. Lowering the temperature costs you money and won't cool the home any faster.

-- Raise the thermostat 2 to 3 degrees before you leave for work if no one will be home. The energy experts at APS say that moving the temperature up 5 degrees for eight hours a day can save you $3 to $5 a month.

-- Install a whole house fan system. Whole house fans pull the hot attic air out of the home and keeps the air circulating, giving your home a cooling effect. This move could chill your home by a few degrees.

-- Replace old air conditioning units. If your window unit is a decade old, it needs to be replaced with an energy efficient unit. If your home has central AC, have the thermostat calibrated and the system charged yearly. APS says homeowners should replace their older SEER units (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) to save energy bucks. Replacing a unit with a SEER rating of 10 with one that has an 18 SEER rating you could save up to 50% on your AC costs annually.

-- Change the air conditioning filters regularly; once a month is suitable. Good air flow across the filter will cut down on cooling costs and stop allergens from floating around your home. FPL Energy Services say that air filters cost between $10 and $25 a piece, but replacing them can save you 5 to 15 percent on your monthly bill.

-- Hang insulated curtains in your windows. Sheer curtains look nice, but they don't provide any barrier between you and the outdoor heat. Keep windows covered during hot afternoons.

Also, do a walk through of your home while the air is on. Check for leaks around windows and doors.

Sometimes your energy dollars simply float out the window!

Resource:  By Monica Bullock | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Mon, Jul 2, 2012 10:32 AM EDT

Save Money with These Energy Efficiency Tips

 (ARA) - Saving money is on everyone's mind this winter season. Between the holiday expenses, colder temperatures and tight budgets, finding ways to reduce costs can be a bit of a challenge.

If you're looking for ways to save, look at your home, and see if you can improve on your energy efficiency - thereby keeping a few extra dollars in your pocket.



* Program the temperature. You already know that the lower you set the thermometer in winter, the less your furnace will work. Having the temperature set in the low 60s when out and about makes perfect sense. But when you are home, setting the temps a bit higher will help keep you comfortable. Instead of continuously running back and forth to the thermostat to constantly keep readjusting the temperature, install a programmable thermostat and preset the times you want the temps lower or higher.

* Clean your heating and cooling system. To help your furnace operate better, hire a qualified company to clean the ducts, blower, cooling coils and heat exchanger. To find someone certified contact NADCA - the HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association. NADCA recommends homeowners clean their heating and cooling systems annually, because dust and pollen build up on your ducts, and then recirculate through your home. This buildup of dirt prevents your furnace from efficiently running, making it work harder and run longer to maintain the temperature you set.

"A clean heating and cooling system helps to increase the airflow through your furnace, which in turn helps to make your home more comfortable," says Matt Mongiello, president of NADCA. "And when you combine a clean system with controlled temperatures, you'll notice the savings on your utility bills."

* Wash clothes in cold water. Every household processes about 400 loads of laundry per year, according to the California Energy Commission , making your washer one of the biggest water consuming products in your house. To help save on energy, wash your clothes only in cold water so you don't have to spend money using the water heater. And make sure you only process full loads to help conserve the number of loads you run and water you use.



Additional energy savings can be found by line drying your clothes, or running them through the dryer for half the time, and then air drying them the rest of the time.

Across most of the country, humidity levels tend to be lower during the winter months, which helps to speed up the clothes drying process.

* Unplug appliances. The amount of electricity consumed in your home often can easily be reduced by just unplugging and turning off items. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, 5 percent of residential energy use in the U.S. is used when appliances are in the off position. Consider unplugging smaller appliances such as your microwave, cellphone charger, coffee maker and desktop computer which can continue to consume energy, even when you're not using them. If the appliance has a clock, or electrical display of some sort, electricity is needed to keep those items illuminated. If it's a hassle to unplug these items after each and every use, consider putting them on a power strip, so you can quickly and easily flip the switch on and off when you need to use the appliances.

Tightening down on your energy usage can help you save a couple of dollars here and there, and also keep you more comfortable in your home. So sit back and relax in your home and enjoy the winter season.

Seal the Deal! How Simple Caulking Can Save Money and Energy

Caulking in your kitchen and bathroom is not a task to be overlooked. Caulking can keep water from seeping behind walls and into floors in the bathroom and kitchen. Any point of entry for moisture should be sealed, such as around sinks, between the tub and wall, and the area where the toilet meets the floor.

Any areas requiring outside sealing should be caulked inside as well for energy efficiency.

This includes woodwork around exterior doors, windows and receptacles such as dryer vents. A little effort goes a long way and can save you money!

Project Steps:

1.  Identify the area that you are caulking.

2.  Scrape away damaged and old caulk with a utility knife, mini scraper or 5-in-1 tool.

3.  Select a waterproof, flexible caulk because the joint will probably expand and contract with changing weather conditions. You will also need to take into account whether the caulk will adhere to aluminum or wood.

4.  Once you select the caulk, it is extremely important that you prepare the surface properly.

5,  Read the directions on the tube before beginning work because some caulks require that the surface be primed first. In addition, these directions will tell if you are dealing with toxic substances and should take safety precautions.

6.  Place your caulking tube into your caulking gun and identify the seam size before cutting the tip off your tube of caulk; cut tip at a 45 degree angle. A standard cartridge of caulk will give you approximately 25 feet of 1/4” bead.

7.  Caulk your seam with a steady and consistent movement. It gets easier with practice!

8.  Dip your finger in water then drag it along the bead of caulk on your surface for a sealed and finished look.

9.  When finished, plug the hole in the caulking tube with a large nail.

For more information, refer to page 99-100 in The Tomboy Tools Guide to Home Improvement.