A wise frog once said it's not easy being green. But what if it can be?
Dawn Gifford, owner of Small Footprint Family, has become an expert in saving money while living a more sustainble, waste-free life. "Some of the greenest things you can do are either free or they cost very little money."
Did you know putting a brick in your toilet tank will save you water? Same with installing an aerator on all your taps. "It brings your water usage out of the sink way down, usually to just a couple gallons a minute or less. Even though you're still getting plenty of water it's aerated, so you're using less of it. Every time you wash your dishes, every time you brush your teeth you're using less water."
Gifford says the big game changer for her was a programmable thermostat. "Just the simple act of not heating or cooling my house while I'm gone all day is a tremendous savings. I would definitely recommend doing that as one of your first sort of investment in going green and in saving money."
As we heard in the previous chapter, much of your money goes out the window with air leaks, so a programmable thermostat could save you bundles.
You'll likely save more if you improve the weather stripping on doors and windows.
But there's one thing Gifford says is impossible to cut costs on and still use. The dryer. It's one appliance that doesn't come with an Energy Star rating.
"They're basically creating and blowing hot air for a long cycle to get all the clothes dry. By allowing them to dry outside or by allowing them to dry inside on a rack near a source of heat or source of air, it takes a little longer to dry your clothes absolutely, but you can plan for that and it immediately cuts a huge energy suck off your utility bill." Just add a little vinegar when washing to keep them from drying stiff.
Another great way to save money while going green is your very own backyard garden. Not only do you get rid of plastic packaging waste, you can skip the grocery till and leave money in your wallet. And you can compost food waste to help things grow.
"Not everybody can do this or not everyone is going to have an interest in doing that, but adding fresh produce to my weekly food intake and not having to buy them from the store is not only delicious but it tends to save me a lot of money on fresh, organic produce as well."
Find more tips and tricks on cutting costs while going green on Gifford's website SmallFamilyFootprint.com.
Turns out going green is a lot easier than you think.