There are so many great reasons to go green but one of the best is that it can save you money! A lot of it! And you can teach your kids important lessons about saving the earth, the value of things we buy, taking care of things we borrow, and how to stretch what we have to make it go farther.
Here are six ways you can take going green to the next level and simultaneously increase your savings account:
1. Reduce More
Last year gas prices forced us all to rethink our usage. In July, my family and I were challenged to go one month on one tank of gasoline. This represented a 50% reduction in our normal usage. We thought we were already doing everything we could to save fuel, but we pushed ourselves and we met our goal. We still carefully consider all our car errands to make sure we’re minimizing our gasoline usage. Just because the price per gallon has come back to a reasonable level, it’s no excuse to become wasteful.
To conserve water, I’ve stopped allowing my three-year-old to have a continuous stream of water to play with in the bath tub. I know he understands why because when I forget and let the water run while brushing my teeth, Nate scolds me saying, “You’re wasting water, Mommy!” It is both a humbling and proud mama moment.
2. Recycle More
I switched to recycled paper towels this past year. What an easy thing to do! But to reduce waste even more I’m reaching for rags to wipe up spills whenever possible. These small things really add up over a year’s time.
3. Reuse More
Always bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Stow them in your car so you won’t forget them on your next shopping trip.
Before recycling your newspaper see if you can get one more use out of it. My mother tosses her newspaper over the fence to her neighbor every morning after she’s read it. Could you share your newspaper with a neighbor?
4. Refuse More
Leave plastic hangers at the store when you purchase new clothing.
Leave clear garment bags at the drycleaner. I took two of my husband’s ties to the dry cleaner recently. When I went to pick them up each one was on a wire hanger and each one was bagged in a huge piece of plastic. I gently removed the ties and handed the bags and hangers back to the owner.
Refuse to buy every new toy that your child asks for. Not only will you keep him from becoming spoiled, you’ll save money, keep more plastic out of the landfills, and your child’s appreciation will grow for what he already has.
5. Teach Responsibility
Think twice before paying for something you can get for free. I love books and love to read to my son, but we’d go broke quickly if I bought every book we wanted to read. Make going to the library a treat. Check out books and movies and teach your child to be especially careful with borrowed items so they’ll be in good condition for the next family to enjoy.
6. $tretch your $$$$ More
It is eye-opening the great deals you can find at our neighborhood resale shops – shoes, clothes, costumes, toys. And if you want something specific, say a Thomas train table, go to www.craiglist.com and search for it. It’s free, local and fun!
Now, why did I wait until now to mention fun? The truth is getting creative with our resources can be loads of fun. So when you start getting bummed out about the economy – and how can you not when that's all we hear - remember, it’s the way we react that can make the difference. Show your children ways to have fun that are inexpensive and that are good for the earth. You’ll be less stressed and be a better parent for it.
Martha Miller is Parents & Kids’ online columnist. Look for her “Living Online” articles exclusively on the web.
