Beating Broke

Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective

Reasons why homes owners should consider “going green”

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Everybody knows it’s great to go green, but have you ever considered why? Here’s some advice for homeowners on how greening their homes can lead to a higher quality of life.

1. Homeowners with greener homes pay less for water and electricity each month. If you’re one of the green-savvy homeowners who have installed solar panels or a solar water heater, you are at a great advantage. Although these systems are usually used to complement traditional means of providing electricity and heating water, some lucky homeowners have discovered that they can produce enough green energy to go entirely off the grid. Not to mention that maximizing natural light can lead to lower consumption of electricity, as well.

2. Green homes last longer and sell higher. For those homeowners who are fortunate enough to be able to build their dream green home or participate in the construction of a home already in progress, green additions can be well worth the investment. Not only do these homes produce less waste during the construction process, but their green features — such as reclaimed bamboo floors and solar panels — last longer, giving them a higher resale price if you ever decide you want to move. And who knows how much more in-demand green homes will become as fuel prices continue to rise?

3. Green homes are healthier for you. When going green, it is important to think of the little things, as well. Using non-vinyl window blinds can help reduce the amount of lead particles in the air around your home, as well as using chemical-free paints. These chemicals, when ingested over a long period of time, can lead to health complications that you may not even be aware of. So greening your home is also a way to live a longer, healthier life.

Don't forget to recycle!4. Green homes require less maintenance. Whilst you’re spending time around the house this year treating your deck and polishing your floors, consider this: design materials made from recycled product often require little to no effort to maintain and last longer. This means that you can actually save both time and money by incorporating things like environmentally friendly flooring in your home’s decor.

5. They help maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with the environment. This may seem like a no-brainer, but green homes do a lot more for the environment than just reduce waste. Home builders who know how to work with the environment in the process of designing their homes can actually use things like the angle of the sunlight to eliminate the need for artificial lighting. They can also take advantage of wooded areas on the land for climate control inside the home instead of destroying the trees.

photo credit: Pylon757

Turning Plastic into Oil

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Typically, we hear about how much oil we use and turn into plastics.  When you think about it, it does make some sense that you could then turn plastics back into oil.  And you can! Watch this:

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind after watching that is, “Why can’t they do that on a much larger scale, and eliminate a huge portion of our plastic waste?” And, here’s your answer. They can. In fact, here’s an article from 2009 about just such a plant. It’s called the Envion Oil Generator, and the company was getting ready to roll the plants out nationwide at the time. I haven’t heard anything about them since then.

Mr. Fusion
It’s an intriguing idea, really. Take the plastics that we create, and then waste, and turn them back into usable oil. It would probably put a fractional dent in our oil use, but any little bit is better than none, and would help make the oil supply last longer. Of course, there’s the downside that emissions would continue that much longer too, but, frankly, I don’t see the dwindling oil supply as anything more than a epic disaster, so the longer we can offset that, the better. According to that article, the plant can create oil from plastics for about $10 a gallon(oops. Where’s my proofreaders?) Barrel. You’d think the profit margin there would be well worth building a plant or two.

What do you think? Is it a smart thing to do? Useless?

photo credit: the extinction blues

When Being Green Is Frugal

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Go GreenThe green industry is great for the planet, but it’s still an industry, and some argue an elitist one.  Switching to hybrids and shopping solely from Whole Foods are neither frugal nor often green options (if you’ve read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, you’ll know that Big Organic is a lie).

Concentrating wholly on frugality, however, can also be damaging both for our bodies and the planet.  Yes, the dollar menu is cheap, but it’s a first-class ticket to heart disease and perpetuates the evils of urban farming.  For those of us looking for a happy medium, read on.

  1. Support local farmers at your farmer’s market.
    Meat can be more expensive here, but most family farmers have healthier, happier animals than those in CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation), which means healthier final products.  Try also to buy whole chickens instead of just legs so you’ll get more for your money.  Vegetables are often cheaper at these markets than at local grocery stores.  You’ll save money and help boost your community’s economy.
  2. Cook your own meals. It’s hard to do with our busy schedules, but the payoff is worth it, since you’ll be saving money on produce you buy from the farmer’s market and getting less packaging, which means less trash.  Since basic supplies like flour, sugar, salt, and such are cheap and go a long way, you’ll find that you save money even by making your own pancakes in the morning rather than buying packaged ones from the store.  If you don’t have time in the morning, make the batter and keep it in the fridge overnight.  Even the kids can toss a batch on the frying pan by themselves, saving you cents and time.
  3. Cultivate your own garden.  Basic herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme are low-maintenance and can be grown even on your apartment patio.  If you’ve got land, though, try your hand at tomatoes, garlic, onions, green onions, carrots, and the like.  It’s better to spend your time with the earth than with cable TV, anyway (as long as you wear that sunscreen).  This brings us to our next point:
  4. Get rid of your cable.  Most TV shows are online these days, anyway, and one HD cable can hook your laptop up to your TV.  Seeing as a monthly cable bill can cost anywhere from $30 to $70, you’ll make up for the cable in two to four months, tops.
  5. Stop going to see movies and renting them at Blockbuster.  There are plenty of movies on Netflix you can get for just over the price of one movie ticket a month.  You’ll save on gas money, too.
  6. Learn to sew and DIY.  Ripped your pants?  No need to go out and buy a new pair.  If you deem it irreparable, at least go to a thrift store first so as to limit waste.
  7. Go easy on the spray cleaners.  Most of the things in spray cleaners are horrible for the water system and the environment in general, not to mention your own lungs.  Varying mixtures of vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and essential oils do the trick in most cases and will cost you less.
  8. Use towels, not paper towels.  Americans have become obsessed with disposables.  Everything is disposable now.  Are we too good to use the same thing twice?  Throw a dish rag into the washer and use it again, and when it gets old, use it as a cleaning rag.  We’ve spoiled ourselves enough—isn’t that why we’re in a recession, anyway?

 

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1077158