Practically Speaking: Keeping Your Green, Well, "Green"

Happy Earth Day, or is it?  Not if you've seen Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth.  I was aghast while watching the movie, depressed for a bit following the viewing, and ready to make my mark, ok, well, less of a mark on this blue planet we all call home.

I like to save money and I'm pretty partial to Earth as well, so, in honor of Earth Day 2007, here are a few ideas that will not only help you "go green" but will save you some green, too.  Now I'm not going hardcore here.  I'm not saying you need to run out and buy a new wardrobe in hemp - hey, that's too expensive.  Here are just a few ideas I hope you will consider:

Gift Giving

Spend $10 for a 6-month membership and get 10 free trees!  National Arbor Day Foundation at www.arborday.org offers gift memberships as well.  What a fabulous housewarming gift!  They only ship during times when trees go dormant though so check online via zip code first.

Buy a copy of An Inconvenient Truth.  The movie is packaged "green" and it's a gift that educates as well as entertains.  Spread the word!  Go ahead, make a difference- that's invaluable.

 Trash 
Loads of people are now subject to garbage removal fees.  Thanks to all that trash we have no room for.  If you are one of those lucky people you could save yourself some additional fees by offering items on www.freecycle.org.  Or, hey, maybe someone would give you a couple of bucks for that old skateboard you never use anymore if you posted it for free on www.craigslist.org?

At Home

Install a programmable thermostat.  If you are a little distracted at times, like me, this will be your new best friend.  You don't have to remember to turn the heat down before you leave.  You don't have to worry that you left the AC on while you fell asleep reading before bed.  No more dollars flying out the window!  Many energy companies will either install them free or at a significantly reduced price.  Call your energy company for more information or go to www.energystar.gov to find resources.

Keep you water bill in check by fixing those leaky faucets!  According to www.treehugger.com, a leaky faucet can waste 20 gallons of water a day, a leaky "throne" can waste 90,000 gallons of water in a month!  WOW!

Spend $5 on a reusable water bottle and fill it with your tap water instead of buying bottled water.  It's producing less waste, costs less and it may be better for you. Now that you're already on-line, do a search and find out what's possibly in that bottled water anyway.  Is xylene from the H, the 2, or the O?

Check to make sure tires in your vehicle are properly inflated.  Proper tire pressure increases fuel efficiency.  www.climatecrisis.net notes "since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!"

Need a new lawnmower?  Consider a push mower.  They are much cheaper, you won't need to pay for fuel for it, and it gives you a free workout!   Now that's beneficial!

Making a few small adjustments in your budget can have a large impact on your finances.  The same is true for the environment.  If we all start changing a few of our actions. we can make a difference - quite a difference , indeed!   

Heather Montanaro: Money Correspondent:

Heather's column, Practically Speaking, published 3 times a month to Gather Essentials: Money presents practical advice for everyday living and provides insight on how to pair lifestyle choices with financial realities.

Heather Montanaro holds an Executive MBA from Northeastern University and has held senior positions with local technology and service companies.  Now she enjoys staying at home with her 2 young children.  She's made the adjustment from 2 to 1 incomes and enjoys helping others reach their personal goals as a Budget Coach.

You can find all of Heather's Practically Speaking columns at tag: budget coach

Keep up with Heather's other postings and Gather activity by joining her Gather network - just click here budgetcoach.gather.com and select the orange "Connect " button on the left-hand side of the page.

You'll find Heather and other Money Correspondents, plus celebrity content and plenty of other Money experts at Money.gather.com.