Living as a single adult I am constantly trying to watch my budget and make sure I do not spend beyond my means. With today’s economy, I doubt I am the only one. For the frugal, the idea of going green is perhaps out of the question due to a misconception that to make your apartment environmentally friendly is going to make your bank account diminish. On the contrary, going green can cost you as little as a night out at the local watering hole. Here are a few tips on how to sustain the green while keeping it in your wallet.
Use energy efficient light bulbs: Energy efficient light bulbs use up to 75% less than normal light bulbs and have a life of almost 8,000 hours. They can range from $2 – $10 each, but you will purchase them less often and save money on your electric bill. Bulbs can be purchased online from stores such as Meijer.
Turn off your lights: When you aren’t using a room in your apartment, turn the lights off! I used to have a bad habit of getting home from work at night, turning on every single light in my house, and then just plopping down on the couch. Make a conscious effort to only illuminate out of necessity.
Drop an Upper Decker: Well, not a real upper decker. That’s gross. Take a regular sized brick, put it in a gallon zip lock bag, seal it up, and place it in the water basin of your toilet. This will displace the water and cause your toilet to use less per flush.
Sing in the Shower: Technically singing is irrelevant, but instead of filling your bath tub to the brim and settling in for a nice soak, just take a shower. You get just as clean and your saving water and energy while doing so.
Open and Shut Case: When it’s hot outside, open your windows. Don’t run the air conditioning unless you have to, and only do so while you’re there. When it’s cold, make sure there are no breaks in the seals on your windows and doors. Keeping the warm air in will keep you from having to run the heater at full blast.
Not only are these tips low in cost, but they take no time at all to do. I know sometimes it can seem quite the daunting task to go green with your apartment, but you don’t have to install solar panels or convert your car to run on bio-diesel to make your place a little more environmentally friendly. Just follow these easy steps and soon you will be one of the many making choices to help sustain the green.
