How to Run a Green Household on a Budget

*This is a guest post. 

More and more people nowadays are getting into the green movement. They are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and save the environment. But even in these times, some people think going green entails spending a lot of money. But that’s far from the case. If you are one of those homeowners who want to run an environmentally friendly home without spending more than you can afford, the following are some budget-friendly tips you can follow:

• Switch to a programmable thermostat. You don’t need to heat your home during the hours that you and your family are not there. Upgrade to a thermostat that you can easily program so you can choose when to heat your house and when not to.
• Unplug all electrical appliances when they’re not in use. These appliances and devices still use up energy even when they’re not powered up, so make sure you remind all your family members to unplug them when they’re not using them.
• Learn how to compost. Not all your household waste needs to be collected by the local garbage collection company. You can use your biodegradable waste and to create a compost, which is useful for conditioning and fertilizing your garden or backyard. Some examples are leftover food and even your fireplace ashes.
• Go paperless. If you subscribe to a local newspaper, cancel your subscription and go online instead to update yourself with the news. Do the same for your magazine subscriptions. You can use your old newspapers and magazines for your compost or donate them to organizations that collect used goods.
• Buy and display house plants. Plants are useful for enhancing the air quality in your house as they absorb dust and pollutants emitted by electrical devices, furniture, and the like.
• Repair any leaky faucets you have around the house and install low-flow faucets for your bathroom and kitchen sinks. You don’t need to have water flow that has the strength of a fire hydrant just to wash your dishes or clean your face.
• Store your own water. Make use of the resources that nature gives us and store rainwater in containers that you can buy from Rain Water Tanks. You can use your stored water for chores such as watering your garden and even as a backup supply.
• If you and your family have hoarded a lot of unnecessary stuff or things that you no longer need, this is your opportunity to get rid of them by organizing a yard sale. Not only have you earned a bit of money out of the endeavor but you’ve also made your home more spacious.
• Make the switch to non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaners instead of traditional cleaners that have a variety of harmful chemicals that wreak havoc not only on your family’s well-being but also on the environment.

With the costs of food and utilities increasing, as someone who runs a household, you have to find creative but effective ways on how to make your home more environmentally friendly without going beyond your budget. You just need to educate yourself and practice the value of resourcefulness.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

More Posts