saving money

The Color of Hope

jchatraw — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:00:00 -0500

Watching the news has never been likened to taking Prozac. In fact, listening to a talking head recite a laundry list of the world's problems drives me toward not only getting a prescription to Prozac, but getting one that prescribes it in bulk. Can we hear any more dire outlook of the world in 30 minutes than the news?

I'm ready for some good news, some green news, some news that brings me hope that our society will somehow figure out a way from this mess and navigate it successfully for a sustainable and healthy future. So, I turned to Van Jones' book The Green Collar Economy: How one solution can fix our two biggest problems.

Jones sees the world like I see it--a long list of problems that can be solved with ingenuity, determination and the right shade of sustainable green. Here's a snippet from his new book:

"Turning the world’s governments green will not be an easy task. And it will be especially challenging in the United States, given the entrenched political power of old polluters and the overwhelming “business as usual” inertia inside the D.C. Beltway. To create a pathway to a livable future, a mobilized U.S. citizenry will have to march into the halls of power and rewrite the rules—at every level of government.

"We cannot be naïve about the obstacles. A people’s movement strong enough to achieve that aim would have to quickly become as big, sophisticated, and morally appealing as the greatest democratic movements of the last century. And yet building just such a movement is the central challenge—and the highest calling—of our time.

"Success in this world-historic endeavor will require genius, courage, a Herculean effort—and a great deal of luck, too. But we must begin. Fortunately, we have good examples and role models to guide us along the way."

Go Green ... and Get Rich Trying

jchatraw — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0400

One morning as I opened a kitchen cabinet door, four water bottles came tumbling out onto the floor. If I was on the TV show Heroes, my talent would be collecting water bottles, ensuring that no one on our superhero team would ever be parched. It's like water bottles seek me out--and I have my entire collection without ever filling out a credit card application to get one.

However, I started reflecting upon my eco-friendly lifestyle and wondering if a) the plastic was actually good and b) buying products made in China that needed to be transported here using gallons of petroleum was actually necessary. That's when I discovered SIGG water bottles. Our Riverwired editor Susan Seliger actually featured SIGG and plastic products that are BPA free in a recent post.

So, when I stumbled upon David Bach and Hillary Rosner's book, Go Green, Live Rich: 50 simple ways to save the earth and get rich trying, I was elated to find out I was one step ahead of the curve: Bach recommends buying SIGG water bottles. This book has some great tips, seamless weaving together eco-living with saving money.

Here's a snippet from one of their tips:

Find your Litter Factor. Maybe you have heard of "The Latte Factor." It is a phrase I created as a metaphor for all the little things we spend money on over the course of a day without giving it much thought. The phrase applies to buying not only fancy coffee but also fast food, cigarettes, bottled water—you name it. I have long encouraged my readers to identify their "Latte Factor" and eliminate it to start saving money. But small changes such as not buying coffee in a disposable cup or water in a plastic bottle not only are good for your wallet, they actually better the planet. In the same way that "little things" add up to drain your wealth, "small things" add up to make a big difference for the Earth.

Go Green Action Steps

Get a reusable water bottle and fill it with water from your tap. The newest generation of reusable water bottles, like those from SIGG are made of lightweight aluminum.

If you have concerns about your tap water, it can easily and cheaply be filtered and purified. Visit www.waterfiltercomparisons.com to compare the leading brands and find one that's right for you.

More Tips for Building A Green Home for Less Money

jchait — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 02:45:35 -0500

The other day we started looking at ways to build green for less money. Today - some more tips on this important topic.

1. Visit Green Home Building to read their excellent guide regarding Financing Alternative Homes. This resource offers tips on financing, appraising, and more to help your green building project come out strong and less expensive.

2. Weigh what you can afford to do now. If a sustainable design tactic is out of reach, can it easily be upgraded later? Although, consider if it will end up costing more to do it later. If there's going to be major reconstruction involved, it may be wise to just budget the project in at the start.

3. Focus on sustainable building techniques that offer the best return for your money. Some sustainable design ideas will start to pay you back sooner than others.

4. Build with your own hands. For some people this won't be a viable option. If it is, it can save you some money though. While building our passive solar home, my partner and I did most of the work, along with a handful of helpers. If you're going to be involved in the building process, you do need to know what you're doing, or you'll only drive costs up with mistakes. Also, know your limits. We laid the roof, did all the framing, and basic installations, but when it came to most of the plumbing, and all the electrical, we contracted out. We would have made a mess of things - and we knew it.

5. Locate recycled goods for building. This is often less expensive than buying new. In New Mexico, we visited the Habitat for Humanity ReStores to get some supplies. We also knew other builders with left over supplies, and put out some inexpensive ads, noting supplies we were looking for and willing to trade for, or pay less for. Using recycled, refurbished, and reclaimed materials can really help cut costs.

6. Lastly, keep in mind, that when it comes to green building, what you can accomplish is something. Small choices can make a big difference. Even if all you do is build smaller, collect rainwater, or install a solar system; these are tactics that can create change. Building green doesn't have to be about "all sustainable" - it's about accomplishing what you reasonably can, and when you have the means, accomplishing more.