Going Green Tips – Five Green Habits for Your Family

Mon, Mar 1, 2010

Going green is a lot more fun when you’ve got the whole family on board. In the beginning, it can be tempting to want to make a lot of changes all at once but if you want the change to last it is better to take things nice and slow. Here are five going green tips to help your family ease into the idea of being more eco-friendly and save you money in the process.

1. Turn the Electricity Off – In addition to turning the lights off whenever you leave a room, you should also get into the habit of unplugging electronics, such as cell phones and laptops, from the socket whenever they’ve finished charging. Electronics and some appliances will continue to draw electricity even when they are not turned on. So do your electric bill a favor and unplug it.

2. Take Military Showers – To cut back on you water consumption try to cut down on the length of time you are in the shower. The average person takes a 15 minute shower. At an average of 8 gallons per minute that equals 120 gallons of water. Even trimming off 5 minutes of shower time means a 30% reduction in water usage.

3. Reduce Meat Consumption – Raising livestock requires a good amount of resources and it is estimated that 80% of agriculture related greenhouse gasses can be attributed to waste produced by the animals. In fact, cutting out one pound of meat saves sixteen pounds of grain, 2000 gallons of water and one gallon of gasoline. But you don’t have to switch to a vegan diet. Even cutting meat out of 1-2 meals a week (about a 10% reduction) can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Clothes Do a Double Take – Get into the habit of wearing clothes twice before throwing them into the washing machine. Unless you are especially active or prone to food related accidents, chances are you do not dirty your clothes up enough to warrant a trip the hamper. Save money on your laundry as well as wear and tear on clothes by getting twice the wear out of them before washing.

5. Go to the Library – This going green tip will help you reduce the clutter in your house, keep more money in your pocket and is kind to environment. Instead going to the bookstore and purchasing books, magazines and movies, check them out from the library. Honestly, how many times do you reread a book or watch the same movie? Most libraries will have all the latest titles so you can stay current and be green at the same time.

Once your family has gotten used to these going green tips then you can move on to more challenging changes such as carpooling and switching to a completely organic lifestyle. One way to show them that going green is good is by starting a home based business with an eco-conscious company committed to saving the environment. To learn how to earn green while going green visit RockYourBusinessOnline.com.