Avoiding Money Traps while Going Green

There's always many people suggesting, offering advice, on what you should do. That's important as well as necessary, needless to say. Nevertheless, sometimes it's also important to fully understand what you need to not do, what you ought to avoid.

This article then, is all about how you can avoid money traps while going green. It does not explain how or what to do, alternatively it offers 5 things you will need to steer clear of if you really want to avoid money traps while going green.

Here then, will be the 5 items you'll want to avoid:

1. Whole house fans in the southern states, especially on the Gulf of Mexico's coast. There are particular reasons not to do this. The main one is You will never get the cool-down effect you would in more northern or less humid environment. Instead, it is best to just skip the high cost of installation, and keep your AC running, but slightly warmer.

2. Small solar arrays. The reason for this is because when it comes to solar, it is still a "go big, or go home" situation. Small costs less up front, but saves WAY less in the log run. Instead, you could simply put the money away now, and save up for a larger array which may even pump electricity back to the grid.

3. Radiant heating. What is involved here is tearing down the house just to save a little on heating costs.. And you should be striving to upgrade your HVAC system to a more efficient, preferably energy-star compliant unit, that will decide where airflow needs to go. These systems could be just as expensive, but in the long run you have the programmability you wouldn't normally get with radiant heating.

4. Trusting the Internet. I know this sounds a little misleading (a blog telling you to not trust the internet), but getting a L.E.E.D. certified builder/contractor to walk you through what you need to have done is way better than reading blogs, reviews and comments about how doing X will make you more green and save you money. As an alternative you really want to call local LEED Certified builders/developers, and get quotes and ask questions on how to save money, and become more green. They have more answers than your average DIY blog, and can give you real-world prices and assistance claiming government grants and tax credits.

5. Turn off your AC when you are away. Don't ever do this for long because your AC unit dehumidifies your home. You can tell this by opening a closet that doesn't have an AC vent, and smelling it compared to the rest of your house. On top of this, you may possibly ruin clothes, furniture and your carpet. You may save a fortune on your electric bill, but you may end up spending more on replacing or cleaning everything that was damaged.

Avoid these 5 frequent mistakes and you should greatly boost your results. Continue with the suggested alternatives if you would like, but by all means steer clear of the mistakes...

How To Live a Greener Life In 3 Easy Steps

The Net is huge where there are hundreds of millions of men and women plugged into it. Subjects for anyone are now being discussed. Perhaps you want to know more about how to live a greener life. Numerous others are interested in exactly the same thing. There are products and services online which can help significantly. If you want to know how to live a little or a lot greener then this informative article can help you. For those who have interest, please read on and learn about how to live greener in 3 easy steps.

The very first step you will have to take is turn down the air. This can be crucial because even a degree warmer (which is barely noticeable) can save you hundreds a year, and offset your carbon footprint.. You should avoid turning the AC unit cooler after you have come in from the outdoors. You may feel hot now, but your skin will cool down within minutes.

Complete this step now, and you will notice the difference on your next bill!

The 2nd step will be using compost instead of fertilizer. Things you'll want to avoid here are composting near your home. I have made this mistake, and within a couple of weeks, you will smell the compost seeping into your living space. Instead, try to put between 10 and 20 feet between your compost pile and any window/door or other inlet.

The last step is going to be grow your own vegetables. This is really important because most produce you buy at your local supermarket has been shipped in from outside the country, putting a large carbon profile on your food. What is important to avoid will be growing out of season vegetables. Follow the grow chart on the back of your seeds, and you will know when to plant and when to expect your produce to be ready for harvest.

Just follow the steps as specified and you should have zero problems with living a greener life. Then pat yourself on the back! And enjoy the benefits and rewards of living greener which you earned by your own personal efforts!

Recommended Book: Go Green, Live Rich

After reading David Bach's book Go Green, Live Rich, I couldn't help but recommend it. I'm not a green bandwagonist in the sense that I have to have everything green, just because everyone says I should, or because I know it is the ecological (not necessarily economical) thing to do. I drive a Ford truck, and love it. I run my AC at 70, and not the 74 I should. And I shop for most of my vegetables, instead of growing them. I don't always live what I preach, but this book made me change some of my personal habits.

I have started biking a lot more. I used to do it only for recreation, but now to take the 3 mile trip to the grocery store for a loaf of bread or gallon of milk, I hop on my trusty 21 speed and pedal my butt over there.

My partner and I hang clothes to dry instead of using the drier.

Every little bit helps, and it all saves money.

Read it, live it!

Energy Film - Window Film

Every day I receive emails from local companies and customers asking me what I think about a product. Usually the "cure-alls" are just as reliable as the tonics from the old west. But occasionally I will stumble across a product that I haven't tried, and curiosity gets the best of this cat every time.

I went ahead and bought the 24in x 48in film for only $18. It claimed to help in both summer and winter, but being in Austin, there is only one season all year around.

It works on a similar principle to window tinting. You can tell almost immediately, this film is very effective at stopping heat. You can cut it really easily, and goes up without trouble. But if you have ever done vinyl, or tinting, you will know the troubles that face you.

This film bubbles at the drop of a hat, and wrinkles without warning, but that doesn't mean it doesn't do its job. With a careful hand, and a patient (almost saintly) partner, you can cover every window in your home (supposing you don't live in a McMansion) in an afternoon.

Go check it out for yourself

How To Build a Green Garden In 5 Easy Steps

A project of any significant size is most probably going to need more than a single step to complete. Anything the least bit complicated requires preparation, know-how and perseverance through several steps during a period of time. All that is also true about anything like choosing to build a green garden. Building a green garden just isn't a single step project either. But here's how to reach that goal in five simple steps.

Step 1. Prepare the site. This is important because without a properly prepared site, you will have a much more difficult time killing weeds that grow from underneath. In the event you skip or ignore this step, weeds can get a foot hold on your garden, and you will have a constant uphill battle with them.

Step 2. Compost everything. This step can be skipped, but I wouldn't recommend it. You will save a lot of money using a compost pile as your fertilizer instead of going and getting chemicals from the nearest super market.

Step 3. Know your growing seasons. What you need to know is specifically when you should plant your produce. Furthermore, it's to know when you should start your harvest.

Step 4. Water per guide. To elaborate on that a little bit, 90% of seed packets (vegetables, fruits, flowers, etc) will come with a growing guide that helps you properly care for your produce. While you don't have to be scientific, approximately correct measurements are key. Too much water, and like us, your plants will drown; too little, and they die of thirst.

Step 5. Harvest Time. Within 5-10 weeks most small fruits and vegetables will ripen and ready themselves for picking.

In the end, when you have stuck with the above tips all the way, you should have succeeded and now can settle-back and enjoy the benefits of your green garden.

For those who didn't keep to the 5 step tips above, shame on you! You must have decided that building a green garden just wasn't worth the effort.

3 Reasons you Might Want to go Green

There are those who say that it can have its benefits. Most are too preocupied with other things or too lazy to get started trying it. Sometimes they stick to the old ways because they are afraid of the new. Just not understanding the risk-reward ratio holds others back. Not knowing how stops others. And there are always those who don't act because they don't know what the benefits are.

You get a clearer picture of what action to take when you have enough info. So let's look at and consider 3 positive reasons why you should live green.

You Will Save on Heating and Cooling

You make a valid point when you point out that living green is expensive I agree with you. That is a good point, however the costs are usually partially subsidized by your government.

Eating Green/Organic is Much Healthier

Plus, by eating all natural, organically grown/raised food, you know exactly what is going into your body. And there is less of a chance of getting the cancers that are now common place in the industrialized world

You Will Save the World for Your Children, and Your Children's Children

This will mean that you will become the hero you dreamed about as a child, but in a different way. You will help create a more sustainable world, a healthier world and a world that will last for years to come. Once again, you will be the stuff of legends!

Think about those three reasons, consider them. For many, they constitute very strong arguments in favor of seriously considering trying to live green. Do they really apply to you also?

Seriously now, just think about it for a moment. Don't those reasons apply to you? Perhaps you really should live green.

All of us want to save money. And we all want to save the environment. We all know people who are too afraid of change, or too set in their ways to make this changes. So, perhaps, by way of example, you wish to cut down on your electrical usage . A lot of people want that. The fact is, when you know how, that's not really hard. If you wish to cut down on your electricity , this article will help show you exactly how. To discover ways to use less energy in 4 simple tips, just read on...

To follow my first tip, you'll have to take is unplugging your appliances and electronics when not in use. You should do this because even your cell phone charger not hooked up will use 5w. Sure only 5 watts isn't enough for me to shake a stick at, but built up between that, your TV, DVR, DVD player, BluRay player, cable box, game systems, desktop computers and laptops 5-10watts a piece can certainly add up. In this initial step, avoid underestimating your gadgets. A laptop computer left running all month (who hasn't done this?) will use around $12 of electricity over the course of only a month. A desktop computer will use closer to $20. Not only will turning them off save you electricity, but also increase the lifespan of your electronics.

The second tip I have is turning your dishwasher's power dry feature off. You will want to avoid ever using a powered dry cycle. Sure it will save you having to dry dishes yourself, but at the cost of almost 50 cents per load. If your family is like my family, that is $15 a month .

My third tip would be getting a programmable thermostat (preferably energy start, but all will do the trick). Set your home warmer when you know you will be out, this will save you tons of both money and electricity. Set it to cool down your home about 30 minutes before you arrive, and cut off right when you leave.

The fourth and last tip is to take slightly cooler baths and showers. This is important if you have an electric hot water heater. What is important for one to avoid is taking prolonged showers or baths in hot water. Just like your AC, just a small change in temperature can save you big.

Follow each of these tips carefully, for the reasons pointed out above, and you may then enjoy the hundreds you will save over the coming year!