Save $4,000 Next Year (And Every Year)

A 12-Step Plan to Save Money By Going Green

October 23, 2008 at 9:22AM by Diane MacEachern

You can save almost $4,000 every year if you live a greener life.

Here's how:

1. Take lunch to work and stop tossing disposable takeout waste
   Annual cost savings: $1,560

2. Sell your gas-guzzler and invest in a fuel-efficient model
   Annual cost savings: $884

3. Drive smart to improve fuel economy
   Annual cost savings: $600

4. Buy a reusable water bottle and stop buying bottled water
   Annual cost savings: $500

5. Make your own non-toxic cleaners
   Annual cost savings: $300

6. Skip one driving trip each week
   Annual cost savings: $225

7. Install window and door weather stripping
   Annual cost savings: $129

8. Get a programmable thermostat and use it to regulate heating and cooling
   Annual cost savings: $150

9. Buy a smart power strip and really turn off energy-sucking electronics
   Annual cost savings: $94

10. Install low-flow shower heads, and water-saving toilets and faucets
    Annual cost savings: $72

11. Replace an old washing machine with an EnergyStar model
    Annual cost savings: $50 (plus 7,000 gallons of water)

12. Swap out old bulbs for compact fluorescents
    Annual cost savings: $5-10 (per bulb)

    Total cost savings: $3,690 per year

PLUS: Swap, Trade Using Freecycle.org, EBay, Craig’s List to save more $$$$$.

For years, naysayers have claimed that "being eco is too expensive." Not any more.

Want more ideas on how to shift spending to live greener and save money? Check out the One in a Million budget sheet.

Article found on www.thedailygreen.com