Outdoors Information

How to Save Money AND help the planet


Don't all of us love to have the money to do the fun things that bring us joy? Not that all fun things require money, mind you, on the contrary!  But have you ever wanted to read that awesome-looking new book, eat at that new green restaurant in town or throw a party for friends and family...only to be short a little cash?

Here are few tips:

1. Give your hot water tank a blanket. 

There's this neat thing called Reflectix, have you heard of it?  Wow.  It's basically insulation for your hot water tank...in the form of shiny aluminum foil, but slightly thicker.  And just as easy to manipulate.  Just roll out the amount needed, wrap your hot water tank, and secure it with a special shiny tape, almost like gift wrapping your tank. 

Net result?  You'll save a bunch off your heating bills!  And by saving energy to heat your water, you help the planet enormously!  (Reflectix can also be used to insulate heating ducts.) Buy it in rolls of all different sizes at your local hardware store and go nuts!!  Very cool stuff.

2. Grow your hair long OR...shave it all off.

Okay, call me crazy, but what is it with the hair thing?  Cutting it off, letting it grow, trying this style, that style...I don't know about you, but I'm a real no-nonsense kind of gal.  And a while back, I decided to let my hair grow and go as long as I could without a cut. (About six months.)  It was quite liberating!  And by conservative estimates, I saved probably close to $100 dollars in those six months!  ($30 dollar haircut every two months, plus tip.)  Of course, I had a style that didn't grow out, so I looked fine (or at least no one TOLD me I didn't.)

How does this help the planet, you ask?  Well, as with all the money saving tips in this issue, the more money you save, the less you have to work for it.  The less you have to work for it, the less you have to commute, use your car/gasoline, eat out for lunch/dinner...etc. etc.  Get what I mean?

Whether man or woman, let me ask you this.  What if you were to decide to let your hair grow and forego haircuts for a period of time?  Or, go the other route like my husband Mike and shave it all off, that way you can do it yourself, every time!  I don't think Mike's spent a cent on cutting his hair for nearly five years, and of course, he looks fab as always...


Radical? Maybe. But it does save money AND helps the planet.  Think about it and maybe it's for you...even if it's just for a few months.

3. Sit on your toilet paper roll.

Giggle.  Yes, you can help the planet and save money...by squishing your toilet paper roll before you put it on its holder.  How's that?  Well, simple really.  By flattening your roll, (sitting on it, stepping on it, whatever) you make it harder to take too much toilet paper at once.  You know how sometimes you give it too much of a yank, and there you have it, toilet paper all over?  No use trying to roll it back up, right?  Well, that's wasted paper and money.

By flattening it first, the roll moves slower, and you can take just the right amount.  A great money and planet saving tip for ANYONE to try, from die hard environmentalists to newbies, especially if you make a point of buying the toilet paper with recycled paper content in it!

Go on, this is one you can try right now!  Go squish your toilet paper rolls, then come back and finish reading. Yay! 

4.Speak up.

I'll finish off with a REALLY easy one okay?  It promises to save you money AND help the planet...and it's fun too.  A true-blue Joy to the Planet tip.  And that is...speak up! Meaning...when in doubt, have a conversation.  You really want to do something great for the planet?  Well, you heard me right. Start talking.  Pick any of the ten items on this list and talk about...how cool, how easy, how hard, how crazy...each is.

It's simple really.  By having a conversation instead of going to the movies, to the mall, or out for food, you inevitably, inexorably, save money, and probably enjoy yourself more too!  Who doesn't like a hearty chest-pounding yack-fest with a friend?  At the same time, just talking about how to help the planet is a really low-tech, sure fire way to get people thinking more about these things, and that is a great thing. 

Andrea J. Lee is an award-winning author, speaker, entrepreneur and coach.
She is a rabid advocate for the planet who coaches online business owners in
the environmental niche market to be financially successful.  For more tips
on how you can help the planet and enjoy life at the same time, visit
www.joytotheplanet.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

Hit The Deck: Simple Tips To Spruce Up Your Outdoor Living Space
North American Press Syndicate
(NAPSI)-Today's savvy homeowners are extending their living space outdoors with decks and backyards that reflect their personal tastes and interests. ...

and more »


BBC Sport (blog)

Doha indoors to Doha outdoors - Two months to go to IAAF Diamond League
International Association of Athletics Foundation
From the sport's most important indoor championships, to the start of its top level outdoor one-day competition series, Doha is at the centre of the ...
Cantwell historic win part of big day by U.S.Universal Sports
Dwain Chambers progresses at World Indoor ChampionshipsBBC Sport
Pole vault queen Isinbayeva eyes new world recordTimes of India
insidethegames.biz (blog) -Vanguard -American Chronicle
all 384 news articles »


Outdoors Report: March 15
Houston Chronicle
Sheepshead are good at the jetty on live shrimp. Black drum are good on cracked crabs. ...
Outdoors Report: March 14Houston Chronicle

all 2 news articles »


Illinois Outdoors TV Show News
ChicagoNow (blog)
Been involved in the outdoors for 40 years. I have been writing outdoor columns for over 25. I am the producer and host of the Illinois Outoors TV Show and ...

and more »


Hunterdon County Democrat - NJ.com

Great week to be outdoors, forecasters say
Sacramento Bee
The National Weather Service is predicting a week of sunny skies and warming temperatures for the Sacramento region. ...
SW Kansas gets lesson in severe weather safetyKSN-TV

all 371 news articles »


How to grow tomatoes outdoors
Telegraph.co.uk
By RHS Advisory Team Wait until mid-March to sow tomato seeds indoors. If sown too early, plants become leggy and spindly very quickly. ...

and more »


Outdoors blog: What's that sound?
Duluth News Tribune
I stepped outside early today to feed the dog and heard something I haven't heard in several months -- a robin singing. He was all cranked up, ...

and more »


High hopes for coastal lingcod fishery | Outdoors notebook
Seattle Times
Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters in Federal Way will present "The Fundamentals of Fly Casting" classes, 10 am-3:30 pm on March 20. Cost is $50. ...

and more »


Outdoors enthusiasts gather for fish & wildlife conference
Marketwire (press release)
The gala evening attracts politicians, conservationists, industry associates and outdoor enthusiasts. Awards are presented to individuals, ...

and more »


Nature vs. Nintendo: Lawrence parents raise kids outdoors in a plugged-in world
Lawrence Journal World
Erin Curtis-Dierks' children play outdoors in Lawrence. Their mother says they limit technology fairly well, with limited TV time and a game on the Wii once ...


Google News

home | site map
© 2006