Tip 10: Jump on that Green Bandwagon

For those of us who have not gotten on the green bandwagon and are wanting to cut expenses in light of the economic downturn, now’s the perfect time. Here are some ways to kick start an environmentally friendly lifestyle while saving money.

• Decrease paper towel use. Yes, I know this sounds difficult to the liberal paper towel users out there, including myself. The trick is to keep a clean rag in easy-to-reach places at all times and remove those paper towels from sight. The best part is you don’t have to buy new rags, just make some by cutting old t-shirts into squares.
• Print only when necessary. We’re all guilty of pushing the print button repeatedly without much thought. Take 10 seconds to evaluate if what you’re about to print absolutely needs to be on paper. You’ll save money and trees for every page that’s spared.
• Reuse plastic bags. There are many second uses for plastic bags. My favorite is to reuse them as trash bags, which my parents are infamous for amongst friends and relatives. I don’t remember them ever dolling out money for trash bags!
• Carpool to work. Chances are that you have at least one co-worker who lives in your area. By taking turns driving to work, you’ll lower your carbon footprint and cut your monthly gas expense by half.

For more information on the green ways of life, visit Green Energy Choice Green Guide and Treehugger.