Tip 6: A Paperless Lifestyle

With Earth Day right around the corner, it's a perfect time to try out a paperless lifestyle. Not only will you stop the senseless slaughtering of defenseless trees but you'll save money too.

Try some of the tips below to reduce paper usage in your daily life. The environment will thank you.

• Paper Bills - Opt to get as many of your household bills like credit cards, electricity, phone, Internet, etc., e-mailed to you. This will also minimize the time and energy you spend sitting in front of the shredder.
• Printing - Whether you're at home or work, stop and think twice before you hit the print button. You'll save yourself and the company you work for some money.
• Paper Cups - Don't add to landfill waste by using paper cups at home or at work. Instead use your own mug or drinking glass that you can wash and reuse.
• Paper Towels - Instead of using paper towels, be more Eco-friendly and use dish towel that can be washed and used again.
• Catalog Shopping - Cancel those catalogs that you get in the mail and do more shopping online. I can hear the trees thanking you already.
• Shopping Bags - Invest in reusable grocery bags instead of coming home with an arm full of paper bags. Just think of all the space you'll have because you won't be folding and storing bags.

For more green tips stop by The Green Guide.

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.

Tick, Tock...Earth Day is A-Coming!

Who wants to have a huge carbon footprint on Earth Day? Certainly not us, and you shouldn’t either. Starting tomorrow, we will begin counting down the days to Earth Day with tips on how you can greenify your life. Each day we'll give you an Earth friendly tip, anything from going paperless to save trees to ways to conserve on energy. And if we have a electricity or other provider that can help you get that tip done, we’ll let you know about that too!

By April 22 (Earth Day for the uninitiated), you'll have 10 things you can do to be more green and do your part to save your planet.

Oh, and if you have tips yourself, submit them to blog@whitefence.com. If they are good enough, we’ll post them too.

Living on Less

Economy got you pinching your pennies? Well you're not alone. I'm the first one to admit that I never paid attention to prices. I use to get my daily 3 pm non-fat cafe mocha pick me up, until one day I sat down and added up my coffee trips for a month. I was spending over $50 a month on coffee. I didn't even dare add up how much I was spending on eating out for lunch. I'm sure that figure would have made me cry. Since then, I have been evaluating my spending habits and coming up with ways to cut costs yet still have fun.

I've listed a few of my ideas below. I hope they help you too!

• Cut Out the Coffee - Try brewing your own and bringing it to work. Otherwise cut down on your trips to the coffee house to at least two times a week. You'll be amaze at how much you save.
• Brown Bag It - Bring your lunch from home as often as you can. Those $5-$10 lunches can sure add up.
• Eat In - Make dinner instead of going out or ordering in. This is also a chance to bring the family closer as each person can help prepare the meal.
• Nix the Movie Theaters - Your couch is way more comfortable than a theater seat and homemade snack and a rented video is much cheaper.
• Family Game Night - Bust out the boardgames or play charades. That's a cheap way to entertain the kiddos.
• Homemade Crafts - Puppet theater is a good way to keeps the children entertain at home. Make inexpensive puppets out of brown paper lunch bags, old shirts and socks and felt.

Every little bit you do goes a long way. Leave me a comment if you have more suggestions on how to save money.

Eco-Friendly Lawn Care Tips

This past year I made the decision to be more eco-conscience. It's been a gradual step and so far, I've been recycling at work and at home, unplugged unused appliances, put in energy efficient light bulbs throughout the house and bought an Energy Star rated refrigerator.

This year, to be even more environmentally friendly, I've decided to take care of my lawn in the greenest way I can. This should be interesting since I don't have a green thumb and thus have had lawn service for the past 2 years.

Anyway, I thought I'd pass along the eco-friendly lawn care tips I come across. See tips below.

• Lawn Mower Blades - Keep lawn mower blades sharp because dull blades will make your lawn mower work twice as hard and use more fuel. Also, dull blades tear your grass, making it look brown and vulnerable to disease.
• FREE Mulch - Leave grass clippings on your lawn, it makes for great mulch and it won't cost you a cent. Not to mention less work, no racking or bagging!
• Tall Grass - Raiser your mower's blades 3-4 inches. Taller grass needs less water, competes better with weeds and prevents soil from washing away.
• Aerating the Lawn - I had no idea you had to do this but you do and apparently there is a green way to do it. Instead of using a machine, get yourself some spiked sandals and take a walk around the yard. I'm going to try it but I know my neighbors will look at me funny.
• Lawn Mower - Use the old fashioned push mower. Not only will you be green but you'll save money on gas and it is less dangerous around children. AND you can mow early in the morning and not wake the neighbors!
• FREE Water - Invest in a rain barrel, or make one yourself, to collect rain water from your gutters. This will give you an inexpensive way to water your plants.
• Lawn Moister Meter - Buy a lawn moister meter to make sure you're not over watering you lawn. You'll not only conserve water, but you'll cut down on your water bill in the summer.
• Leaf Blower - You'll get more exercise and use less gas if you use an old fashion rake. But I understand if racking is too much work, I have a huge lawn. So in that case, invest in an electrical leaf blower.
• Chemicals - Go for fertilizers and pest control products that are non-toxic. They decrease the amount of toxins that run-off into our waterways and tend to be safer to use around your pets and children.

How to Move Your House Plants

Are you getting ready to move to a new home but not sure what to do with your prized petunias? Well don't fret, it's not that difficult to pack up your house plants and move them to your new digs.

Below are a few tips to move your plants to their new home with ease.

• Start the plant moving process about 2-3 weeks prior to your move.
• If you're moving across state lines, check with the local U.S. Department of Agriculture to see if your types of plants are allowed into the new state.
• Make sure all your plants are in non-breakable plastic pots.
• If you're using a moving company, ask if they will move plants. Some moving companies won't.
• Rid your plants of any bugs, mildew and disease.
• Prune large plants to make them easier to transport.
• Avoid extreme temperatures when moving your plants. Lack of air or extreme heat can kill them.
• Wrap large plants with sheets to avoid the branches from breaking.
• Pack your plants in boxes to make them easier to load. Poke holes in the boxes so your plants can breath.
• If your move lasts longer than three days, make sure to let your plants have a little water and sun light.
• Upon arrival, unpack your plants as soon as possible.

Searching for a Home Online?

Looking for a place to live can be a stressful situation, especially right now during the current economic climate that we face.Fortunately for us, the Internet exists and makes our lives that much easier. If you can find how to make peanut butter candy, surely you can find something to streamline your quest for the right pad.

CNET has posted some really helpful articles in terms of finding and purchasing the right home for you. The first of these two articles is a list of real estate search sites that cover properties all over the US, and some that even update you instantly when new properties are available. The second article covers 5 Services to Help you Buy a House. In it, you'll find useful information regarding sites that locate real estate agents, neighborhood and mortgage data, and property history.

Hopefully the combination of those two lists proves to be relevant in your home search. I'm currently on the hunt right now, so I've already started digging into them. Good luck!

Going Green with Coffee

I found this article on a green printer that uses coffee dregs as ink. So does that mean your printouts smell like coffee?

Anyway this little printer is definitely not made for mass production but still a pretty good green idea. Click on over to Cnet.com and check out the article Green Printer Uses Coffee Dregs as Ink.

Bundling 101

If the economy has got you down and you are looking to cut costs around the house, one of the first places you will probably look will be home services like TV, high-speed Internet and phone service. Before you give up your beloved movie channels or downgrade to dial-up, considering bundling your home services to save.

Here are some points to consider before shopping for bundled services:

Know Your Options
Find out what companies service your area. While most households only have one cable company available, don't forget to investigate telcom companies like AT&T and Verizon. These companies either offer their own options or bundle their services with satellite providers.

Become a Bundle Expert
Knowing what to look for can help save you even more. With most providers, signing up for more services equals more savings. In addition to TV, Internet and phone service, bundles also have the option of integrated services like caller ID on your TV screen, which is offered with some phone and cable packages. In addition, triple-play offers often come with more extras, such as free installation and free premium channels. Plus, you are more likely to be guaranteed low rates for a longer period of time with triple-play than when subscribing to services one at a time.

It's All in the Details
Before you make a choice, weigh your options! Don't choose one company over another strictly based on price. If you aren't getting the features or channels that you want, it might not be worth it to save a few dollars a month, especially if you have to pay a fee to cancel your service when you realize you are unhappy with it. Find out which TV providers carry programming you really want. Check your budget and see how much you spend going out to the movies. It may be more cost effective to upgrade your premium movie package and cut back on your theater time! Also, keep in mind that fiber and satellite usually have a termination fees but cable rarely charge them.

These are just a few of the important things you should consider when choosing to bundle your home services. Check out WhiteFence.com Bundled Services section to see what's available in your area to get started.

Resolution Zen

Having trouble keeping those New Year's resolutions? Still trying to come up with some? Check out the great blog Zen Habits.

Zen Habits covers anything and everything to do with simplifying your life and meeting your goals, including topics like: productivity, being organized, eliminating debt, saving, getting a flat stomach, eating healthy, simplifying, living frugal, parenting, happiness, and successfully implementing good habits.

Start out with the The Beginner's Guide to Zen Habits, a handy post with links to some of the better posts to start with. Economy got you down? How about The Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips For Frugal Living? If you are overwhelmed just thinking about making changes, give Simple Living Simplified: 10 Things You Can Do Today to Simplify Your Life a try. Or if you just want to do nothing, well, check out The Art of Doing Nothing!

If you want 2009 to be your best year yet, I highly recommend taking a look at this motivational blog!