Live Better, Live Cleverer

Unless you live off the grid in a remote area (and if so, you’re probably not reading this anyway), you no doubt hear a lot about the need to reduce our carbon footprint and to live a greener life. It’s important and almost everyone will acknowledge this, but it can feel like you’re being lectured at times.

But there are several ways you can live a greener life that are easy to implement. Most cities have garbage services that pick up recyclable materials in addition to your trash. It is simple to set up a separate container for cardboard, plastics and other recyclables. On trash day, your garbage service takes it away and does all the hard work of recycling all those materials.

Try to drive less. By combining your errands, you not only save fuel and reduce the traffic on the roads; you are giving yourself less stress from dealing with traffic jams and other drivers. Carpool or use public transit when you can. If you choose to ride a bike or walk for some of your errands, you also get needed exercise. This will help keep your heart healthy and keep you limber and toned.

You can substitute some of your household items for more green friendly items. One such item is compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs are much more energy efficient, which means that they use a lot less energy (and save you money) while being about the same price as any other light bulbs - they also last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Out in the yard, solar lights can save energy and help illuminate dark areas. There are enough different designs on the market now at varying prices to make them affordable to most people. They don’t require an electrician to install them, and with the new solar technologies, they are brighter than solar lights used to be. They even have solar powered holiday lights you can use to decorate your yard without using cords and increasing your electric bill.

Small things like recycling cans, bottles and plastic packaging helps lower your garbage bills and helps reduce your carbon footprint. Use cloth bags when you shop instead of taking their paper or plastic bags. Some stores even knock off a few cents when you use your own bags. All of this will help reduce pollution, which is healthier for you because you’ll be breathing cleaner air.

It’s actually pretty easy to live a greener lifestyle. You can benefit the environment and your pocketbook at the same time. You may soon find yourself looking for more ways to add a little more green to your life.