simple and sustainable

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Energy Auditor

I keep forgetting to post this. I passed my test and now I can officially be an Energy Auditor. I am not quite sure what I intend to do with this new 'title' but we will see what the future holds. I have a new wealth of information to share with everyone!

SAHMs and Being Green

I was recently researching information about being a stay-at-home mom and the economic impact that it has on a family. I have heard many different statistics regarding the worth of a 'SAHM - stay-at-home mom.' As recent as 2007, msn.com reports:
"What's a mom worth?
According to one report, $138,095 a year.
That's the figure in a study put out by Salary.com , which calculates the wages that would have been paid a stay-at-home mom in 2007 if she were compensated for all the elements of her "job." That total was up 3% from 2006's salary of $134,121."
I am not surprised by this figure, although, my husband is. I made a list of all of my duties, AKA my job description and I think that by-and-large, the salary figure could be even higher. You are asking yourself, "why is she writing a post about this on her green blog?" I will tell you. It appears to me that being a SAHM and being green will save you even more 'green' thereby making the stay-at-home mom even more valuable! In future posts I intend to prove my point!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Watch TV - It is GREEN!

I may have mentioned that I watch 'Planet Green' 24/7! I think I may be addicted actually, which I don't think is a bad thing. There are many informative shows which provide a wealth of information. One of my favorite shows is 'Living With Ed.' Ed Begley cracks me up! He has been 'green' since before 'green' had a term associated with it. I also really enjoy 'World's Greenest Homes.' This show is fantastic! It features homes from all over the world that are the ultimate in green and living sustainably. If people would just watch this show alone they could see that it is truly possible to live life off the grid!

I Feel Like a Little Kid Again!

Seriously, getting a new bike makes you feel like a kid! Remember when you were young and your parents took you shopping for a bicycle? The sparkling rims on the wheels? All the different colors and sizes? Well, multiply that by like 1000! The bikes of today are so varied in style and size and color that it makes your head spin. After my husband researched for hours on end on the internet we set out to bike shop. We don't have to go far because he was looking for Trek bikes and we have a local bike shop that carries them. I learned that there are now several kinds of bikes, like tennis shoes, depending on what you are using it for. I have been amazed at how my kids have to have 'tennis' shoes not only for tennis, but also for basketball, walking, running, etc. etc. The same goes for bikes.... I ended up with a bike for 'pavement and paths' since I will be riding on the road or the bike trail. Trek makes a bike for whatever type of bicycling you set out to do. Happy trails!

Square Foot Gardening

This book is fantastic! I am learning all about gardening. This is my first attempt at vegetable/fruit gardening (part of my goal of sustainable living). Mel is teaching me how to garden in small spaces. I recommend this easy to read book for beginners. I have been busy with my gardening for a couple of weeks now but have not posted about it yet....stay tuned as I will show step by step pictures of building a raised bed garden and we will follow the progress over the summer!

Green Energy Conservation Tips

1.28 gallon water-efficient toilets use 20% less than a 1.6 GPF counterpart and 60% less than a standard 3.5 GPF toilet.
Watch 'Living With Ed' for lots of eco tips!
Tankless water heaters outperform their counter parts by 20% or more!
Water-efficient showerheads use 1/2 to 1/3 as much water as a standard one.
Using tactics towards energy efficiency is like giving yourself a big fat raise!
Conservation IS a renewable source of energy! It is the first step towards energy independence.
Conventional incandescent light bulbs convert only 5% of the electrical energy that runs through them into light!
You can save a lot of money by switching to CFL bulbs (compact flourescent lights). CFLs use 75-80% less energy!
Turn off lights when you leave the room. (seems like common sense but how many times do we forget?)

Live Green - Eat Healthy

Buy Locally Grown Organic Food: This can be difficult in Minnesota since the growing season is so short. This summer I plan to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm.
The benefits of Chai Tea: "The frequent Biblical references to milk and honey demonstrate the importance of these two oldest aliments. Neither, how-ever, is a complet food nor a proper nutriment alone for a long period of time. They are effective only to supplement deficiencies of other food substances." www.honey-health.com (sorry they made the spelling errors)

Think Green - Think Clean

06.08.09 American spend 90% of their time on average indoors. The EPA estimates that indoor air pollutant levels may be 2 to 5 times higher than levels outside!
04.01.09 How many rolls of paper towels do you use in a month? Switch to cloth and save mucho dinero.
02.03.09 A damp wash cloth creates bacteria and harbors germs. There are two ways (besides throwing it in the laundry) to get rid of those pesky germs. One way is to put it in the dishwasher when you run your load of dishes, and the other way is to pop your damp germ festering nasty dish rag in the microwave for a minute or more. I usually put mine in for about 2 minutes every morning but BEWARE, it is SUPER hot so I wear my rubber gloves when taking it out of the microwave. The super high heats kills those little buggers!
06.01.08 Carpet is home to lots of dust mites. They won't kill you but they do cause havoc with allergies. Carpet is also made with chemicals like flame retardants, glues, and dyes. The new carpet (and new car) smell is coming from chemicals. Shampoo your carpet often or better yet, trade it for wood or natually renewable floors.
05.27.08 How much toilet paper do you really need? Try using less - a softball size wad does not clean any better it just causes pluggage.

Save Green - Build Wealth

01.31.09 January is the time to clean out '08 files. Be financially organized for the new year.
06.01.08 One of my favorite financial authors, David Bach, has a very important tip: Pay yourself first! This pertains to saving not spending. You should pay yourself 10% off the top. Put that aside and the rest of your income is budgeted for expenses. It is a GREAT rule to follow!
05.29.08 Tom Stanley, author of 'The Millionaire Next Door' found these interesting facts: The average millionaire lives in a house that costs $320,000, income is $131,000/year, most millionaires drive older American-made cars and for the most part, millionaires describe themselves as "tight-wads" who believe that charity begins at home.