I thought I would take a minute to review some of the green ideas we've implemented in the last year or so. (Now, don't go and get the idea that I'm some sort of tree-hugger but I do believe in saving money by reducing use.)
1. Rain Barrel: We have a rain barrel hooked up to reuse the rainwater from our roof. This was
particularly important last summer when we dealt with the drought. This summer we've had a good deal of rain so, while it's not as crucial, it's still a good choice.
2. Reduction of grass: We increased the size of some of our planting beds to cut back on the water needs of grass areas. This also helped us with having less area to mow and fewer weeds to worry about.
3. Compost pile: I've been adding to my compost pile for close to a year now. It's not been as successful as I envisioned. I think it's too small and I don't have enough scraps to make it any bigger. With mulching our grass, we have very few grass clippings. I need to change the size/design of the pile and work on adding "browns" this fall.
If it ever stops raining, I plan to start a lasagna garden for next year. I'll be recycling some newspapers and lint, along with some leaves,
pine straw, and the soil from my container garden to establish the planting area. I do have concerns about the
squirrels and chipmunks in my yard feasting on the 'in-ground' garden but we'll deal with that situation then.
4. Gardening: I've had a container garden for two years now. The tomatoes and jalapeno peppers have been successful both years. Cucumbers have not gone so well. My plan next year is to start some seeds much earlier and have larger plants earlier in the growing season. I think my cucumbers need more area so they will move to an 'in-ground' planting area.
5. Cloth napkins: This has been a big one for us. We used to go through a package of paper napkins every week. That was costing us anywhere from $1-3 a week just for paper napkins. I spent $6 on fabric at
Walmart and made two
place mats and 10 napkins. When I added that to what I already have, we've had plenty of cloth napkins for every meal. We still use paper napkins for snacks and other one-off situations but cloth for dinner. (We still use paper towels but rarely. Usually, paper towels are reserved for very messy issues - otherwise, a dish towel will do the job quite nicely.)
6. Food: I've stepped up our effort not to waste food. If something can be re-invented as a leftover, it is planned into our menu. If we can use it as a lunch, we do. Items that can be frozen are thrown in the freezer to extend their life. Lunches out have been
severely curtailed. Besides the $7 a day to eat out (considering meal, drink, tax and tip), we're also saving the gas money to get there. We have been utilizing special menus, coupons, and gift certificates for our evening meals out. Even so, these are usually limited to once a week or less.
