This is a guest post by Gary H., who has a paralegal certification and enjoys taking online classes about science and politics.

While the name Ronald McDonald will forever be associated with the fast-food chain’s mascot, Ronald McDonald House, a charity that provides housing for families whose children are in hospitals at 298 locations in 30 countries, continues to do good and in rather impressive, unexpected ways. Consider, for example, the solar electric system installed at the Ronald McDonald House in Reno, Nevada.

The solar panel system allows for Ronald McDonald House to redirect its financial expenditures considerably. Rather than spend its money on electricity, it can now spend more on its surrounding community and on families. The solar power system produces 52,692 kilowatt hours of energy per year; this is energy production equivalent to 101,610 pounds of carbon dioxide being released, which itself is equivalent to 112,596 miles driven in a car. In short, the savings are substantial.

Advanced Green Builders, also based out of Reno, created the solar panel layout and installed the panels. The installation consists of 144 Suntech STP210 photovoltaic modules. The panels have a peak output of 210 watts each and are made out of polycrystalline and tempered glass, offering a high conversion rate and a design intended to make the most out of even low-light situations, making the panels potentially suitable for areas that receive small quantities of sunlight in the autumn and winter months. Each panel is rated to perform for 25 years and consists of a single crystal made from polycrystalline silicon substrate, helping to ensure its long life and improve its conversion rate over other solar panels.

Solar Universe, a solar energy installer group based out of Reno, helped to provide Ronald McDonald House with the panels and the services necessary in order to make them provide power. This helps the Ronald McDonald House organization spend its money instead on programs such as mobile outreach healthcare for children and renewable scholarships, which it offers 50 of, valued at $1000 each, to high school seniors. The organization is entirely donation-funded and thus requires support from its community in order to achieve its goals, and getting largely off of the power grid is certainly one way to help make this happen.

Similar systems were installed earlier this year at Ronald McDonald Houses in California, and the costs of installation weren’t cheap. Solar panels for the House in San Diego would have, according to its administrators, cost $500,00 after rebates, making such installations prohibitive for a non-profit.

This is a guest post by Jack Reed.

Do you often have expensive dinners with your friends? Do you have a fetish for costly and branded outfits? Do you never keep track of the money you spend? If the answers to all the above questions are yes then you have reasons to worry because you might not be living a financially sustainable lifestyle, and you might not be able to maintain your luxurious lifestyle after your professional career.

This carefree lifestyle will eventually increase the number of financially struggling retired people in the U.S., so it’s highly important for you to live a balanced life and manage your money in a prudent way so that you never need to look for debt relief services. Here are a few things you should consider if you are contemplating a decent and sustainable lifestyle:

Analyze your expectations and make plans accordingly

Most people aim for a lifestyle that is beyond their means. If you want to buy a house that resembles an exotic palace with a modest salary, then you are either too eager for a heartbreak or you are planning to drown in debt. That, however, does not mean you need to live a life without aspirations. In fact reasonable aspirations can lead you to your realm of dreams. If you are aiming for something a bit more than you can afford, then make sacrifices and manage your finances accordingly.

Stop buying junk

Almost all of us buy things which we don’t need. Maybe we are too vulnerable to the seductive advertisements which tempt us 24 hours a day. A perfect example of irrational buying habits is at the local garage sale. You’ll be surprised to find stuff here which the owners thought important at one point of time but now consider trash. Consequently, they sell items for damn cheap in these sales. The lesson is that you should think, think, and think again before buying something.

Happiness comes from within, don’t seek it without

Why do we keep on buying unnecessary stuff? Is it because they enrich our life in some way or the other? Not really. Actually, buying new things satisfies our materialistic ego. It artificially gives a boost to our self esteem. Buying new stuff keeps us temporarily happy but we soon get bored with it and realize that we have just wasted our money. However, most of us do not learn from our experience and indulge in this kind of poor spending again.

Your consumerist mindset will urge you to think that buying new products will make you happy. In fact, the advertisements bank on the consumer’s sense of dissatisfaction towards life and offer a solution. Don’t fall for it because no product, however charming it might be, can create happiness. You need to understand that if you are aiming for a sustainable lifestyle then you do need to say goodbye to this kind of habit. So stop purchasing products to be happy for a fleeting moment. Save that money for your future.

A few instances of sustainable lifestyle

• Life without a car may seem to be an absurd idea, but understand that using public transport, however unattractive it might appear, can save you a lot of money and pay off in the long run.

• While you don’t need to starve, avoid eating out frequently. Homemade meals can save your neck in a big way. If you’re single, consider living with your parents or sharing apartments with your friends. This will cut down the money you need to spend on your housing.

• The cost of higher education is soaring, so work part time to fund your studies and avoid student loans which can affect your finances significantly.

• Drugs and alcohols can ruin you in terms of health as well as money. It’s just too easy to develop a total dependence on narcotics and liquor.

• It is understandable that you want to be fashionable. However, if you develop a habit of buying branded and expensive clothes regularly, then you are asking for monetary trouble.

There are certain paths which you need to take and there are some tricky roads which you must avoid. At the end of the day, life is what you want to make it through your choices. So be cautious, be wise, be smart, and try to embrace a lifestyle which you can maintain throughout your life. Remember that we all want to live king-size, but most of us just manage to sink ourselves in a sea of debt before turning our dream into reality.

This is a guest post by Jack Reed. He is a financial writer with Oak View Law Group and writes on a variety of financial topics with a special focus on debt consolidation and bankruptcy issues.

This is a guest post from Bailey Harris.

Growing and maintaining your own organic vegetables can be very rewarding. You and your family can consume healthy, home-grown veggies that are free of pesticides and other nasty chemicals. You will also have the benefit of knowing that your vegetables are indeed organic–just because they are labeled “organic” at the store doesn’t mean they always are. Growing your own vegetables can save you money, and you’ll be helping out the environment at the same time.  With a little bit of work and some helpful hints, you can be on your way to a successful, organic vegetable garden!

1. Make a Plan

Before you do any planting, formulate a well thought-out plan. Where are you going to plant your vegetables? Many vegetables require at least 6 hours of direct sun each day, and others thrive best in a shadier spot. Once you’ve decided on the best place for your garden, you should test the soil to determine the pH, and the amount of nutrients that are present. You can do this by purchasing a soil test kit at your local garden supply store.

You should consider starting a compost pile if you don’t already have one. You can add nutrients to soil and improve soil condition by using compost. Other organic materials that you can use to improve your soil are bone meal or fish emulsion which can also be purchased at a nursery or garden supply store. Compost (or other organic material) should be added to the soil approximately two weeks before you begin planting. Another important part of the planning process is choosing which vegetables you are going to plant. Try to buy organic seeds, and if possible, ones that are more resistant to disease. For your first vegetable garden, you may want to choose vegetables that are easier to grow such as cherry tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and peas.

2. Proper Spacing

Now that you are ready to begin planting, make sure that you allow the right amount of space between your plants. You can find this information on seed packets and plant tags (if you are using starter plants). Air should be able to flow properly between plants to help prevent disease. Be sure to label your rows so that you can remember what will be growing where!

3. Mulching

Placing mulch around your vegetables is very important for a number of reasons. Mulch helps keep your plants well-insulated and moist. It also aids in the prevention of weeds and it improves the condition of the soil around your vegetables. Some examples of organic mulch include grass clippings and leaves. Using organic mulch is not only beneficial to the earth, it’s also free!

4. Feeding and Watering Your Vegetables

To keep your vegetables truly “organic,” always feed them with natural products. Compost is really the best food for your garden. If you don’t have a compost pile, animal manure works well, too. Regular watering is also essential to the success of a vegetable garden. To conserve water, try watering your plants early in the day, before the sun is high. Always try to water plants closer to the roots—too much moisture on the leaves can make your plants more susceptible to disease.

5. Pest Prevention

To keep irritating pests at bay, try spraying soapy water around your vegetables. This is a safe way to get rid of insects, and it’s safe for you. If you choose this method to control pests, be sure to wash your vegetables thoroughly before you eat them. Another way to get rid of pests is to plant flowers near your vegetables that will attract them. Flowers planted for this purpose are commonly referred to as “companion plants.” Some recommended companion plants are Black-eyed Susan, Daisies, Goldenrods, Marigolds, Sunflowers, Yarrow, and Zinnias. To keep out larger, unwanted guests, place a fence around your garden.

6. Weeding

Weeds will take much-needed nutrients and water away from your vegetables. They can also potentially attract harmful insects. Weed your garden regularly. Because your vegetables are organic, do not use weed killers to get rid of them. Pull them by hand. It’s good exercise, and it’s safe. You can also get rid of weeds by pouring boiling water on them–but make sure you don’t get the hot water on your vegetables.

7. Rotating Your Plants

If you plant your vegetables in the same spots every year, you will gradually deplete the soil of valuable nutrients. Rotate your plants by designating new spots for them at the beginning of each growing season so that you can look forward to another rewarding bounty of delicious vegetables the next time around.

This was a guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes on many topics, including car insurance for www.carinsurancequotes.net.