Frugally Green » Consumerism

Finding the Perfect Eco-Friendly Automobile

Tyler — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:00:56 +0000

The automotive industry is one of innovation and creativity which has transcended into the ever-growing movement towards alternative energy. Many individuals are now looking for automobiles that promote a green environment rather than settling for the traditional, petroleum based vehicles. The problem that arises is that while many people want to contribute to a cleaner environment, the litany of options available can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.

In order to help consumers solve this problem, FindTheBest has designed a new platform which allows users to find and compare the most fuel efficient vehicles based on vehicle class, engine size, miles per gallon (MPG), fuel type, green vehicle rating, and more. With nearly 2,500 different cars to compare, you’re bound to find a green automobile that meets your specific needs and desires, without the hassle of traveling from dealership to dealership trying to locate a particular car.

Looking for a small car with a combined MPG greater than 80 and powered by an electric battery? Need a specific make or model that can fit an entire family? Simply set the filters accordingly and let the tool display all the options available.

The days of polluting the environment by driving huge trucks and SUV’s are hopefully fading, and tools like this help to both educate and perpetuate the green lifestyle. With so many incentives at both the state and federal level, the idea of owning an eco-friendly automobile is becoming more and more a reality. Insurance companies are now offering affordable plans that incorporate a discount on the premium you pay due to the fact that purchasing an environmentally-friendly car conveys a dependable image in the eyes of insurance companies; therefore, reducing the probability of settling accident claims.

Next time you’re considering purchasing a new car, be sure to take the time to research automobiles that not only add value to your personal life, but also add value to the world around us.

Michael Bracy is a Business Development Associate for FindTheBest, a comparative search engine that compares a variety of green products from Energy Star refrigerators to photovoltaic solar panels.

Downsizing: Where economy and ecology meet the good life

Tyler — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:00:53 +0000

Environmental crisis is one of the major problems which the whole world is facing today. Progress of mankind depends upon scarce or limited natural resources. It’s important for human civilization to grow economically, but not at the cost of natural resources. It is a debatable topic.

There are numerous examples around the world which show the dilemma between economic growth and a need to conserve our ecosystem. One particular example is the drilling project proposed by a German company RWG in the North Sea. The Wattenmeer is an area of great biological diversity, a regional stop over for millions of migratory birds and a potential spot for being a UNESCO world heritage site. Environmentalists have conducted huge protests over this project which could destroy a biological treasure. There have been similar protests against the Nord Stream pipeline project being proposed to be constructed between Russia and Western Europe, which could affect the ecology of the Baltic Sea. The governments and economists have argued that the oil is a vital part of the economy in the world today, and it cannot be compromised. So where do we draw the line between economy and ecology, which unfortunately tend to be on opposite sides.

There’s an overwhelming belief that the two cannot be tackled together and that there’s a need to give a sort of priority to ecological matters. However, experts feel that such thinking is a big mistake. The economy and environment are related to each other. In fact economy can be assumed to be a subsidiary of environment as environment has all the resources upon which the economy depends. Thus the two are inseparable.

Economic development without conserving the ecology can have serious implications. There’s a possibility of conflict for natural resources. Water conflict is one such example where the construction of dams has created serious argument between the upstream and downstream countries. Clean and safe drinking water is a big concern in the developing countries. Rapid industrialization and urbanization with inadequate drainage and sewerage can affect the availability of drinking water in rivers and groundwater. The people affected are often the poor and the marginalized sections of the society. Thus, treating earth as a huge storehouse with unlimited potential for human consumption can have serious consequences for us.

The governments and private companies require incentives to act on issues relating to environmental concerns. The more immediate issues regarding profit for private companies and economic and political issues for the government tend to dominate the agenda. Thus an effective action in the direction of ecological conservation is less likely to be taken by them. There lies the role of small scale actions and generations of awareness in the community.

The concept of carbon credits has been introduced in order to tackle the problem of emission of greenhouse gases. In this system each nation is stipulated with a definite amount of gases which it can emit. If it exceeds the limit it has to pay charges for its excessive emissions. The money raised is then used to help the lower emission countries.

Thus we need a mandate to develop a Charter of Rights in relation to the environment in the United Nations. It is in our interest as human beings to preserve the environment not only for economic growth but also for the survival of our future generations.

Amanda Kidd is a blogger whose favorite portals to write on are lifestyle and finance. She recently read an article about the world’s most expensive cars.

Thinking Green When Sending Gifts

Tyler — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:00:39 +0000

Today’s article is a guest post from Jade. Whatcha’ got to say, Jade?

***

Everybody loves to get stuff, and giving gifts can be even more fun than receiving them. Whether it’s Christmas, birthdays, or care packages, we may find ourselves having to send gifts through the mail rather than hand delivering them. If you’re a green minded person, the gifts you send and the way you send them can reflect that personal philosophy. Here’s how:

The Gift Itself

You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to want to send greener gifts. And the gift doesn’t have to be a bag of trail mix that makes the recipient roll their eyes either. In fact, green gifts can be cool, unique and even extremely useful.

Have a tree named after someone in the Rainforest – Any anti-deforestation advocate will appreciate having a tree purchased in their name. And even people who aren’t passionate about saving the Rainforest will enjoy the idea that the conifer bearing their name will grow and thrive long after they are gone.

Send Vegetables– Flowers in a vase are nice, but vegetables that can be planted in a garden are a present that will last much longer. Sending vegetables instead of flowers also encourages local growing and self-sustenance. You won’t need long distance movers for a small plant, but try to avoid sending anything in full bloom.

A Wind-up Universal Remote – Even with recycling programs in place, millions of batteries still wind up in land fills every year. With this remote, you can cut batteries out of the television control equation altogether. Simply by winding it, you’ll be able to generate all of the power necessary to run it without ever having to resort to batteries.

A Solar Powered Charger – When a charger is left plugged in, it continues to use electricity even when it’s not charging a device. If you know a forgetful un-plugger, these gadgets will allow them to eliminate charger cords for good. They are also great gifts for frequent campers who often don’t have access to outlets and don’t want to drain car batteries.

Organic Cotton – The cotton growth and production process is astoundingly chemically intensive and dependent on pesticides. That’s why buying organic cotton is a great way to help reduce the demand on such an environmentally destructive industry. Many people say that organic cotton is softer and more comfortable which may be a result of the lack of chemicals used in manufacturing. That makes organic cotton garments, towels, napkins or sheets awesome gifts for anyone on any occasion.

Green cosmetics – Most women use some form of cosmetics in their day to day lives, whether it’s full on face paint or just Chap Stick. The problem with common cosmetics is the myriad of sketchy chemicals used to make them. But the gift of greener make-up is something that most females will appreciate. Mineral foundation, natural lip balms, or other organic and petroleum free products are all great gifts that are good for the planet.

Water Efficiency Products – We waste a lot of water in this country without even thinking about it. From showers and toilet flushing to watering our gardens, we tend to be sadly cavalier with H20. Fortunately, there are bathroom based gifts like the Perfect Flush that can minimize the use of excess toilet water. There are also many styles of low-flow shower heads to optimize shower water usage. For an outdoorsy person, you can send a rain barrel to collect rain water. The accumulated water can then be used in place of sprinklers in a garden. These kinds of equipment upgrades aren’t always high on everyone’s to-do list, so they make the perfect green gift idea.

Packing and Shipping

Don’t stop at going green with just the theme of the gift; the way you send it matters too. When you’re packing a gift, think about alternatives to typical packing materials. If you can, always avoid any form of Styrofoam packing peanuts and even bubble wrap. Re-use old newspapers or think about including a form of textile in the gift like a towel or t-shirt that you can use to protect more breakable items. If you’re wrapping the present in gift paper or sending a greeting card, look for recycled or tree-free versions of theses items. Wrapping paper made of flax or hemp is just as attractive and much more eco-friendly.

When you’re shipping the gift, the mode you choose can be another statement of a social conscience. Whether you’re using FedEx, UPS or USPS, there are ways to make your shipment more carbon neutral. Using route optimization technologies, these institutions are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. By making fewer stops, using the most efficient routes and eliminating empty cargo containers, these shipping companies are all doing their part to help make the delivery industry kinder to the environment. If you want to go the extra mile, and spend a few extra dollars, you have the option of purchasing GreenShipping carbon offsets to truly eliminate the carbon footprint of your shipment.

If you are a green-minded individual, there are ways to evangelize without being preachy and annoying. The gifts you send others can be representatives of the many awesome green products on the market. Some of them are just cool, while others can really improve people’s lives. And when you choose a greener way to send your gift the message is two-fold. This subtle strategy is a smart way to help spread the green message while bringing a smile to the face of someone you love.

Jade writes for uShip, a site helping people find long distance movers and other shipping help. Jade has been working in print and online marketing for many years and has become very active in blogging.

Is Your Lifestyle Truly Sustainable?

Tyler — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:00:54 +0000

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.

10 Tips to Save Money and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Tyler — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:00:17 +0000

This is a guest post from Alban at Home Loan Finder.

The economy and environment are at the forefront of our minds as governments the world over look for ways to improve the health of both, and as individuals, we try to make the financial and environmental aspects of our lives more comfortable. There are plenty of simple ways you can save money and the environment at the same time around your home, from making your own cleaning products to avoiding aerosol cans. However, if you want to make a real, measurable difference, you need to look beyond the obvious frugal tactics, and consider these 10 financially and environmentally life changing ideas.

1 – Eat less meat

Most nutritionists will tell you that cutting down on eating meat is better for your health, and the spend at the butcher would easily be the biggest portion of most family budgets each week. Therefore, with so many benefits already, the fact that eating less meat is also good for the environment is a bonus.

Research has shown that if we all ate less meat, we could reduce the cost of fighting climate change by $20 trillion. This research takes into account the consumption of beef and pork, and if land was not needed to farm these animals, vegetation would be able to thrive in these areas. Even though additional farmland would be needed to grow the alternatives to meat, less space would be required than is used to farm meat producing animals.

As well as the extra vegetation which would be allowed to grow, millions of tonnes of methane would be saved thanks to reduced emissions from farms. This would negate the need for expensive carbon saving technologies such as clean coal power plants. The methane is also released from the animals themselves, where cows in particular release methane when flatulent, and as their manure decays.

You wouldn’t need to give up eating meat all together, and instead need to look at how meat can accompany other foods, rather than be the star of every meal. If the global population were to eat a low meat diet of 70 grams of beef and 325 grams of chicken and eggs per week , 15 million square metres of farmland could be used for more vegetation to absorb more carbon dioxide. The farmland could also be used to grow bio energy crops which could replace fossil fuels.

2 – Downsize your home

It is easy to think that you need a big house with a games room, three bathrooms, a separate study, guest room and formal dining room. However, if you were to downsize your home to accommodate your family in a bedroom each and one or two living areas you will be able to not only save money on mortgage repayments, heating and cooling costs but you’ll also find more time to spend together as a family for a richer lifestyle outside of your bank account too.

Plus, even if you do remember to turn the lights off when you leave the room, turn the air conditioner up in summer and down in winter and turn off your standby appliances, when your home and living areas are smaller and more compact, you are using less power in less space, and producing fewer emissions.

3 – Look in your own backyard

Your own backyard presents numerous opportunities to be frugal, for example, growing your own vegetables and collecting rainwater for use in the garden and in your home. However, as you’re saving money in your backyard, you can also be landscaping in an environmentally sensitive way to reduce your carbon footprint.

To design a backyard which is affordable to maintain, and also beneficial to the environment around it:

Design your yard so it requires little or no mowing so you can get rid of your petrol powered lawn mower.
Plant varieties which are native to your area and so require little to no watering or fertiliser.
Research companion planting so you can grow your garden without using harmful chemicals, and can instead use natural ecosystems to control bugs.
Make your backyard a relaxing and inviting place to be and you and your family will be able to enjoy evenings and weekends at home together and save on costly family outings.

4 – Renovate instead of moving

In many cases, reusing materials from old properties and refurbishing existing homes can save more carbon dioxide than building a new home. For example, the construction of a new house generates approximately 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide; however, the renovation of an existing home emits just 15 tonnes.

Plus, there is often little difference between the performance of an old house, compared to a new one, and it can take decades for the operational savings of a newer more energy efficient home to offset the carbon emitted during its construction. As a result, there is almost no difference in the average emissions of a new house, compared to a refurbished house over a 50 year period.

Therefore, while it is more environmentally friendly to renovate your existing home, compared to building a new home from scratch, it can also be much more affordable. When you renovate a home there are many materials you can reuse, even if not in their original capacity, for example, structural timbers taken out to open up a living area could split and sanded to be used for floorboards, a kitchen bench top or a dining table.

5 – Build a new sustainable home

If you don’t have a home you can renovate, building your own home is often more affordable, and better value than buying established where you are paying for landscaping and all of those expensive finishing touches, which might not all be to your liking anyway.

Instead, you can plan for a sustainable and energy efficient new home, which will be affordable and environmentally friendly to build and to run. You can do this by:

Choosing a passive design. If you can get the design of your home to work to heat and cool your home, then you can save yourself turning on the air conditioning and heating. For example, using glass in measured architectural designs can mean warmth is admitted in the cooler months, and kept out during the summer months with modern glazing methods.
Heating and cooling ratings. When you purchase the heating and cooling system for your new home, look at its energy star rating as the more stars it has, the more energy efficient it is to run. Another environmentally and financially friendly option is to choose a ducted system, with individually controlled vents, which allows for the system to be turned off in any room which is not being used.
Solar or gas hot water. Solar and gas hot water systems are the two most energy efficient systems to heat the water in your home, and you can make your unit even more efficient by insulating around your hot water pipes – the first two metres from the hot water system in particular. You can also choose a hot water system based on its Renewable Energy Certificate which determines the performance of the system – the more RECs the better the system.
Lighting. In your new home, make sure you install energy saving light bulbs, and choose the lowest wattage you can for an area to save power. Also, while down lights have become very fashionable in new homes, try and avoid them when building as you will need a lot to light up a room, and a lot of heat can be lost through the holes in the ceiling where the lights are housed.
Solar power. When you build a new home, consider running it on solar power from the beginning as panels on your roof can collect enough sunlight and convert enough electricity to power your home, and have power left over to send back into the grid to power other homes and businesses.

6 – Your free time is free

If you are looking for ways to save the environment, and some money, start by looking at home – and staying there. Spending time with your family at home or around your neighbourhood can reduce your carbon footprint, and save you money in fuel and long distance family holidays. Consider the emissions you would produce going on long road trips or towing a caravan around the state, or even towing your boat down to the shore. Instead, find affordable holiday destinations closer to home, or rent a caravan at a caravan park when you arrive, instead of using gallons of fuel to tow your own, or fish from a jetty or the beach instead of towing your boat to the ocean, and then burning fuel all day out on the water.

7 – Creative clothes shopping

Have you ever looked at every item in your closet and thought about how many times you’ve worn it? Chances are that while you have your favourites, there are dozens of pieces which you’ve only worn once or twice, and others you haven’t worn at all. So the next time you see a skirt on sale, or a pair of shoes you think would be perfect for your son, think of all the clothing, materials, time and money which have already gone to waste in your wardrobe, and consider whether this really is a smart purchase.

To reduce the impact of your clothing purchases, look for more creative ways to expand your family’s wardrobe. For example, if you get together with friends to swap hand-me-downs, it doesn’t matter if your daughter doesn’t like the top you chose for her, because it is being reused, not wasted from new.

8 – Stop using your car

This doesn’t mean you have to start walking everywhere – although you would certainly be able to save on a gym membership – but instead, simply consider whether you really need to drive to where you’re going. With a little planning and organisation, you can cut down your vehicle usage, and save on the wear and tear of your car, fuel costs, and fuel emissions.

For example, make a list before you go shopping so you don’t have to go back to the supermarket for forgotten items, wait to go to the post office until it is time to pick up the kids from school so you can make one trip.

Your family may even be able to look at getting rid of a second car with some organisation and timetable scheduling. For example, if the family left earlier in the morning, you could drop off the kids at school, and your partner at work, rather than you both taking a car each to work. You can then organise a car pool home from school for the kids.

9 – Switch your car’s fuel

Petrol is one of the most expensive and environmentally damaging fuels you can be running your car on, and if you are able to convert your car to gas or to run on bio-ethanol, the financial and environmental savings can be worth the investment. If you are already looking at buying a new car, consider the fuel it runs on as a priority, right up there next to power windows and Bluetooth, and look for vehicles which produce less harmful emissions running on alternative fuels such as ethanol, hydrogen, electricity and even diesel.

10 – Save your paperwork

Whether you run your own business, work from home, are part of a corporate office environment or are just looking at the contents of your home filing system, you are probably surrounded by paperwork. Curbing your paper use is just one way you can save money and the environment in your office and you can start by:

Printing double sided when you print documents, or reusing old printed pages.
Having bills sent electronically, rather than posted as paper printouts, you also often save several dollars for receiving electronic bills and bank statements.
Making notes electronically on your computer desktop, your email manager or your smartphone to save on note paper and Post-its.
Think twice and three times before you print a document or email.
Organise the files on your computer for easy access to electronic documents as this will retrain you to search electronically for the information you need, so you can avoid printed copies of your work.

Alban is a personal finance writer at Home Loan Finder, a home loan comparison site.

8 Simple Ways To Be Energy Efficient At Home And Save

Tyler — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:08 +0000

This is a guest post by Timothy Ng.

Saving money is a big deal, but saving the earth is an even bigger deal. That said, imagine how big a deal it would be if you could do both at the same time. It’s completely possible. If you were to look at your household budget, you’d probably see plenty of places where you could cut back on spending. But, if you looked at it with a ‘green eye,’ you could not only cut back a bit, but live better and help out mother earth in the process.

Energy Efficient Savings Tips

1. Unplug Electrics

It’s not always enough just to turn off electrical devices in your home, although that’s a great first step. Go around your house and unplug everything that’s reasonable: second television sets, lamps, alarm clocks in spare bedrooms, etc. Everything that’s not essential, like the refrigerator, should be unplugged. Then, only plug those items back in while you are actually using them. You’ll realize two things; the first is there are loads of electrics that never get turned on and second that your utility bill is lower. Even though it doesn’t seem like a lot, all of those appliances still draw electricity when they’re off. Unplug and save money. It’s that simple.

2. Make Cleaning Supplies

Most cleaning supplies we buy at the market are filled with caustic chemicals or bleach. Even though they might work to get our homes clean, they can also do damage to our bodies as we breathe those fumes or to our stuff as the chemicals slowly eat away at finishes. You can make your own cleaning supplies with a variety of recipes easily found on line –things like club soda and vinegar are excellent cleaning agents without all of the harsh chemicals. You can even find recipes that add essential oils to give your home a pleasant and clean scent.

3. Go To The Farmer’s Market

This one might not seem like a big money saver as there are a lot of people who thin farmer’s markets are more expensive. This is somewhat true; the prices can be a little higher on some items. However, not everything is more expensive and the added cost is often negligible. More importantly, if you’re buying local you will save money on petrol and you’ll be eating better, more healthy foods. That means you’ll feel better, have less risk of illness, and make your corner of the world a bit greener all at the same time.

4. Skip The Restaurants

Going out to dinner is nice. We all like being waited on and not having to clean up dishes. The downside is the cost. Even cheap meals eaten out can cost double that of a homemade meal. Add to that the fact that, if you eat at home, you’ll eat healthier food and less of it. Now it’s easy to see why cutting down on the restaurant fare is a big savings. If you feel lost in the kitchen, then ask for some advice or take a cooking class. Before you know it, you’ll be making gourmet meals your whole family will enjoy.

5. Stop Drinking Bottled Water

Just stop. Bottled water really is a scam. There have been loads of tests that have proven that water from the tap is no worse for you then the water from a bottle, and in some cases, even has less bacteria and chemicals. Those plastic bottles release terrible pollutants into our air when they’re made and then clog up landfills for hundreds of years when we’re finished with them. Make yourself a promise right now never to buy bottled water again. Instead, purchase a few high quality reusable water bottles and use them when you’re on the go, or just drink your water the old fashioned way – out of a cup.

6. Find A Carpool

Petrol is expensive. The fumes your vehicle releases into the atmosphere do immeasurable damage to it. So, why not cut out as much driving as you possibly can? Arrange carpools for as many activities as possible. You could have one for work, one for the kids school, one for all of those after school activities, and even one for the weekly grocery or farmer’s market run. It’ll save time and money. You’ll probably have so many people who want to participate that you’ll need two cars.

7. Make The Light Bulb Switch

If you’re still using incandescent light bulbs, it’s time to get rid of them. Compact fluorescent bulbs are more energy efficient and safer to use because they don’t get hot. Forget about that minuscule amount of mercury that’s in them and how it will be disposed. Right now, they’re your best bet to save money and energy. Also, check with the store that you purchase them from about recycling and disposal programs which will ease your mind about the dreaded mercury.

8. Stop Buying New Books

That doesn’t mean stop reading books. You should definitely continue reading, but cut back on buying new books. We need trees more then we need books. Instead of buying them new, check them out from the library or buy them used. If you have the money, invest in an electronic book device like an iPad or a Kindle so that you can simply download books.

It’s easy to make saving money and saving the earth a joint mission. Once you get started you’ll surely come up with lots more ways you can make budget cut while greening up your home. A greener home and more money in the bank is a winning plan for everyone.

Timothy Ng is an experienced personal finance writer, specialising in credit card comparison. Check out his guide to the best credit cards where he’ll step you through the process of finding the best credit card.

How to Make Green Choices in the Grocery Store

Tyler — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:00:25 +0000

This is a guest post by Bailey Harris from the Health Insurance Blog.

Making green choices in the grocery store is a great way to help protect out planet. Here are a few things you can do to make grocery shopping more eco-friendly.

Make a List

Before you go grocery shopping, take time to plan your meals. By planning ahead, you can make a shopping list. The list will help you buy only the items you need. Buying more than you need often leads to more wasted foods and packaging. Making a list will also help you remember all of the items you need to buy, preventing you from making multiple trips to the store. You’ll save time and reduce the amount of fuel used. This small action is very green indeed!

Buy Fresh Produce

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables reduces wasteful packaging. Bring your own plastic bags from home to bag your produce before using the bags on hand at the store. Try to buy locally produced fruits and veggies. A large amount of fuel is used to transport produce to all of our grocery stores. Buying locally produced foods supports your local farmers as well as decreases fuel costs.

Look for Foods with Less Packaging

While shopping, look for foods that have very little or no packaging. The less packaging, the greener the choice! Also, buy foods that are packaged in bulk instead of foods that are individually packaged. For example, buy one large container of yogurt instead of 6 individual single-serving cartons. This helps eliminate excess waste in our landfills.

Recyclable Packaging

When making your selections at the store, look for foods sold in recyclable packaging or containers. Try to buy foods packaged in cardboard versus foods packaged in foam, egg cartons for example.

The Health and Beauty Aisle

When shopping in the health and beauty aisle, there are a couple of things you should look for. When selecting a deodorant, buy a stick or roll-on deodorant. Spray deodorants are harmful to the ozone layer of our atmosphere. The same goes for hairsprays. Buy spritz hairsprays instead of aerosol sprays; they’re much better for our environment.

The Cleaning Aisle

Green cleaning products are much easier to find these days. If you are unable to find one that you like, look for products that are bleach and phosphate-free. Bleach and phosphates are known to be hazardous to our ground water. You should also consider making your own planet-friendly cleaning products. You can find the ingredients right in the super-market. Baking soda, lemons, lemon juice, and white vinegar are essential if you decide to make your own cleaning products.

Bring Your Own Bags

Remember to bring your own bags when you go grocery shopping. You can buy nice cloth or canvas bags that are very durable, or you can bring back the bags you accumulated from previous shopping trips. If you have a choice, choose paper over plastic. Paper bags are much easier to recycle.

As you can see, there are many things you can do to make your shopping experience more eco-friendly. A few simple changes can make a big difference! In the long run, your actions may help preserve our precious resources for future generations.

This was a guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes for the Health Insurance Blog.

When is the Right Time to Buy?

Tyler — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:28:10 +0000

Don’t you remember what your mom always said growing up when you wanted to do something stupid that all your friends were doing?

“If Billy jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?”

Lots of times I would answer “yes” under my breath before I gave up arguing. I knew once that line came out, all hope was lost.

Mom had good advice, though. It’s usually a safe bet that if everyone’s doing it, there’s something to be suspicious about.

We know this, but we’re social creatures. We want to do what our friends are doing. We want to fit in.

Well, guess what all your friends do? They buy air conditioners, fans, and drapes in the middle of the summer because it’s sunny and they’re hot.

In the winter, they switch course and pick up space heaters, sweatshirts, and extra insulation for their homes. Makes sense. It’s cold out.

They repeat this buying pattern ad infinitum. They run into a situation that causes them discomfort and immediately seek to fix it.

Perfectly natural reaction, but it’s draining their wallets and not doing any favors for the planet since they’re not likely to make wise, earth friendly decisions when the gun’s to their head.

You don’t want to be like that. Every salesman knows the fastest way to make a ton of money is to sell stuff to people that are desperate.

Side note: If you’re behind on rent and desperate for cash, consider selling Viagra, hair loss formulas, or air conditioners (but only in the summer).

I want to help everyone make eco-friendly purchases and save money when they need to solve problems like being miserably hot or cold. And I don’t want anyone to suffer through half-ass solutions because they can’t afford to do the right thing at the last moment.

That’s why I want you to start planning out your seasonal purchases so that you can save all kinds of money.

I’m not going to say “all it takes is a little planning.” That would be making light of it. You’re busy. I’m busy. We’ve got a lot on our minds every day.

When it’s hot outside, it’s hard to think about what you’ll need when it gets cold. When you’re sitting in your house freezing your buns off, the last thing on your mind is how miserable you’ll be when it’s 100° and you’ve got no drapes to keep the sun out.

But this is kind of thinking is exactly what’s necessary.

A new furnace is expensive no matter when you buy it, but it’s really expensive if you wait until the middle of winter when you can’t go a day without it. Buy it in the summer and take your time choosing the most efficient one that fits inside your budget. You’ll get more for your money because there’s no pressure to buy.

I have an old window air conditioner from back in my less than earth conscious days sitting in my basement. Last summer when it was over 100° for a week straight, Portland, Oregon was completely sold out air conditioners. People were paying hundreds of dollars for tiny old units like mine on Craigslist.

I honestly considered selling it before my conscience kicked back in. Now, in December, I’d be lucky if I could give it away.

When you plan ahead for your future needs, you take away the power those salesmen wield in times of desperation and give it back to yourself.

Now, every situation is different and certain types of items require slightly different tactics to get the best deal, but here are a few questions to ask yourself when you decide that you no longer want to be at the mercy of the market:

When is everyone else buying it?

If all your friends buy it during the winter, could you save by buying it in the summer? Maybe a better option is to buy it right at the end of the season its intended for?

Here’s a seasonal buying guide from Kiplinger for common consumer goods and services to get your thinking on the right track.

For the eco-aware, you’ll want to start taking that information and overlapping it with the greenest options of whatever you’re looking for.

What’s the most responsible option for me?

With all the time you now have to plan, what’s the best choice for you?

When you buy in the moment, you’re likely to overpay for features that you don’t really need and give little thought to the environmental impact of your purchases. Figure out what you really need and don’t pay for more.

On the other hand, when you’re desperate, you’re also likely to pay for something inadequate that serves as little more than a temporary band aid.

Do I really need this at all?

When you’re lost in a sea of agony and just want something to fix your problem, you’re more willing to pay for something you don’t actually need at all.

By planning and giving yourself time to find the best option, you might realize that there are other, much better choices to solve your problem.

You might have thought you needed air conditioning to beat the agonizing heat, but, after running the numbers, you realize that more home insulation and a few carefully placed ceiling fans can keep you cool all summer.

Without the time to consider all your options, you’re less likely to think of alternatives.

If you’re a busy person, it can be tough to get your mind out of the present and plan for the future, but doing so can unlock a whole lot of new opportunities for you.

Try to find one day, maybe on a weekend, each season, where you can plan out your future needs and strategize how best to meet them.

Do you have any tips for making the most responsible purchases? Have any rules that you follow to make sure you buy at the right time for you?

~~~~~

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How Funny Money Trashes the Planet

Tyler — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:00:17 +0000

Have you ever wondered where the money you use every day came from?

The other day I found myself thinking about how it came to be that a piece of paper was a fair trade for something as big and useful as, say, a house or a car. Who came up with that idea?

Is money something that just doesn’t make a lot of sense to you? Do you sometimes feel disconnected from your finances or find it hard to save money even though you make enough of it?

If you do, you’re not alone. The money system that we use today is not intuitive. It disconnects us from the resources that made it valuable to begin with.

A quick look at how the system developed shows how the path we’ve taken removes what we really find valuable from money and can have a real negative effect on you, me and, as a result, our environment.

The Barter System

Before we established governments, currencies, and trade systems, if you wanted something that someone else owned, you had to have something of equal or greater value to trade for it. If you raised pigs and needed a carriage for transportation, you had to barter with a carriage maker.

The carriage maker knew exactly how much work it took to build his carriage and how much food he needed in return if he were to sell it and build another.

You knew exactly what it took to raise a pig. This was central to your way of life.

But what if the carriage maker didn’t need a pig? What if he needed a cow? You’d have to go barter your pigs with a cattle farmer and then trade your cow for a carriage.

The value we placed on the things we traded were extremely intrinsic, but also highly inefficient.

So, we found a precious metal, gold, that was coveted for it’s rarity and began using it as a broker for transactions.

The Gold Standard

Gold turned out to be a pretty good medium for facilitating trade. Everyone wanted it, so you knew if you had some, you could trade it for something you needed.

Even if someone didn’t want it, they’d accept it anyway because they knew they could quickly trade it with someone else that did.

So now we have gold as a worldwide currency. Rock on.

However, as population grew and transporting large masses of gold became more difficult, we came up with a clever idea.

We didn’t need to actually carry all that weight around. We could just make certificates that represented the gold and our lives would be much easier.

The government would guarantee that this paper used as payment could be traded for a specific amount of gold whenever necessary.

Problem solved! All that gold could sit in banks and we’d just carry around some paper to trade for the stuff we needed.

Now, we don’t really know how much these pieces of paper are worth, but we know we can trade it for gold anytime we want and gold is really valuable.

Well, at least we know those pigs we’re raising are worth bit of it. How many degrees of separation is that?

But now population is growing substantially. This gold that backs up our currency is getting scarcer and scarcer as more people compete for it.

Poverty is creating misery, we can’t mine enough gold to keep up, and we need more money to keep those Commies from turning our great nation all red!

Fiat Currency

So forget the gold! We don’t need it anymore!

Somewhere down the line, we decided that if we couldn’t accumulate enough precious metals to back up all the money we needed, we’d just abandon it all together and start printing more of it.

Now all that’s left is a piece of paper. But don’t worry, your government will put it’s money where it’s mouth is and let you pay your taxes with it.

Today, we live in a world of fiat currency. What this means is that the pieces of paper that we pay our debts with has value because (and only because) the government says it does. There is no physical object that it’s related to anymore. No gold. No nothing. Just the proverbial handshake of Uncle Sam.

If we decide that more money is needed to benefit our economy, we just print more. If there’s too much, we can collect and destroy it.

All of a sudden, the value of our currency is decided on by a select group of people who make decisions about how much of it should be in circulation.

When they decide to print more money, each bit becomes less valuable through dilution. When they decide to print more, the opposite is true.

Your Finances & The Environment

So what effect does all this confusion of a fiat currency have on your finances and how is it affecting our environment?

It seems to make it more difficult to decide how much we should be paying for something.

We still know how much our pigs are worth and we have an idea of how much that carriage we need is, but the vehicle we use to exchange them can now fluctuate wildly on the whim of a few people, making it harder for us to gauge how many dollars (or whatever unit of currency) should be needed to make that transaction happen.

Since a fiat currency system relies on the general principle that we’ll slowly but steadily add more money to the system to keep it growing and thriving, money loses value over time, requiring more of it to buy the same thing later.

This is called inflation and it rewards spenders while punishing savers.

Why save money when what you’re saving for will just be more expensive once you think you’re ready to buy it?

Inflation existed when gold was the currency of the world, but to a much lesser extent since mining more of it quite a lot harder than just cutting down more trees to print more money.

There’s a finite amount of gold to be found on this planet, whereas, we can always plant more trees to print more money.

This is where the credit industry has made a killing.

When used wisely, credit can be a great tool in a fiat money system to buy something now and pay for it later at a lesser realized expense to you.

However, credit is easily abused and many people thinking they need something now find themselves in a tangle when they don’t realize they couldn’t afford it.

It goes without saying that this “gotta have it now” mentality that is fostered by a money system like this is incredibly damaging to our environment as people attempt to collect more and more now to hedge against higher future prices only to end up bankrupt, starting over again.

And an apparently unending supply of money provides the fuel of this vicious cycle.

I am all about maintaining a mindset of abundance, but based on the cycle that we seem to be set on, a lot of people appear to be doing it wrong.

What do you think? Is it too late to go back to a gold secured currency? What else could be used to connect our money with what the Earth has to provide?

~~~~~

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I Am Responsible for the Corporate World’s Waste, or A Lesson in Micro Economics

Tyler — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:00:19 +0000

On Thursday, bloggers around the world united to write about one single topic: climate change. It was an act of solidarity organized by the folks at blogactionday.org.

Every year, a major social topic is selected and willing participants around the world discuss the issue on their blogs on the same day in an attempt to raise widespread awareness.

Unfortunately, little old me didn’t know such a day existed until it was too late. Even though I write about this, one way or another, every day, lets consider this my belated contribution.

I learned about this year’s blog action day from Chris Guillebeau while perusing my new favorite site, The Art of Nonconformity. There’s always some great discussion over there and one comment in particular caught my attention:

Yet again the focus is on the little guy. Does the little led on my TV really matter when cities the world over are full of high rise offices that leave their lights on 24/7? Manufacturing and business produce the most harmful emissions and yet the emphasis is on the little home dweller?

This really got me thinking. Was he right? Are we picking on the little guys when the the big boys are the ones causing all the problems?

What difference does it make that I turn off all of my lights when the office buildings down the street leave theirs on all night doing 10,000 times more damage than I ever could? Who cares if we buy an electric car when all the electricity it produces comes from a wildly smoking coal plant hundreds of miles away?

Why should I bother?

Here’s why: because you and I are the most powerful change agents that exist on this planet.

You may think that you can’t make a difference and that some guy in a suit sitting in an ivory tower that doesn’t care about you is calling all the shots, but it’s not true.

We own that suit. We own that ivory tower. When we say jump, that guy listens. The only reason he isn’t jumping yet is because we haven’t told him to. Maybe we’ve started, but we haven’t raised our voice yet. You and I hold all of the power. Let’s wield it.

How corporations work

The #1 responsibility of every corporation that exists is to make money for its shareholders.

Sure, they all have noble secondary goals that tout their value to society, but the one, big, underlying goal that every single one of them is a slave to is to make lots of money for the people that invest in them. The beauty in this is that, usually, the very noble secondary goals must be met in order to generate that profit.

They have to provide us with something that we find valuable enough to trade our hard earned money for.

You see, you and I don’t really care about shareholders and all those shinanigans. How much money they make doesn’t bother us so long as we think we’re getting a good deal for something useful. In fact, if we decided to pay attention to all that, we might even be happy that these businesses that are making our lives so much better are making tons of money.

This is where we get to step in and call the shots.

Why you and I are responsible

Like I mentioned above, if a business must attract tons of our money to return great amounts of it to shareholders, it has to impress the heck out of us. To impress the heck out of us, what it offers must deeply connect with what we value the most.

Whatever it is that you and I find the most important in life, a company must provide to us in order to rise to the top.

So the buck stops at you. It stops at me. What do we really care about?

Do we care that Corporation A runs a sweat shop filled with incandescent lights that stay on all day and night? Does it matter to you that Corporation B swallows up tons of resources and spews out waste at an alarming rate? What about Corporation C that produces its own energy with wind and solar power and recycles all its waste back into its production stream? Does any of that actually matter?

What I believe the commenter on Chris’ post points out, inadvertently, is that it does not. We all say we care about and want the best for our environment, but is that really true? Every marketer out there that’s worth his weight in salt knows that what we consumers say we want and what we actually want are oftentimes very contradictory.

McDonalds knows this better than any business out there and they openly admit it. Their customers say they want salads, so McDonalds offers just enough varieties of them to get you to come in and buy a cheeseburger.

If we really, truly, in our heart of hearts, valued Corporation C above, that business model would be the industry norm. But we don’t and it isn’t. What we really care about is money and giving up just enough of it to get something just barely acceptable in return.

We care about this because it strengthens our ability to do it again and again. We’re consumers. Now, don’t get offended. I’m guilty as sin. Luckily, there’s something we can do.

The power we wield

What we seem to fail to realize seemingly over and over again is that the cheapest things in our lives are the ones we buy the most often.

Even though they’re made from recycled materials, sourced from renewable resources, and manufactured with renewable energy, the most sustainable products and businesses out there are still more expensive than their opposing counterparts.

If you and I decide, together, that a shoe made from recycled car tires by union employees is what we really value, then it won’t take that long for such a product to become less expensive than a plastic one made in a sweatshop by 8-year-olds as the economies of scale push the cost of such a product lower as we buy more of it and less of the other.

And that’s just the thing. We have to actually buy these products - not just say we will. Actions speak much louder than words and this all ties back to the concept that spending more upfront can often save us bundles down the road.

Nope, the little things don’t matter

“But I’m just one person. What difference can I make?”

Well, I suppose that depends on how you interpret the question. The little steps you take to improve your awareness and value for the environment will never add up to much. All by yourself you will never make a difference, and that’s OK.

Big changes are bigger than you and me. What you do doesn’t really matter. Who you influence does.

If only one person reads this post (I’m secretly holding out for more than that) and decides its worth their effort to try something new, then I have doubled the effectiveness of my minuscule efforts.

If that person influences someone else they know to change as well, I’m three times as effective. By acting on my values with sincerity, however little they’ll accomplish on their own, I have the opportunity to attract many others that are predisposed to my message. There’s little else I have to do as others will take over the cause for me.

If you do this right, you can be the head of your own multi-level marketing scheme, tell all the CEOs of the world how you want your fair-trade coffee served, and finally buy an organic cotton T-shirt for a reasonable price. And while you’re at it, you can let them know they need to turn off their lights when they go home.

Can ya dig?

~~~~~

I’ve had some great responses to the survey I posted on Tuesday. Thank you so much to those of you that have participated. If you haven’t yet taken it and would like to, please do so now. I will be closing down responses on Wednesday.

~~~~~

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