Even though the planet is covered by 70 percent water, under 1 percent of it is actually available for humans to use. Water is a prime example of just one of the things that we have taken for granted for way too long.  What was once thought to be an everlasting resource has now become a finite one that experts say will eventually be at a point where we have to limit it and be charged to use it at what we will consider to be ridiculous prices. However, what many of us don’t realize is that it is largely due to our own wasteful habits.

When it comes to water or any other environment issues, the best thing to do is raise awareness and offer solutions rather than place blame on what has already been done. So, here are a few easy ways that you can save on water and save money at the same time.

• Install low flow
  If you install a low flow shower head, you’ll save about 50% of the water that you normally would from showering. Also, you can also install an aerator on the faucet that can reduce up to 50% as well. It’s well worth the savings in the long run.
• Don’t flush your money
  Toilet flushing makes up about 30% of the average home’s water use. If you can’t install a low flow toilet, consider drastically reducing water use in your toilet by installing an alternative flushing device that’s available for $10-20.
• Stop running
  One thing that is a habit for all of us is letting the tap run for no reason. For example, when we brush our teeth, many of us leave the tap running even thought the water is not needed. We’re wasting it at approximately 7.5 litres per minute when we do that.
  Also, put water in the fridge to make it cold instead of running it for a minute or two until it’s ice cold from the tap.

There are several ways to conserve water and they range from free to expensive, but in the long run always will save you money. Save water however you can for the future of our planet.

Each year, more than 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide, and unfortunately most of them are left sitting in landfills and oceans. There are actually some areas of the Pacific ocean that have more small pieces of plastic than food.

Luckily, there are many businesses all over the world that are stepping up and taking action toward making a change. There are some that have a “green checkout line” that is meant for people who carry their own reusable bag, and then there are those who have banned plastic bags all together, which makes a huge difference. If every business followed suit, it would at least stop the problem in it’s tracks instead of continuing to add more and more useless waste to our beautiful planet.

The movement that is being spread is widely known as B.Y.O.B – Bring Your Own Bag, and some stores now post the green acronym on their shop windows proudly.

Another major problem on the planet is our fascination with drinking from bottled water. Recent studies show that filters tap water is just as healthy as the well-marketed expensive stuff that comes in a long-lasting plastic. But yourself a metal water bottle, and an affordable tap filter, and you have just saved yourself a ton of money and can feel good about what you have done for the environment.

And what about paper?

There are so many ways that we waste tons of paper that our society simply doesn’t require anymore:

• Phone books, newspapers, junk mail, etc.
  For those of us who have the Internet at our fingertips, there is no reason to have a 200 pound paper phone book when any phone number listing can be found online. Also, if you have paper deliveries that you don’t want, then contact the companies and tell them to stop (newspapers, junk mail, etc. )
• Digital Books And Music
  It simply is necessary to use trees for our reading pleasure at this point. Again, we have the Internet, and if you don’t want to read online, then at least pick up a used copy of the book you want and then pass it on when you’re finished. Music is already taking a turn in this direction with downloads becoming more popular each year. We don’t need all that packaging anymore. Plus, both of these ideas saves us all money.
• Stop printing
  Whether it’s at work or at home, don’t print what doesn’t need to be printed. Share files online with co-workers instead of wasting the paper, or at least use the economy setting on the printer to use less ink and print on both sides when you can

There has been a recent movement towards drastically reducing our use of paper and plastic, and it really isn’t an inconvenience to jump on board. In fact, many of the ideas will save you money and the impact it will have on the planet is well worth it. With any luck, the question “paper or plastic?” will soon be history.

Many people seem to still think that going green or at least living a greener lifestyle will cost them a lot more money than they are currently spending. Some even think it’s a scam, but in reality, there are several small changes you can make in your life that will will save yo a ton of money and have a positive impact on the environment.

Let’s take a look at 8 simple ways that you can achieve a greener lifestyle that will actually save you money:

1. Drink from reusable water bottles
   Plastic in landfills is one of the biggest problems and water bottles is one of the major culprits.
2. Install energy efficient, compact fluorescent light bulbs
   These light bulbs are actually a tad more expensive than the regular ones, but they’ll outlast them by up to 20 times
3. Turn the thermostat down a couple degrees and snuggle up with a sweater and a hot chocolate
   Turning the heat down just a few degrees throughout the year can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings and you may not even notice the difference in temperature. If you do, just throw on a sweater and snuggle with your mate!
4. Always wash clothes in cold water
   This is recommended for most of your clothing anyway. Why waste the hot water? Less chance of shrinkage and damage, and cuts down the hot water bill.
   
5. Hang clothes to dry in the summer for that summer fresh smell
   Who doesn’t love throwing on a tshirt that smells like the sunny outdoors? That’s Mother Nature saying thank you!
6. Replace shower heads with low flow models
   This may cost you a few extra bucks initially, but you’ll save a lot more than you spend in the long run.
7. Carpool to work
   Save money on gas, and enjoy a coffee on the way to work with a co-worker!
8. Use public transportation
   Save even more money on gas, and read a good book on the way to work.

If every single one of us put all 8 of these simple green steps into action, it would have a humongous impact on the environment. Lead by example and save yourself some money in doing so.

If you’ve had the pleasure of experiencing parenthood or any other relation to a baby in your life, you’ll know that it’s ridiculously easy to shop until you drop in any store that sells baby items, at any time. It’s extremely easy to go overboard an buy everything in sight, and regardless if you have a budget or not, you’re bound to go over it at least once or twice on baby items. It’s just too easy.

So, that being said, why not try to go green and save green at the same time on something that you know is going to cost you money on a regular basis for a while?

Here are a few tips on how to go green with baby gifts and save money at the same time without sacrificing the joy of buying cutesy stuff for the little one:

• Recycle
  Look for baby products that are made from recyclable material and then hand them down (recycle them!)
• Think long lasting
  Buy your baby 2nd hand toys that are long lasting, not harmful to the environment and also safe for the baby. For instance, maybe get the baby some hand crafted wooden blocks and cars. These are the types of toys that can take a beating that a typical baby will give their toys and still last another generation. Plus, they don’t come in plastic packaging.
• Go green shopping
  How you do your shopping can be green as well. You can save lots on gas by shopping online and usually you can even hunt down better deals from the convenience of your living room.
• Giving green
  There are quite a few ways to add a little green to your giving. For example, use recycled wrapping paper, or better yet, don’t use wrapping paper at all. I’ve seen creative people reuse old magazine to wrap up gifts.
  Think outside the box and saving the planet and your money can be fun.

Unless you only ever travel on a bicycle and never watch the news or read the newspaper, you probably are aware that gas prices are on the rise. If you were already on a tight budget, then filling up the tank might be draining your account fast. There’s never been a better time to be a treehugger for both personal finance reasons and for the obvious reasons of treating the planet with respect and kindness, but there are ways to do it in small steps and cutting back on gas usage by choices you make behind the wheel.

Although switching to alternative fuel choices would obviously be beneficial to you and the planet, there are a few small changes you can make in your driving habits that can save on gas and make a noticeable difference in the long run.

• Cruise your way to savings
  When you’re on the highway, set your vehicle to cruise control close to the speed limit. You’ll save money by using less gas and the environment will love you for cutting back on the toxins that your car is spitting out.
• No drag racing
  Ok, drag racing is obvious, but you can also avoid quick starts at lights and accelerate from 0 to 60 in a flash. not only will this cut back on gas but it’ll also cut back on the wear and tear of expensive tires!
• Ease up on the brakes
  Unless you need to avoid hitting something, go easy on the brakes. This will help save on gas in the stop and go traffic and will also save on brake jobs in the long run.
• Lighten up
  Unload an weight in the vehicle that you don’t need. For every 100 pounds you reduce, you will significantly save on fuel mileage.

How many of us simply need to have our morning coffee? Some of us need our midnight coffee. Whatever level of caffeine addiction you have, chances are that you can go greener with a little effort and save yourself some money at the same time.

The number of coffee cups that end up in landfills is staggering and could be avoided. Here are a few ways you can go green with your caffeine and put some of that coffee money back in your pocket:

• Reusable mug
  The first thing you should do is start drinking your coffee out of a reusable mug. Typically, coffee shops will give you discount on the price of your coffee if they aren’t using one of their take-out cups. Multiply that discount by how many coffee you drink in a year, and that most likely adds up to a nice amount of annual savings.
  It also helps the environment a great deal by keeping those cups out of landfills.
• Make home brew
  If you have an extra 5-7 minutes, why not brew your own coffee? You’ll save even more money now that you’re not buying it one cup at a time from the local coffee shop. You could even try different flavored coffee that’s not available at the coffee shop. Plus, think of waking up to the aroma!
• Buy in bulk
  If you do decide to brew your own coffee at home, why not go even greener by buying in bulk. Chances are that your favor coffee comes in a bulk size tin which saves you some money and reduces the amount of packaging that goes to waste. In fact, why not use that big empty can for storage when you’re through with it.

Going green with your caffeine is pretty simple but can make a pretty big positive impact on both the environment and your wallet if you drink coffee daily.

With the planet in dire need of a healthy change, there’s has been ample discussion and a lot of pressure on corporate America to be more eco-friendly. Some have responded well, while others haven’t, but the credit card companies are one of the enlightened ones, coming through with greener options in the form of credit cards.

• Green Environment Cards
  These cards are specifically designed to provide customers with ways that they can help save the environment. For instance, GE has a green environment card available that provides their cardholders with points that accumulate and can then be exchanged for rewards on Earth day.  Other companies are doing campaigns along the same lines to help raise awareness of global warming and other environmental issues.
• Green Energy Credit Cards
  The goal of green energy credit cards are along the same lines as the environment cards, but more focused on energy solutions.
  Burning less oil is a good start, but these companies are helping to focus on a long term, permanent alternative. Barclaycard has a green energy card that donates 50% of all profits. There are also additional benefits for the cardholder such as transportation discounts on public transportation.

It’s great to see credit card companies go the extra mile and offer both incentive for cardholders to spend money that will help a good cause and the willingness to shell out some of their own profits to do their part for society and the planet.

It’s good to know that companies who sometimes have the reputation for being a bit greedy, show their support and prove that they are willing to participate in the importance of the environment’s needs.