Go Green; Save Green - Part 1: Reduce

REDUCE
One of the biggest impacts you can make on the Earth is to reduce the number of items you consume on a daily basis. This practice can also help you save money which, in today's economy, is really important!

First, drive less. It is quite fashionable today to drive less, given the $3+ cost-per-gallon of gas. To support this economical and Earth-friendly practice, look for easy ways to cut back on your gas bills by taking public transportation if it’s available. Carpooling is a great idea, but even if it doesn’t work every day, try to share a ride with friends or family once per week when you’re out and about. Also try to minimize your shopping trips. For example, if you currently visit the grocery store four times per week, commit to creating a shopping list, and you can cut that down to just two times per week quite easily.

Second, buy less. With the holidays right around the corner, it might be hard to imagine buying less, but a truly Green consumer weighs each purchase based on how it impacts the Earth. For example, you must consider the environmental costs involved in growing, harvesting, producing, packaging and transporting all items. From a green perspective, you need to take all of these issues into account when making a purchase, but from a budgeting perspective, you should also consider the very first question a true environmentalist should ask: do I really need to buy this item? Many things that we buy for ourselves and others end up cluttering our personal space, and then ultimately are discarded to clutter a landfill Instead of adding to this problem, double- and triple- think every purchase before making it.