We are a society of consumers with an abundance of choices and and excess of things. There have been vast changes in the lifestyle of the average person from a few generations ago and life is generally better. However, television, newspapers, magazines and other media sources are spreading doom and gloom about our planet earth, and all this can make a person feel overwhelmed and confused. Are the things we are doing today, effecting our health, our children's health and the future of our planet?
Can you really do anything to make a difference? Absolutely! Here are five things you can do to easily live a greener lifestyle and save money too.
1. Consume less energy in your home. First, by turning off unneeded lights and switching to florescent light bulbs. Plug your televisions, electronics and computer equipment into a power bar, switch off the power bar when you aren't using them. You can take it a step further by lowering your heating thermostat and raising your air conditioner's thermostat.
2. Switch to natural, nontoxic cleaning products. Indoor air pollution in our homes often exceeds out door air pollution and is thought to be a major cause of breathing problems and respiratory illness in both children and adults. Take a walk down the cleaning product isle in any store and you can not help but notice the over powering scents and chemical fumes! Not only do these chemicals effect our health, they also pollute our natural resources. Using natural, nontoxic cleaners in your home is an easy solution.
3. Consume less water. We use this natural resource every day with out giving it much thought. Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth, washing dishes and even when you are soaping up in the shower. Conserve water when you are washing your vehicle or watering your yard as well.
4. Switch to reusable shopping bags. First, simply save your plastic shopping bags, take them back to the store and reuse them the next time you go shopping. Better yet, you probably already have some reusable cloth bags that would be suitable, why not use them? Place your reusable bags by the door or in your vehicle so you don't forget to take them with you the next time you need to do some shopping. Think about how often your family shops each month. This small habit will literally save hundreds of plastic shopping bags per person annually from going in to our landfills.
5. Drive the speed limit. Slowing down can save you 30% or more on fuel when driving on the highway. To avoid a heavy foot set your cruise control at the posted highway speed limit. When you are driving in the city try to avoid excessing idling. Speeding, rapid acceleration and then hitting the brakes all wastes gas and your money.
If you get into the habit of doing these five things you'll soon be living greener, healthier and saving a little money as well.
We spend a significant portion of our weeks in our cars running errands. The exact amount of time, according to the Surface Transportation Policy Project, is 46 percent of our car trips. This time is spent shopping, chauffeuring and conducting other errands. If you didn't have to do these things, if you could hire someone else--oftentimes called a lifestyle management consultant or personal assistant--to do them for you, what could you do what all of that extra time? Following is ten suggestions:
1. Get more exercise. The National Women's Health Information Center says that maintaining an active lifestyle - that is doing more than 30 minutes of brisk exercise most days of the week - can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes. Exercise also keeps your bones, muscles and joints healthy and reduces anxiety and depression and improves your mood.
2. Walk your dog more. This is one way to get that 30+ minutes of exercise a day, and what is good for you is equally good for Fido to maintain his weight.
3. Spend more time with your kids. According to the Families and Work Institute, "67 percent of employed parents say they don't have enough time with their kids." If this is you, think of what fun things you could do with your kids in the time you usually run errands.
4. Plan a romantic weekly date with your significant other. Wouldn't they be excited if you reconnected one night each week without the kids, over a candlelit dinner, a walk in the park or a movie?
5. Learn a new hobby. Ever want to learn how to golf or to knit? Use your new free hours each week to take up something you've always wanted to try but could never find the time for before.
6. Start a new part-time business. Do you have a cool business idea or know of a product that needs to be created? Where would the world be if Bill Gates hadn't started Microsoft? Most businesses start small, often part time, before blossoming into something more. Use your new free time to come up with a good business plan or to create a new needed widget. Who knows, maybe you could be the next Bill Gates.
7. Volunteer with a local nonprofit organization or tutor at a local school. Nonprofit organizations are always looking for help, so whether you'd you like to save the whales or teach a child to read, a local organization probably needs you.
8. Get involved in your local government. Most people don't have any idea what is going on in their towns. What new businesses are moving in? What new zoning laws have passed? Will any decisions affect your taxes? Use your new free time to attend community meetings and learn about what decisions your elected officials are making that may affect your life.
9. Spend more time with friends. Everyone has friends he or she rarely sees but always promises to see more. Now you will be able to do that--go out for dinner or drinks or shopping more frequently and watch your friendship grow stronger.
10. Read more books, newspapers and magazines. According to a report by reading researchers Anderson, Wilson and Fielding, out-of-school reading habits of adults have shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose adults to more than a million words of text in a year. And numerous studies have shown that kids who grow up in households where parents read are more likely to become readers themselves. So set your kids up for a lifetime of reading by letting them see you read.
All of these things, and more, are possible if you hire a lifestyle management company to run your errands each week. A lifestyle management company will do your grocery shopping, pick up your dry cleaning, wait for repair persons, get your automobile serviced, mail packages for you, coordinate a weekend getaway and much, much more. The time you spend doing these ten suggestions is worth so much more than that--and so is your mental health and family time.
Both Melody Thacker & Tracey Crockett are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Melody Thacker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Food and Drink, Wellness and Cleaning Business. Melody Thacker enjoys working part time with her and is the author of the All Natural Cleaning Guide. You can get your free copy of. Melody Thacker's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
Tracey Crockett has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, About My Space and Environment. Tracey Crockett is the Chief Lifestyle Manager of Chores, Errands 'N More, a full-service lifestyle management and errand / concierge company located in Upstate South Carolina. The company was founded with the objective of enhancing the quality of life fo. Tracey Crockett's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.