Green
12 articles
Home utility costs quietly eat into most of our monthly budgets, and using a home energy audit to help reduce your energy usage is great for both your wallet and the environment. Learn how to act on the findings of a home energy audit, how much the fixes could cost, and your potential savings.
Many people think it’s impossible for them to compost at home. But composting is an incredibly versatile process, and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time, space, or money. No matter which of those resources you’re short on, there’s a composting method out there that can work for you.
It’s official: Our planet is hotter than humans have ever seen it before. In August 2019, The New York Times reported the previous July was the hottest month on record, and the hottest five years in history had all occurred since 2014. And this growing heat is bringing a host of other extreme weather along with
Back when I was young, getting mail was a lot more fun. There was always the possibility of a letter – an actual letter, written on paper – from a friend or a family member. It made taking in the day’s mail something to look forward to. Today, it’s different. Thanks to the Internet and cheap phone
My longtime girlfriend and I recently took a brief break from our busy lives to tie the knot. The whole experience was unforgettable, but one of the highlights was the amazing outpouring of generosity from our friends and family members, many of whom we hadn’t always been good about keeping in touch with. We got all
One of the perks of living a frugal lifestyle is that it’s also a greener lifestyle. For example, when you bike to work instead of driving, you buy less gas and also produce less air pollution. Likewise, when you buy and eat less meat, you lower your grocery bill and also save fuel, water, and other resources. And, by getting
For most Americans, housing is the single biggest expense in their personal budget. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average household spends more than 30% of its after-tax income on housing expenses, including rent or mortgage payments, utilities, maintenance, and furnishing. For single people, the figure climbs to more than 40% of after-tax income. One
Imagine that you live in a small town that’s experiencing a sudden population boom. Very soon, the town is going to have to add more housing and retail space. The town council has received several proposals from builders for this new development, and it’s trying to decide between two plans. Plan A involves expanding the town outward
Back when I was little, new parents had just one choice to make about diapers. They could use plain white cotton diapers, secured with safety pins and covered in plastic pants to protect against leaks, or they could use bulky, expensive disposable diapers. Cloth diapers were undeniably cheaper, but they were also a lot more work, and for working
Take a stroll down the coffee aisle of any large supermarket, and there’s a good chance you’ll see at least one or two bags of beans sporting a little label that says “Fair Trade.” These bags don’t look obviously different from the others on the shelf, but their price is definitely on the high end – at
Imagine stopping into a small cafe for lunch. The first thing you see when you walk in the door is a buffet bearing tureens of soup, big bowls of salad, platters of fresh sandwiches, and trays of cookies. Many of the choices are meatless, and everything is made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. You load
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as growing your own fresh flowers and vegetables in a home garden. Especially if you spend most of your day sitting behind a desk, it’s a welcome change of pace to spend some time outdoors, working with your hands and feeling physically connected to the Earth. And although a garden can be a