The Conscious Shopper: challengicious mondays

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Challengicious Monday: Use Public Transportation

>> Saturday, July 17, 2010

Another late challenge in the Travel Sustainably series:

Use Public Transportation

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Go for a ride. Get your transit feet wet by figuring out an easy route and going for a ride on the bus, train, or trolley. Make it a night out on the town: find your way to a restaurant, club, or movie theatre, and make sure you've figured out how to get back home!

JOGGING STRIDE

Commute using public transportation. Visit your local transit provider's website to plan your trip, and leave your car at home. You'll not only save money on gas and cause fewer emissions, but you'll also relieve yourself of road rage. Let someone else do the driving for you!

MARATHON RUNNER

Get involved. If you don't have public transit in your area or the public transportation stinks, join a local group to improve public transit, or start your own.

Will you take the challenge?

Challengicious Monday: Keep Up with Your Car Maintenance

>> Thursday, July 8, 2010

This week's very late travel-related challenge is:

Keep Up with Your Car Maintenance

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Keep your tires properly inflated. Every couple of weeks, use a tire pressure gauge to make sure your tires are inflated to the proper level. Keeping your tires inflated can improve your gas mileage and keep your vehicle performing safely.
Check your oil at every other fill-up to make sure it's at the proper level. Add more oil if necessary.
Keep your car clean both inside and out. Cleanliness increases the life of the car and can help maintain its resale value.

JOGGING STRIDE

Change your oil according to your car manufacturer's instructions. Frequent oil changes will maximize the life of your vehicle.
Rotate your tires according to your manufacturer's recommendations or every 6,000 miles.

MARATHON RUNNER

Follow your manufacturer's instructions for regular maintenance, and keep a record so you know what you've done. Keeping up with your car maintenance will improve your gas mileage and keep your car on the road longer.

Will you take the challenge?

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You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays. Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook!

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker

Challengicious Monday: Bike

>> Monday, June 28, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. This week's travel-related challenge is:

Bike

BABY STEPS

Dig out your old bike and take it for a spin. Work up your biking skills by riding in your subdivision or a nearby park or greenway. If you don't already own a bike, check Craigslist for a good used bike and get a tune-up at a local bike shop.

JOGGING STRIDE

Ride a bike to run errands. Fit your bike with a basket or panniers and ride it to the library, farmers market, or corner grocery store. If you've never ridden a bike in a city before, check out these posts (part 1 and part 2) from An Adventure Called Bicycling for safety tips.

MARATHON RUNNER

Commute by bike. Commit to biking to and from work. If you're worried about getting sweaty, keep your work clothes in the basket or panniers you installed during the Jogging Stride step and change when you get to work. You can also combine riding and public transit if you live too far from your workplace.

I'm still at Baby Steps on this one, and because of the three little ones, I don't think I'll be riding my bike much any time soon (unless I get one of these babies). But I am going to try taking the bike out for a spin every now and then - maybe riding with the boys at the park.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

image by andy_c

Challengicious Monday: Walk

>> Monday, June 21, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. This week's travel-related challenge is:

Walk

BABY STEPS

Check Walk Score to find out the walkability of your neighborhood. Start small and scope out your surroundings.

JOGGING STRIDE

Walk whenever you're half a mile or less from your destination. Transit planners say that a quarter of a mile is the maximum distance most people are willing to walk, but I think we greenies could deal with a half a mile. The average person can walk that in 10 minutes.

MARATHON RUNNER

Walk whenever you're a mile or less from your destination. Figure out what destinations are a mile from your house and make it a point to walk instead of drive. If you don't live in a very walkable area, use the mile rule when you're out and about - park your car in a central location, and walk from point to point. Most people can walk a mile in about twenty minutes. Accounting for traffic in many cities, you may even be able to get there faster by walking! Plus, you'll get your daily exercise without having to pay for a gym membership.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

Image by pedrosimoes7

Challengicious Monday: More Outdoor Water Reduction

>> Monday, June 14, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Like last week, this week's water-related challenge is:

Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

Just a few more random tips for you this week:

Periodically check outdoor faucets, pipes, and hoses for leaks.
Clean your driveway or sidewalk with a broom instead of a hose.
Install water barrels to catch the rain water from your roof.
Weed your lawn and garden regularly so your plants don't have to compete with the weeds for water.
Drive your car through a commercial carwash that recycles water rather than washing by hand. If you do decide to water by hand, wash your car on the grass so you can water the lawn at the same time.
Limit the amount of concrete and wastewater runoff in your yard by using porous materials for walkways, patios, and even driveways.

The main concept with these water-saving tips (and the ones from the past three challenges) is to be mindful of how much water you're using. Every time you turn on the faucet, think to yourself, "How could I reduce the amount of water I need? Is there any way I could reuse this water when I'm done with it?"

In addition to trying to reduce our water usage, we also need to be mindful of what we're putting into our water. Every time you pour something down the drain, it ends up in our water supply.

Are you pouring hazardous materials down the drain? This includes things like paint and motor oil but also cooking oil. Be conscious of how you dispose of materials that could be harmful.
What chemicals are in your personal care products and cleaning supplies? Do your household cleaners contain phosphates, which cause algae blooms that choke out fish and other marine life?
Are you using your toilet as a trash can? If it didn't come out of your own body, it shouldn't be flushed (with toilet paper the exception).
Are you spraying your yard with pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizer? In pursuit of the perfect lawn, many people don't think about the end result of all of those chemicals sprayed in our yards - one good rain, and it runs right off into the gutter, where it ends up in our rivers, lakes, and water sources.

Being mindful of water use is an ongoing process that we're still working on. We bought a water barrel from the Habitat Humanity store a couple months ago that we'll hopefully get set up sometime this week. Maybe...June is a busy month! Stay tuned...

(One more way that we add chemicals to our water supply is through our pharmaceuticals and birth control products. I'd love to have a post about this during our water challenges but don't have time to research right now. If anyone wants to do a guest post on this subject here at The Conscious Shopper, let me know!)

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Challengicious Monday Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

>> Monday, June 7, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's this week's water-related challenge

Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

My out-of-control garden, taller than my five-year-old

Instead of the usual Baby Steps etc., I'm just going to list a bunch of random tips today for watering and landscaping your yard and garden:

The best time to water your lawn or garden is in the early morning.
Make sure your sprinklers are positioned so you're watering the lawn or garden and not the sidewalk.
Check your sprinkler system and outdoor faucets periodically for drips and leaks.
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, install a rain shut-off device so you don't double water. Overwatering can be just as bad for your plants as underwatering (not to mention wasting lots of water).
Set up a drip irrigation system to water near the roots where the plants need it most rather than on the leaves where you could spread disease.
Multi-task by letting your kids run through the sprinkler in a spot of your yard that needs some water, and move the sprinkler throughout the yard rather than always turning it on in the same spot.
Water your plants deeply but less frequently to create healthier and stronger landscapes.
Choose plants that are native to your area and/or require less water.
Plant during the spring or fall rather than midsummer when plants require more water.
Reduce the amount of grass in your yard by adding more trees, shrubs, and ground covers.
Mulch around your plants and garden to keep the soil cooler and avoid evaporation. A good source of mulch is the tree's own leaves - collect them in the fall, shred them, and then spread them around the base of the tree. Or skip the raking and leave them on the ground where they fall.
Keep your lawn mower adjusted to a higher setting - longer grass holds soil moisture better than shorter grass.
Aerate your lawn by poking holes about six inches apart throughout the yard so water will penetrate into the soil and reach the roots rather than running off the surface.

Pretty simple stuff once you get into the habit!

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

Challengicious Monday: More Indoor Water Reduction

>> Monday, May 31, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Like last week's water-related challenge, this week I'm challenging you to:

Reduce Your Indoor Water Use

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Defrost food in the refrigerator rather than under running water.
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and shaving.
Don't rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Wipe them off with a dishrag or use the method I describe here.
Reuse your towels multiple times to avoid creating extra laundry. Also wear your clothes more than once (not underwear).
Don't use the toilet as a trash can.
Take baths family style - i.e., Mommy and baby, Mommy and Daddy, small kids together.

JOGGING STRIDE

Compost vegetable scraps instead of using the garbage disposal.
Replace showerheads with low-flow varieties and install aerators in your faucets.
Upgrade your toilet to a more efficient model, put a bottle of water in the tank, or install a dual-flush system.

MARATHON RUNNER

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.
Consider a compostable toilet.
Pee on your garden.

Since I'm no Crunchy Chicken, I'm not up for peeing on my garden just yet, but I would like to install the dual flush system on my toilets. I may not get to it this month, but I'll let you know as soon as I get to it.

I'm happy to report that after looking back over today's challenge and last week's, I'm doing better on water conservation than I thought. It's nice to sometimes get a pat-yourself-on-the-back week.

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image by Joe Shlabotnik

Challengicious Monday: Reduce Your Indoor Water Use

>> Monday, May 24, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your first water-related challenge:

Reduce Your Indoor Water Use

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Fill up your dishwasher all the way before running it.
Conserve water when washing dishes by filling up both sides of the sink - one with hot water to wash in and one with lukewarm/cool water to rinse.
Only wash full loads of laundry. Also, fill up the washing machine to the appropriate level depending on the size of your load.
Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge for cold drinks rather than running the tap until it's cold.
Wash vegetables, fruits, and herbs in a bowl of water rather than running water. Use the collected water on your garden. You can also use cooled pasta water, potato water, and the water from steaming vegetables.
Plug the tub as soon as you turn the water on, and then adjust the temperature while the tub is filling.

JOGGING STRIDE

Take shorter showers. Shorten your shower time by not shaving in the shower or washing your hair every other day.
Use a refillable water bottle to cut down on the amount of glasses that need to be washed each day. Hopefully, you're already doing this.
Monitor your water bill to be on the watch for water leaks.

MARATHON RUNNER

Turn off the water in the shower while you lather up. Turn it back on to rinse.
Keep a bucket in the shower to catch warming-up water. Use it to flush the toilet.
Check your city codes to find out if you can re-route your plumbing to use grey water in your yard rather than sending it to the sewage plant.
Shower every other day.

If you've been a reader of The Conscious Shopper long enough to remember the post I Need...Water (indoors), you may remember that long showers are one of my eco-sins. I hate baths but have a weakness for very hot, very long showers. Trying to get myself to move faster in the morning was a total failure, but going no poo has helped me reduce my shower time on some days since I have less to do in there without washing my hair.

Another one of the challenges that I mean to work on is washing my fruits and veggies in a bowl of water rather than the sink. I've been concerned about our increased water use with the garden this year, and that would be one way to cut back a tiny bit.

The Marathon Runner challenges are pretty extreme, so don't feel down on yourself if you're just not ready to advance that far. I'll admit upfront that I dream of a grey water system but besides that my green side is a little lighter in this category.

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image by stevendepolo

Challengicious Monday: Support Renewable Energy

>> Monday, May 17, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your final energy-related challenge:

Support Renewable Energy

This is the final challenge in the Energize challenges, and like the last one, it's Marathon Runner only. In most of the energy-related challenges, you invest money to save money. This challenge also pays you back...but not with money. By supporting renewables, you help create a sustainable future with less damage to the environment and a secure source of energy.

Renewable energy sources include:

solar
wind
tidal
geothermal
biofuels
hydroelectric

Each of these sources has its downsides, but the overall net benefit of using renewables far outweighs the negatives when compared to using fossil fuels.

Three Ways to Support Renewable Energy

The easiest way to support renewable energy is through your power company. Typically, you'll pay a premium on your regular energy bill supporting renewable energy and the development of renewable technology. To find out if your power company has a green power program, search this chart from the Department of Energy.
If you're lucky to live in a few select states (Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia), you may be able to switch to a green electricity provider. Check out this chart from the Department of Energy for more information.
If neither of these options work for you, you can buy a Renewable Energy Certificate to support the production and development of renewable energy.

This is a Marathon Runner only challenge because I personally think that improving the energy efficiency of your home is a much better first step than turning straight to renewables. If you can reduce your energy needs by 30%, that's 30% less renewable energy that we need to produce. Plus, the technology for energy efficiency already exists while we're still working on improving the technology of renewables.

When you've gone as far as you can on the other challenges, that's when it's time to turn to renewable energy. I pay an extra $4 to NC Green Power every month - a small amount, yes, but I think every little bit counts. If you can afford more, please do!

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

Image by Gabby Canonizado

Challengicious Monday: Upgrade to Energy Star

>> Monday, May 10, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Upgrade to Energy Star

We're at the winding down phase of the Energize challenges, and these last two are Marathon Runner only. If you're in the market for a new appliance, HVAC system, or household electronic, consider looking for the Energy Star rating, "a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices." Although Energy Star products tend to be a little more expensive than their conventional counterparts, they should earn their keep through savings on your energy bill. And you can get federal tax credits for many Energy Star products!

If you're not planning on upgrading already, I personally think it's better to hold on to your appliances and repair them until they bite the dust, but I've seen other sources that disagree. Either way, you should definitely not go into debt just to complete a Conscious Shopper Challenge. So when you're ready...

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

Challengicious Monday: Slay Your Vampires

>> Monday, May 3, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Slay Your Vampires

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Unplug, unplug, unplug.

Unplug the adapters when your cell phones, laptops, and iPods are finished charging.
Unplug your microwaves, coffee makers, and toaster ovens when you're done with them.
Unplug your TVs, DVD players, and stereos when you're not using them, or at least at the end of the day.

JOGGING STRIDE

Use a power strip. Since power strips don't draw energy when they're switched off, you can cluster like-groups of appliances and electronics around power strips so you only have to flip one switch to turn them all off. If that's still too hard, you can get power strips with timers or even special sensors that detect when your electronics are not in use.

MARATHON RUNNER

Buy fewer products that require electricity. Keep it simple by avoiding products with bells and whistles. For example, do you really need a toaster or coffee maker with a digital display? Could you get buy with a traditional phone that plugs into the wall rather than a cordless phone?

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the extra energy use from vampires "represents a relatively small but growing percentage of an individual home’s electricity use (about five percent), but taken across all U.S. households, adds up to an estimated 65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. This extra electricity costs consumers more than $5.8 billion annually and sends more than 87 billion pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year."

Just to clarify: you only need to unplug products that use electricity even when they're off. One easy way to tell is if it has a digital screen, if it uses a remote, or if it charges. VCR? Yes. Hair dryer? Probably not. TV? Yes. Toaster? Probably not. Cell phone? Yes. Lamp? Probably not.

Have you ever wondered how much electricity your appliances and electronics actually use? Have some fun with a Kill-a-Watt at Pragmatic Environmentalism.

Will you take the challenge?

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Challengicious Monday: Save Energy When Washing Dishes and Laundry

>> Monday, April 26, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Save Energy When Washing Dishes and Laundry

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Only wash full loads. Unless your dishwasher is full or you've got a full load of laundry, save it for the next load.

JOGGING STRIDE

Air dry your dishes. Instead of using the "heated dry" setting on your dishwasher, open the door and let them air dry.

Wash your clothes on cold. According to Progress Energy, each load that I wash in cold can saves me about $0.50.

MARATHON RUNNER

Wash your clothes and dishes off-peak. Some newer models of dishwashers have a timer so you can run a load in the middle of the night when people generally use less energy. If possible, nighttime is also the best time to use your dryer - especially during the summer when your air-conditioner has to compete with the heat from your dryer.

Line dry your clothes. Hang your clothes on a line and let the sun dry them. Along with your refrigerator, the dryer is your biggest energy hogging appliance.

If you've been holding back from line drying your clothes because of limited space or HOA rules, stay tuned. Later this week, I'll show you how I line dry some of my clothes.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

image by simplyla

Challengicious Monday: Save Energy When Cooking

>> Monday, April 19, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Save Energy When Cooking

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Keep a lid on your pots. Not only does the lid keep in heat, but it also helps the water boil faster. Win, win.

Match pans to the appropriate burner size. There's a reason your oven comes with different size burners. For the most efficient cooking, make sure the pan you're cooking with is about the same size as the burner you're cooking on.

Don't peek in the oven. It may be tempting to peek, but every time you open the oven door, heat escapes and your oven has to work extra hard. Instead, keep the window on your oven door clean and turn on the light.

JOGGING STRIDE

Use your microwave. Especially for reheating foods. Microwaves use a lot less energy than ovens and save time.

Use your slow cooker. Like microwaves, slow cookers use a lot less energy than ovens. Here's a table demonstrating how much less energy.

Cook less - enjoy foods raw. Of course, the best way to save energy when cooking is not to cook at all - especially during the summer when your air conditioner has to fight with your oven. Learn to enjoy foods fresh, and you'll save energy...and time!

MARATHON RUNNER

Use man-power. We're so quick these days to buy the latest new appliance to do all the work for us in the kitchen. Instead of dragging out your big mixer, try a spoon or whisk. Instead of a bread machine, knead by hand. You can even find hand-powered blenders.

Bake efficiently. If you're good at organizing your time, this is my best tip for saving energy in the kitchen. Instead of turning on the oven every night, try doing all of your baking on one or two days. Bake your bread, casseroles, baked potatoes, and cookies all at once.

The truth is that you don't save much energy by cooking more efficiently, so if you have limited time, focus your efforts on heating and cooling. But every little bit counts, every little bit saves some money, and most of these tips are so easy, why not do them?

I'm happy to say that I'm a Marathon Runner in this category. And since what you eat matters more than how you cook it, I get bonus points for being an almost vegetarian. If you're taking the Meatless Monday challenge over at the Green Phone Booth, you can give yourself bonus points too.

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

Challengicious Monday: Save Energy Through Heating and Cooling

>> Monday, April 12, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Save Energy Through Heating and Cooling

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Change your air filter regularly. Most of the time, that means monthly, but you can get filters that last longer. Just remember to change them when they are supposed to be changed. You can even get reusable furnace filters.

Don't make your A/C or furnace work too hard.

Keep doors and windows closed tightly.

Run exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen only when you need them.

Close the flue in your fireplace when you're not using it.

Uncover all your vents.

Keep your air conditioning unit properly maintained. Think of it like a car - sometimes it's going to need a tune-up.

Cover bare floors in the winter and uncover them in the summer. Adding rugs can improve your comfort level when you're cold, while a bare floor can be cool and soothing on those hot summer days.

Avoid using your oven on hot days.

Block the sun.

In the summer, keep the curtains drawn when the sun is on that side of your house, or install outside awnings over your windows.
In the winter, use heavy drapes as extra insulation over leaky windows, but keep south facing windows uncovered to allow the sun to warm your home naturally.

JOGGING STRIDE

Raise your thermostat a few degrees in the summer and lower it a few degrees in the winter.

Shoot for a daytime temperature of 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. For each degree that you raise or lower your thermostat, you will save 3-5% off your heating/cooling costs.
Use a programmable thermostat to automatically raise or lower the temperature settings when you leave home or at night. (If you have a heat pump, it's probably best to ignore this advice unless you have a special programmable thermostat that can raise and lower the temperature gradually.)

Install and use ceiling fans. But remember that fans cool people, not rooms, so they will only save energy (and money) if you use them correctly. That means:

Turn the fan off when you leave a room. Think of a fan like a light - it does no good when no one is in the room to use it.

In the spring and fall, use ceiling fans instead of turning on the A/C.

In the summer, keep your thermostat set a few degrees higher than your comfort level, and turn your ceiling fans on high. Ceiling fans work along the same lines as a breeze on a hot day.

In the winter, reverse the direction the fan turns (usually just by flipping a switch), turn the fan on low, and keep your thermostat set lower. The fans will push air toward the ceiling, forcing the warm air down into the room.

Make sure you get the appropriate size fan for your room. A small fan in a large room is not going to do a good job.

Landscape smart.

Plant medium-height trees on the east and west sides of your home to block the sun when it's low in the sky.
Plant tall deciduous trees on the south side of your home. They'll block out the sun when it's high in the sky in the summer but allow the sun through when it's at a lower angle in the winter .
Plant dense evergreens on the north side of your home where they'll block cold winter winds.

MARATHON RUNNER

Seal leaks and add insulation. Use this DIY Guide to Sealing and Insulating from Energy Star.

Seal and repair leaky air ducts to cut your heating/cooling costs by up to 30 percent.

Add insulation, and make sure it's installed properly. The best place to add insulation? The attic.

Check for air leaks around windows, doors, outlets, entrances to attics and crawlspaces, and in attics and basements. Conscious Shopper reader Frank directed me to this smoke test that you can use to find leaks around your windows and doors (although he says you could easily do it with a cigarette or smokey incense).

Install energy efficient windows and doors.

Upgrade to a more efficient A/C unit. If you live in a moderate climate, consider getting a heat pump - they are 30% more efficient than a typical air conditioner. Or take a look at geothermal heat pumps, which cost more but are even more efficient and last much longer.

Most of these steps are completely free, and those that do cost money should save you money over the long run. As we go through these Saving Energy challenges, keep reminding yourself that saving energy = saving money.

I'm planning on switching to a reusable filter this month. We do the rest of the Baby Steps and Jogging Stride steps except for the landscaping tips because we're renting. I need to check for and seal air leaks, but I can't do the other Marathon Runner tips because of the renting thing.

Sealing leaks and adding insulation is actually a huge thing and may take you more than a week to complete. Don't worry - most of the steps in the next few weeks are super easy, so you should have plenty of time to focus on caulking and insulating.

Will You Take the Challenge?

____________________

image by FxyLxy

Challengicious Monday: Get a Home Energy Audit

>> Monday, April 5, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next energy-related challenge:

Get a Home Energy Audit

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Do an online energy audit. Free online energy audits are offered by many power companies. They ask for information about your home and combine it with your energy usage history to create an energy profile with suggestions for improvements. The downside is that without a home visit and walk-through, an online audit can only provide limited information and generic suggestions.

JOGGING STRIDE

Conduct a DIY audit. Walk-through your home looking for air leaks and places that are improperly sealed or insulated. Add caulking, weather-stripping, and insulation. Replace high-watt bulbs with lower watt bulbs or compact fluorescent lightbulbs, a poorly performing heating and cooling system with a more efficient one, and old appliances with Energy Star rated appliances. Find a detailed list of suggestions at the U.S. Department of Energy site.

MARATHON RUNNER

Get a professional home energy audit. Having someone else perform your audit for you may be the easiest route, but because it's the most expensive (and we're conscious shoppers), it's also the most difficult. But if you can afford a professional audit, the savings you'll get from improving your home should offset the cost of the audit.

Last year when we were living in our apartment, I tried the online audit from my power company. It was pretty generic so I'll probably just skip it this time and try the DIY route. Because we're still renters, there are limited improvements we can make, and I don't want to invest the money in a professional audit. If you're a homeowner and not too DIY inclined, I definitely recommend that route.

For more information, check out Energy Efficiency: Renewable Energy's Less Cool Cousin.

Will you take the challenge?

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image by kivanc nis

Challengicious Monday: Change Your Bulbs

>> Monday, March 29, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your first energy-related challenge:

Change Your Bulbs

To complete this challenge, you can

BABY STEPS

Switch to CFLs. This is the baby step of all going green baby steps. Have you changed your lightbulbs yet? (You know they save you money, right?)

JOGGING STRIDE

Use motion-sensor lights. Rather than leaving a light on all night outside or in the bathroom, try switching to a light that only turns on when it detects motion.

MARATHON RUNNER

Use LEDs. This is the most energy-efficient long-lasting type of lighting; install an LED once and you won't have to replace it for decades. Unfortunately, affordability hasn't caught up with LED technology, and good affordable LEDs will not screw into a standard lightbulb fixture. But while you wait for LED technology to improve, try using LEDs in your recessed lighting and switch to LED Christmas lights.

We have all of our lightbulbs except for the recessed lighting in the kitchen switched over to CFLs. If we owned this house, I'd consider installing LEDs into the recessed lighting, but sadly, we're still renters.

For more information on lighting, check out I Need...Lighting (Beyond CFLs)

Will You Take the Challenge?

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Challengicious Monday: Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

>> Monday, March 22, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your final trash-related challenge:

Pack a Waste-Free Lunch

In probably the most unappetizing picture I've ever taken, I present to you: My Son's Lunch. The cheetah bag came from Subway. The plastic containers hold a quesadilla, carrot sticks with ranch dip (in a repurposed tiny jelly jar from a holiday gift basket), and applesauce. The green container once held playdough but now has goldfish crackers.

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Pack waste-free snacks. Gradually inch your way toward waste free meals by starting with your snacks. Forget individually packaged snacks and disposable baggies; gather all of your reusable food containers and pack them yourself. My favorite method involves some old playdough containers: I'll buy a big box of goldfish crackers, pour the crackers into the containers at the beginning of the week, and put them in a basket for easy access for my kids.

JOGGING STRIDE

Pack a waste-free lunch. Once you've got your snacks down, you're ready to move on to a bigger meal. Any collection of mismatched food containers will work (from your cupboards, restaurant take-out, or thrift stores), or you can commit to a nice reusable lunchbox like the PlanetBox I reviewed two weeks ago. For more options, check out ReusableBags.com and Life Without Plastic.

MARATHON RUNNER

Eat out without waste. Are you already a pro at packing waste-free meals? Graduate to the next level by eating out without producing waste. Bring your own straws, utensils, cloth napkins, water bottles, and even to-go containers. Check out the TakeOutWithOut campaign for more ideas, and stay-tuned later this week for the chance to win a gift certificate to Glass Dharma reusable glass straws.

I'm at Jogging Stride right now and working up the courage to be a Marathon Runner. The problem is that we don't eat out very often, so I have to remember to bring my take out containers.

Over at The Green Phone Booth this week, I'll be posting some ideas for waste-free lunches and to-go kits, so stay tuned!

This is also the last of our trash challenges, so I'll be keeping track of my trash again and posting more pictures on the "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook. Who wants to dig in their trash with me?

Will you take the challenge?

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Challengicious Monday: Recycle Everything

>> Monday, March 15, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next trash-related challenge:

Recycle Everything

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Participate in your local recycling program. Check with your local waste collection to find out how to participate, and remember to find out what can and cannot be recycled in your area.

JOGGING STRIDE

Buy recycled products. Complete the loop by looking for products with recycled content whenever possible.

MARATHON RUNNER

Recycle everything. Before you throw anything in the trash, ask yourself, "Could this be recycled? How?" Besides your city's recycling collection, many cities have additional recycling stations that collect yard waste, scrap metal, electronics, and appliances. Plus, numerous companies and organizations throughout the country have set up additional recycling programs. Tomorrow, I'll provide you a list of some of the programs I know about.

As is the case with many of these challenges, I'm somewhere between Jogging Stride and Marathon Runner. I have good intentions to recycle beyond my city's collection, but too often, those good intentions end up being a pile of clutter that never goes away. (The floor of my closet is currently covered in electronics that I need to recycle. It's a walk in closet, but you can't actually walk into it right now. Luckily, I married the right man, who puts up with my crap with very little complaint.)

For more information on recycling, check out:

Will you take the challenge?

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Photo by cogdogblog

Challengicious Monday: Start Composting

>> Monday, March 8, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next trash-related challenge:

Start Composting

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Save your leaves. Use the leaves to mulch your garden or lawn.

JOGGING STRIDE

Compost. Use a traditional composting system, or start a worm bin. Or participate in your city's composting collection if you're really lucky.

MARATHON RUNNER

Install a composting toilet. I almost didn't include composting toilets as an option because they are definitely in the so-extreme-not-many-people-are-going-to-do-it category, but my husband said I should throw it out there just to spread awareness. If you want my opinion on the subject...I think the homemade bucket toilets are naaaasty, but I think this kind of composting toilet is a very cool idea if the price would come down. Anyone use a composting toilet and want to weigh in?

We started a worm bin last September and struggled with it over the winter, finally deciding to let it sit until it warms up outside and then we'll start again. I can't seem to get the right food to worm ratio to prevent leaking. Several times this winter, I should have brought the worms indoors to protect them from the cold, but because of the leaky mess, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Also, we definitely do not have enough worms for all of our composting needs. I'm debating now whether to get more than one bin going or to start a regular compost pile. Any tips?

For more information about composting, check out:

Will you take the challenge?

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You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays.

Like what you see? Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook! You can also find me over at The Green Phone Booth.

Challengicious Monday: Reduce Packaging

>> Monday, March 1, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next trash-related challenge:

Reduce Packaging

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Buy concentrated products. The main ingredient in many products is water. Choose concentrated products and add your own water. You'll save packaging and money.

Buy products in bulk. Choose the largest size you can whenever you can.

JOGGING STRIDE

Eat fresh foods. Choose fresh over canned or frozen when possible, stick to the outer perimeter of the grocery store, and get to know your farmer's market.

Limit individually packaged foods. I think this one's self-explanatory.

MARATHON RUNNER

Buy from the bulk bins. Check your local health and natural foods stores for a bulk bin section, where you can bring your own containers to buy as much or as little as you need.

Choose used over new. Buying used not only means no packaging, but it can give many products one more life before they head to the landfill.

As always, my perspective of the difficulty level of these steps may be different from yours. It was pretty easy for me to stop buying cheese sticks - much harder for me to work up the courage to use my own bags at the bulk bins. You might love thrift stores but have no idea how to cook a carrot. Work at your own level and to fit your own circumstances.

For more information about reducing packaging, check out:

Will you take the challenge?

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