I was getting ready to write my weekly "green" blog for all of you great money saving, green living folks and I thought I would put a personal twist on things so we can get to know eachother a bit better. Since I've made a lot of changes recently and some big things have happened in my life; I thought now would be a good time for myself to share with you how I live green everyday and what steps I take and have taken to try to reduce my carbon footprint. Although, its too hard for me to "green" everything in my life, I definitely think "green" for everything in my life and that is the first step to taking action.
For the past year I have been driving over 20 miles to work everyday. I've put more than 25k miles on my car in just one year. I'm starting a graduate school program downtown and also work downtown, so living 20 miles out in the suburbs has not been the best option for my time, pocketbook and most importantly the planet! I finally decided to make the big move downtown. Starting this Friday I will be within walking distance to my job and a short drive from my new campus. I plan on walking to work and around town as often as possible. My decision to try out urban living is one I'm very excited about and know how much it will reduce my carbon footprint.
So, you're thinking, I can't pack up my family, sell my house and move to the city or even closer to my job if its elsewhere. However, there are some things you can do differently to start taking action to reduce your "commuter footprint" as I call it. In a recent article I read it stated that on average, Americans put 11,000 miles on their cars annually and get an average 26 miles per gallon. By simply being more aware of your driving speed you can save $118 in fuel costs annually and 575 pounds of CO2 emissions. Look to crusie control on the highway; this is a sure way to keep your lead foot in check. You can also increase fuel efficiency by maintaining the tire pressure in your car; keeping your tires properly inlfated can save you $51 per year! You might be thinking, eh $50 bucks, but with the money saving coupons I just mailed to each and everyone of you, $50 can get you a nice dinner or a cute outift ( ;
Aside from my big Urban move, I also just got engaged! I've already started the "green" wedding planning and have found so many great options to use for my big day along with options for each of you to use in your everyday lives. I'll update next week with all my "green" ideas along with some more money saving tips! Please feel free to leave comments as well and share with me ways your live green!