Home Green Home - How to Create an Eco-Friendly Living Space

Eco-friendly housing is becoming more and more popular. Where mansions and extravagant extras once denoted someone as a prominent member of society, now it’s just seen as wasteful. Even if you live in a home that isn’t brand new or built with the latest eco-friendly materials, there are still things you can do to make your house greener.

The options are endless, and some are extremely easy, free, and can even save you money in the long run! Many of the options that contribute to the cause of developing an eco-friendly home make day to day life simpler. By reducing your carbon footprint, you can also reduce exactly how busy your schedule is significantly. In other words, going green is simply golden.

Green Heating and Cooling

There are simple things that you can do within your home to significantly cut the prices of a majority of your household bills. Not only do they cut the prices of your bills, but they help your home in its process of becoming more eco-friendly. Did you know that planting trees around your home helps provide natural insulation in the winter and shade in the summer?

Speaking of seasonal temperatures, either turn down the heat in the winter, or turn the temperature up on your air conditioning in the summer. Less of your heating or air conditioning ends up being more money in your wallet, and is also better for the environment. If you absolutely cannot live without either your heat or air conditioning blasting, try using solar energy. Some heaters run on solar power, and they are coming up with more and more various ways of gaining solar energy to run your everyday appliances.

Green Shopping Saves You Greenbacks

Going shopping can be a stressful task for many people. Not only can it be stressful for you, but it can also take a toll on the environment. Here are some ways that you can take the stress out of your life.

• Shop less – While it may seem obvious, shopping less often is helpful. Instead of twice a week, shop once a week. This will help you in not being tempted to buy unnecessary items, and therefore help you to spend less. Less running to the store also reduces the amount of time that you run your car, reducing your carbon footprint even more.

• Quality vs. Quantity – Always look at the quality of what you’re buying. Is it going to last you for a while? If the answer isn’t clear, then it probably isn’t worth buying. This doesn’t apply to food, however. Hopefully you are buying food because you hope to eat and get rid of it in a timely fashion.

• Eco-cleaning products – When you go to buy your cleaning products, make sure they are eco-friendly. Many cleaners have harsh chemicals that aren’t good for the environment in any way, and really can’t be too healthy for us humans and our pets.

• Choose paper or reusable bags – As you’re checking out, skip the plastic shopping bags. Invest in reusable shopping bags, or select paper if the store provides that option. Some stores are starting to charge an extra fee to consumers who rely on plastic bags!

Forego Disposable Plastic Products

Next time you go to grab a zip up sandwich bag, think again. You’re only going to use it one time, and then the plastic item will be thrown away among all the rest of your trash. The same goes for your plastic, disposable, one-time use water bottles. Plastic isn’t a natural substance that can once again become a part of the Earth.

Plastic is a petroleum-based product that does not erode well. Instead consider using some sort of sandwich bag or box that is washable and will last you for a reasonable amount of time. Reusable water bottles are found nearly anywhere now, and can last you for years at a time with proper maintenance.

Establish a Green Heritage

Passing on the tradition of eco-friendly and healthy living should start at a young age. While we want our young ones to practice these things as they grow, we want to make sure that we provide them with one of these environments in their younger years. Making sure that their bottles and formula are made free of anything possibly harmful is always a necessity. Providing them with an organic cotton crib mattress allows them to sleep on an eco-friendly thought. Being eco-friendly may seem like a task, but is a fairly simple process that helps you to both improve your family’s lives while teaching them a better way of life as well.

Freelance writer and internet marketer Mark Harris lives with his lovely wife in White Rock, British Columbia, an area of Canada that is home to a number of off-the-grid homes. He and his wife use tips from websites like http://www.ecohomeinspired.com/ to learn how to make their own home more earth friendly. As they’re both avid outdoor enthusiasts, even their hobbies are green! When they aren’t working, Mark and his wife enjoy participating in outdoor activities like kayaking and hiking.

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